Jump to content
Top Shelf Aquatics

How To: DIY PC socket (pin style)


adinsxq

Recommended Posts

How To: DIY PC socket

 

This is a step by step guide to making your own compact fluorescent bulb connections. The benefits of this approach are:

 

1. Easy and Quick to make (also less expensive than purchased sockets)

2. Universal configuration. Will accept both straight (···) and square ( :: ) pin configurations

3. Will not brittle under heat or fuse to bulbs

 

Materials:

 

1. Female Molex Connectors (may be extracted from old computer power supply molex connectors. aka "18-22AWG FEMALE")

2. Wire (I will be using 18awg)

3. Wire Heat-Shrink wrap

 

pins001.jpg

 

Additional Tools:

 

1. Bulb

2. Needle Nosed Plyers (or Molex Crimp Tool)

3. Small Flat-Head screw driver

4. Cigarette lighter or Hair Dryer (or Heat Gun)

5. Utility knife (Razor blade)

 

Procedures:

 

Below is the female molex pin next to the stripped 18awg wire. I used a utility knife to strip the wire insulation about 1/4".

 

pins002.jpg

 

This shows the wire and molex pin combination. There are two important places to crimp the metal. At the extreme end are two "wings" that are meant to bite into the wire insulation. In the middle of the pin, there are also two of these that are meant to be crimped down to hold the actual metal of the wire fibers. It is very important to make secure crimps at these two places because they serve to hold the wire in place and in contact with the electrical current. Also, don't forget to bend in the two barbs.

 

pins003.jpg

 

Use the small screw driver or whatever you have handy to slightly enlarge the female end of the connector. (Note: I began a description of this, but it sounded very inappropriate so I'll leave it up to you to figure it out.) You need to increase the diameter of the female pin so that it is wide enough to fit the male pin of your bulb, but also, snug enough to provide a solid connection. See below.

 

pins004.jpg

 

Remove the pin from the bulb and make the connection water-resistant by sheathing it in wire heat shrink. I used about a inch of 1/4" diameter heat shrink to provide a skin-tight wrapping around the socket as well as (shown below) an additional layer of 1/2" diameter shrink to increase the rigidity and durability (not shown). (keep in mind that heat shrink will reduce a maximum of 1/2 - 1/3 it's original size) Finished product:

 

pins006.jpg

 

In larger wattage biax bulbs, you will have 4 pins. In this case you will need to make two pairs of pins.

 

P.S. I have spare molex pins if you want to try this out yourself, shoot me a PM. (or if you'd like to make you a couple of sets)

 

Edit: I will NOT be responsible if you're an idiot and burn down your house.

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...
HogWinslow

This is a great idea.

 

Does any one have any ideas on how to get around buying an expensive ballast?

 

Hog

Link to comment

Hey thanks for the great idea. Is there a more specific name to these pins since Molex makes more than a couple thousand types of connectors?

Link to comment
HogWinslow

adinsxq-

 

To light the power compact bulbs. I've looked at ballasts and they sell from a couple of dollars up into the hundreds. The ballasts are something I know nothing about about except that they must be rated at the same wattage as the bulb. But - is a ballast a ballast? Dose it matter what type of light bulb the ballast is going to light? My bother-in-law sells lighting. If I wanted to buy 36 watt power compact reef bulbs would I just tell him to get me 36 watt ballasts? I hope I'm explaining this right. My wife says I have a comunication proplem.

 

Thanks,

Hog

Link to comment

an decent electronic ballast to light up a single 36w pc bulb should not cost you more than $20 (ballast alone)

 

if you have no experience with DIY lighting, there are several retrofit options.

 

a CSL (customsealife.com) 32w retro runs about $45-50 and comes with, reflector, bulb, endcap - completely wired. it's plug and play. you would run 28w or 32w "square pin" bulbs

 

hellolights sells a variable retro (28W, 32W, 36W, 55W square pin bulbs) ~$40 ballast, clips, square pin socket, cord. no bulb

 

the reason i prefer this method is its versitility (and also cost). paying $2.50 for what i can make for a dollar (gx32 sockets) or worse $14 (rubber endcap) over a dollar isn't too fun, especially when you could get a nice frag instead. the pins are also independent from each other which allows me to use either straight or square pin bulbs--allows more options in bulb mfg or online store.

 

if i'm at my computer, i'm in the chat. i can help you there if you (or anyone else) would needs more help/information. or you keep posting in this thread.

 

hope this helps

Link to comment
Nishant3789

lol, adin, just 4 clips? no more? are you sure i cnat get em at radioshack? PM me your address, ill send you a buck.

Link to comment

nishant, yes it is possible to purchase powersupply molex connectors at radioshack if you enjoy being overcharged.

 

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?cata...%5Fid=278%2D767

 

and yes, it is possible to remove the female pins from the plastic, but they may be soldered to the wires. then, your best bet would be to use the existing wire-pin as a your lead. ...of course, this may require you to do additional wire-wire connections between this lead and the ballast.

 

if you're concerned with "messing up," send me what you want done, pay for shipping both ways and cover material costs, and i'll do it for you. but i think this defeats the purpose of diy, yes?

Link to comment

1. one dollar for four pins (enough to make one socket for a 4-pin biax bulb)

 

2. heat shrink tubing from any local hardware store (very inexpensive)

 

 

other:

cost of bulbs (depends on model/type/quality)

cost of ballast (depends on type/brand)

cost of power cord (diy from spare parts)

cost of bulb clips (variable. can be DIY-ed)

cost of reflector (optional)

Link to comment

i just sent jfly a few sets of pins and some higher grade heat-shrink. maybe he'll post pictures in a few days.

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

Got some molex clips from Adin.. actually haven't used THOSE yet as I already had a few prewired from some spare PC parts. He sent me some heatshrink and viola! I'm running mine off crappy little ballasts too. 3.50 for one at Home Depot and the other one I got off the lawn in front of a frat house where there'd been a floodlight kicking of some sort. :)

 

light1.jpg

 

 

You can see the endcaps, they work beautifully. I needed a good way to mount the lights in the hood, so I just played with some tin I had laying around..

 

light2.jpg

 

 

And as I'm sure you'll all notice I managed to get the lighter right up next to the heatshrink so one's kinda dirty. :) My bad.

 

 

light3.jpg

Link to comment

What ballast from home depot are you using? I recently upgraded from a 2.5 to a 5.5 and I am wanting to add the 2 left over 6500k light bulbs in addition to the two 50/50's i have running now. As i am on a bigtime budget, $3.50 sounds GREAT.

 

Thanks

Link to comment

I don't have the box anymore, buts its a little magnetic ballast I think by advance or someone.. its the cheapest and smallest one they have at H.D. Just look at the prices and find the one for 3.50 and you've got it. :)

Link to comment

lol cool. post pictures.

 

oh and by the way, a cheap way to make a clip is use one of those plastic zip ties with a zip tie mount. i think home depot sells them in the same section as their wire connectors, heat shrink, alligator clips etc.

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recommended Discussions

×
×
  • Create New...