Stupid Question #26 - Anyone Know a Trick to Taking Of the Male Ends?

[jimswinder]

I am wanting/needing to take the male ends off of my LED strings. I would just cut the wires at the plug, but there is very little length from the "blob" to the male plug, so was wanting that extra 1/2" that goes into the plug.

Was hoping to save the plug (just in case I ever want to put them back on...which I doubt I will do, but you never know), but I just can't get them to open up.

Mine are from CDI and have two "tabs" that obviously lock the "internals" (fuses and prongs) to the outer casing...but I just don't think the tabs can be released form the outside.

Anyone else taken off the male ends before?

[rstately]

In reply to your interest in "male ends"
One option is to attach short wires to the prongs of the plugs, put shrink tubing over them.
Then hook your connectors to that?
If you ever wanted the plug back just cut the shrink tubing, and desolder the wire.

as far as opening the plug, if its any thing like the blob, it's difficult!

Good luck,
Ron

[jimswinder]

rstately wrote:

In reply to your interest in "male ends"

**LOL...thanks Mr. Hollywood and Vine!!**

One option is to attach short wires to the prongs of the plugs, put shrink tubing over them. Then hook your connectors to that?

**That's a great idea!! Will try that today, though heat shrink is kinda spendy, but at leat I could use the lights elsewhere if I wanted to change my layout**

PS: New Avatar, huh?

EDIT:

Actually if I was to go to all the trouble of putting Heat Shrink on it, it would probably be cheaper and faster just to pigtail a Female Vampire plug to it...but in my circumstance that would be another 216 plugs @ 50 cents per plug...

What's another $100...

[rstately]

I thought of the vampire plug, but I knew you were trying to save money by using the 9 pin plugs. If you buy a 100' roll of shrink tubing, it's not that much $. I think I saw some on ebay for 20.00?
You just seem like the "more time than money kind of guy.":D

[jimswinder]

rstately wrote:

You just seem like the "more time than money kind of guy.":D

LOL...that was back in January!!

Actually after I read your post I remembered that I initially bought Vampire plugs from CDI for this project...so sitting here making 9 pin Molex to Female Vampire Plug pigtails.

Much faster than taking off the male plug...

Only 235 to go...

Thanks Ron!!!!