ORIGINAL: mglavin
The right crimpers for the job are paramount IMO, you'll find many available for the task some better than others. Professionals in this industry use crimpers that cost thousands of dollars there is a HUGE difference...
<snip>
Finally one caveat, an onboard control system is only as good as its weakest link...electrically AND mechanically. The above systems rely on proper crimping procedures (amongst other things) to ensure rated specs and mechanical integrity. Don't fool yourself, improper crimping is just as catastrophic as improper soldering.
Excellent points. I used to have access to the crimpers used by the avionics shop when I worked at the airport so I got spoiled. The first project I did without the fancy crimpers and using the ones described above, did not fair well. Fortunately for me, it was not a model and only created an irritating problem and time to trace down.
It is VERY easy to crimp these tiny connectors improperly. One especially easy error is putting too much pressure on the pin at the insulated section of the wire and cutting the wire inside the insulation, that's what I did...
If you are going to make your own leads, it would be a good idea to at least check them for continuity while flexing the lead with a multimeter if you can't load test them which would be best.