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Harting Help


cedd

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I've used Harting connectors loads, but until today have never had to put one together to a spec before.

 

I need help!

I'm building a new radio mic rack as I up my UHF channel count from 16 to 24 and it's going to have a number of different methods of connection depending on who's using it. If it's out with me then it'll be connected straight to my digital stage boxes (which I currently use EDAC's to do for the first 16 channels, but my stage boxes are only 16 input so channels 17 to 24 will be going to a separate stage box in this new rack). If it's out on hire then they'll be wanting all xlr's out.

 

I'm keen to move away from the EDAC's because, well I have a stack of them here but none of them are big enough to do 24 channels, and the only reason I used them in the first place was because I had them!

Rather than presenting each channel on a panel mount xlr and then supplying a 24 way xlr-xlr loom to hire customers, it seems most sensible to just present on a harting and then provide a 3-ish metre harting to xlr loom. Then when I'm connecting to my radio racks I just use a different cable instead. That different cable will for the time being need to be a bit of a funny affair - it'll need to have a 16 channel cable going to the first stage box via a harting, then an 8 channel cable with xlr's going to the second (I've only got one stagebox racked and able to take a harting on the rack, the second stagebox isn't in a rack, so will need xlr's). Shouldn't be too difficult to just have 2 cables coming out of the harting that plugs in to the mic rack.

 

I have a Harting crimp tool here at work (we bought it for a one off job to fix our mechanics' vehicle lifts which use Hartings). It's an RM 09 99 000 0021 and has the cable spec 0.14-1/1.5/2.5mm (or 26-18/16/14 AWG) which I assume the smallest crimp size will do 0.14-1mm cable, the middle one 1.5 and the largest 2.5.

 

What conventions are there out there for audio Harting cables? What gender where? What pin size? What number of contacts for a 24 channel cable? Which gender do you put the big clunky locking bit on? Which gender pin do you put in which gender of outer shell?

 

As I see it I'll need;

1 x panel mount connector coming out of the rack (whatever gender that should be)

1 x cable mount connector (of opposite gender) for the xlr loom

1 x cable mount connector (as above) for the split loom to the stageboxes

1 x panel mount connector (whatever gender that should be) on my stagebox rack.

1 x cable mount connector (opposite gender to above) to go on the other end of the split loom.

 

But of course each one of those items is made up of shells, pins and the insert, plus all of the locking paraphernalia!

 

It's a minefield if you've not done it before! Can anybody help?

 

Oh, and if anybody has a stack of unused harting bits or made up elements of the above then I'd love you forever if you'd accept a few beer tokens for them!

Oh, and where do people suggest getting all of the above from? I know it's not going to be cheap, but the cheaper the better!

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Would it not be a whole lot easier (and cheaper) to just add a second EDAC for 17 > 24 if you already have the stuff for the first 16 sorted?

Colour code them clearly for your hire customers, and you're also ready for when you decide to go up to 32 channels!

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Alas I've already got 2 EDAC's going on. The current setup is 2 racks of 8 for ease of carrying, so each one has an EDAC on it going to the stagebox, which has a pair of EDAC's for 1-8 and 9-16. I've now ditched the venue I used to do with no lift access and I also own a powered stair climber, so a rack of 24 can finally happen. Yes I could feasibly do a third EDAC and just send 3 8 way looms to hire customers but I've got to completely redo the tails inside the rack anyway as they're not going to be long enough and I'm wanting to come up with a loom using much thinner cabling (existing ones are proper 7mm mic cables, which are going to get very chunky when I try looming 24 of them inside the rack!). With that in mind I was thinking it's time to bite the bullet and go for something a little more robust.

My eventual hope is to have a 24 way stagebox in a rack, at which point a sinlge 24 way harting to connect the 2 racks together will be very appealing.

If my setup was a little more standard and predictable every time then I'd stick 2 of the stage boxes in the back of the mic rack and just connect via cat5, but if I'm doing band work I need the stage boxes as they are. And I can't afford a new 24 way stagebox just at the minute! Especially as I don't think I'll be with Roland consoles for ever (probably DLive or SQ eventually).

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This all sounds too complex somehow.If I follow this correctly you currently have 2 racks of 8 mics with an EDAC connector mounted on the back panel or possibly loomed into a trailing EDAC.On your existing stage box rack you have 2 EDACS to match the mic rack.If that is correct, I'd say leave as is and create the third EDAC. Make up 3 EDAC to 8xXLR looms to suit.My only reservation being the fragility of EDAC pins and their misuse/abuse by third parties.From your explanation, I'm not quite sure if you are exclusively EDAC or already have Hartings somewhere. You could of course fit EDACs and XLR males on the back of the mic rack.
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Unless you physically can't fit them, I would definitely recommend putting the male xlr's on the back panel as well as your multipins. Too many times I've seen radio racks turn up without the required breakout, annoying but ok when it has a back panel of XLRs, a royal pain in the rear when you have to dismantle and disconnect everything just to plug up.
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I'm not sure how heavy your hire use, but personally I would keep away from EDAC's especially in a hire situation. Nothing wrong with them as a connector but just not durable enough for regular moving around in my experience.

 

If you are planning on moving over have you considered a circular multi-pin connector, something Veam compatible, VDC is a common source but not exclusive.

 

They are certainly far more common in 'rock n roll' touring and that's mainly due to it's durability.

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I know the Harting catalogue far more intimately than I desire to! Also have contacts at their largest volume UK distributor through a former employer. Even in reasonably small quantities you should be able to make a significant saving over RS/Farnell prices.

 

In terms of convention, there are probably loads, but none of them are the same and none make sense. I'd say it makes sense, and is possible to stick to the standard XLR male-female convention though. It is entirely possible to assemble both male and female panel mount and cable mount hartings!

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Typing one handed while feeding a baby - sorry for typos!

 

Whilst the decision to stick with edac seems sensible, it’ll actually be only slightly less work. Everything inside the racks needs rewriting anyway, and the ones I’ve got are solder type, so there’s a fair bit of work involved. The edac’s have been ok, but I’ve had to do the odd repair. I’m just keen that, while I’m doing all of this work, I end up with something robust and road ready.

The fact I already have access to a batting tool for free is also a big bonus and does sell the connector type over circular ones.

Hopefully thanks to a fellow blue roomer I’ve got a length of multi with Hartings on each end, plus a load of contacts, so all I need to do now is match those connectors to a few extra ones and follow whatever convention it’s wired in. I’ll chop the cable in half, stuck xlr’s on one cut end and another harting on the other, then it’s just panel mount stuff I need to sort.

Oh, and then I start on the 48 TNC RF cables I need and the DC changeover unit for the refundant power supplies (don’t fancy losing multiple radio mics because of a psu failure and also don’t fancy having the weight of 24 wall warts in there!!!

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From working for a guy that hired disco kit for one night stands, the most helpful thing for the client is a photograph of how it should look correctly assembled. It also helps you get the equipment back in working condition if they haven't tried to tinker with it. A picture inside the case lids shows exactly which plug goes where.
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