Soldering wires to pin-headers - am I just heavy-handed?

[Cylindric]

Hello,

I'm using pin headers to solder wires onto, so I can plug them into the headers on my Arduino.  This works quite well, but it's quite easy to heat the pins too much and they move slightly in the PVC strip.  Am I just heavy-handed with the soldering, or is there a better way of doing this?

I am currently planning on switching to using these MTA 4-way cable sockets to plug onto these MTA headers on my own boards.

Doesn't solve the Arduino end of the equation though.

[oscarBravo]

I've done something similar by soldering the pin headers into small pieces of stripboard, and soldering the wires onto the other end of the strips. Not pretty, but solves the overheating pin problem and is as solid as I could ask for.

[Cylindric]

Good idea.

I might also make my own poor-man's arduino proto-shield by hacking up some stripboard.

I can't find those black header blocks (socket on top, pin on bottom) like are on the Arduino at RS - I'll keep looking as it's probably just a naming problem in my searches.

[JChristensen]

I'm using pin headers to solder wires onto, so I can plug them into the headers on my Arduino.  This works quite well, but it's quite easy to heat the pins too much and they move slightly in the PVC strip.  Am I just heavy-handed with the soldering, or is there a better way of doing this?

Have had the same issue, don't think I'm too much of a klutz with the soldering iron.  I'd have thought they'd have been made with something slightly more heat-resistant.

[MarkT]

Just solder the headers while they are plugged in to a header socket, they won't move then.  The secret of good soldering is having a hot enough iron and tinning it and the wire and the pin header before soldering - you need fresh flux to be present.  If first attempt fails let everything cool down again before retrying - otherwise you'll cook things.

[copiertalk]

I always do that as well.

I always thought it was due to the wrong wire being used or old wire. ( cat5 cable wire or old speaker wire or something ).

And sometimes when I make my boards I am not the most clean person about it if it is a one-off prototype to see if it works prior to soldering/making a finished board for use. There may be a little resist (toner) or finger prints or something left on the surface.

If it is going to a finished product or project I will use the correct buss wire or nice sockets/pins rather than the cheap stuff as well.

[CrossRoads]

You guys need to look into terminated wires & crimp connector housings at www.pololu.com.
You can get packages of pre-crimped wires, or just the termations and make your own.

http://www.pololu.com/catalog/category/73
http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1907

The make pins are designed to mate with the arduino Uno shield connectors, and also plug into breadboards.
The female pins will accept the male pins, and will also slide onto 0.025" square posts.

Soldering wires onto header pins should only be an act of desperation.

[copiertalk]

I do. I have crimpers, pins, sockets and often take a wire harness or ribben cable and repurpose it. 

other times I just want to tack it in place for a second to see if my changes have the desired effect prior to going through with making a harness or creating a new pcb.

Unconventional I guess but it works.

[CrossRoads]

Were you able to find a source for these?

http://www.pololu.com/catalog/category/50
also available at Digikey, need to look part numbes at home, just received 10 boards worth

Or were you looking for parts with the longer leads?
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9279
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9279

bent lead part to use with standard perf board
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9374

I thought they had these in sets of 4; yup, here they are
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10007

[Cylindric]

I found a bunch of UK suppliers now that I know some more names more ordering tomorrow...

[JChristensen]

Soldering wires onto header pins should only be an act of desperation.

True enough, but we are a desperate bunch!   XD

[copiertalk]

True enough, but we are a desperate bunch!   

And sometimes I can spend $5 on a 3 cent part to get it overnight or I can solder cat5 wire to dirty jumper pins for a week and wait on normal shipping.

[spycatcher2k]

I made a small pcb (Pictured is the prototype - I'm getting some made - as always 'FOR SALE'), As you can see in the photo the pins are connected 1 to 1 through a piece of cat5 off-cut I had in my 'BITZ BOX'. The cable is wired the same at both ends on this one for my breadboard. A LOT easier than trying to solder direct to the pins.

[spycatcher2k]

here is it installed on my sons box :

[retrolefty]

Looks like an awful stiff cable with lots of mass for such a short run and small current requirements. I like to use flat ribbon cable split down to the number of conductors required. I long ago obtained a couple hundred feet of surplus 40 conductor rainbow colored ribbon cable and it has served well for such applications.

Lefty