ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Hello,I was wondering if anyone had any experience with installing a male ML plug / adapter to an ML cable?B&O has a tool dealers can buy but I hear it costs a fortune so likely not a solution for the average DIY'er.
Questions:
1) Can such a crimping tool be bought for reasonable money?2) Does anyone have experience with crimping a ML adapter / plug to an ML cable without this tool? (I am sure it is most convenient but perhaps you can still crimp the adapter with a trick or two).
I ask as you can now buy these ML adapters on the Internet and would be a neater install than junction boxes all over the place.
PS: A close of picture of a ML adapter / plug may also be useful so you can see the ins and outs of the connector and judge if it is possible to do without an official tool.
Thanks
BeoMedia: I was wondering if anyone had any experience with installing a male ML plug / adapter to an ML cable?B&O has a tool dealers can buy but I hear it costs a fortune so likely not a solution for the average DIY'er. Questions: 1) Can such a crimping tool be bought for reasonable money?
I was wondering if anyone had any experience with installing a male ML plug / adapter to an ML cable?B&O has a tool dealers can buy but I hear it costs a fortune so likely not a solution for the average DIY'er.
1) Can such a crimping tool be bought for reasonable money?
I looked into this a little while ago, the crimp tool set is around 1000GBP from dealers in the UK so not exactly a DIY solution. It consists of two crimp tools (one for the contacts and one for the ferrule) plus a cable stripping tool, all housed together in a little case. There are part numbers and photos in the masterlink handbook.
The ML plugs and sockets are a molex part, but are no longer in production. Consequently the tool set can also be ordered from molex (or more likely one of their distributors) and whilst they are slightly less expensive (circa 800GBP) it is a special order part and there is a minimum order quantity of 5 units.
BeoMedia: 2) Does anyone have experience with crimping a ML adapter / plug to an ML cable without this tool? (I am sure it is most convenient but perhaps you can still crimp the adapter with a trick or two).
2) Does anyone have experience with crimping a ML adapter / plug to an ML cable without this tool? (I am sure it is most convenient but perhaps you can still crimp the adapter with a trick or two).
I think you would struggle but it is probably possible. The principle is exactly the same as crimping an RJ45 plug and people have apparently been successful in crimping those with screwdrivers or penknives. You'd still need a crimp tool for the ferrule but could probably get away with using a cheap hex ferrule crimp tool once you'd worked out what size die was required.
Maybe an easier and more reliable solution would be to see if you can find someone willing to hire out the correct tools?
Martin.
1) Kind of what I was fearing too expensive and no cheaper versions out there.
2) I will try this out. It sounds like you think the ferrule is the most difficult part? Isn't this just a matter of squeezing gently with a larger plier from e.g. Halfords so that it sits tight around the cable and holds it all in place?
BeoMedia:2) I will try this out. It sounds like you think the ferrule is the most difficult part? Isn't this just a matter of squeezing gently with a larger plier from e.g. Halfords so that it sits tight around the cable and holds it all in place?
No, I think the contacts will be the more difficult part - but you'll just need to make sure each contact is pushed down fully in order to splice into the wire below whilst ensuring you avoid damage to the surrounding plastic.
The ferrule serves two functions, it provides strain relief to the cable, and it secures the drain wires to the outer shielding of the plug. I've just inspected two different ML leads I have to hand, one appears to have original molex plugs (with the letters MX stamped into the shielding) whilst the other has what I assume is a third party manufactured copy of the original plugs. Neither it seems are hex crimped - on the molex plug the ferrule is pinched flat along two sides to reduce it's overall diameter whilst remaining otherwise round in profile, and the third party plug looks to have barely seen a crimp tool at all so looks like you could probably have simply pushed the ferrule over the plug casing and drain wires forming a tight friction fit. In fairness it probably was crimped, but it looks like it would have formed a decent connection anyway with perhaps a drop of glue to hold it securely in place.
Hope this helps, please do let me know how you get on if you decide to give this a try.
As I never took a plug apart I would guess its an insulation displacement tool that puts the plug on. With as many wires as ML it would be hard (not impossible) to get all the wires connected reliably with just a big pliers.