Tortoise edge connectors, where do I buy them?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Where do I buy tortoise 8 pin edge connectors at a good prize? I’m not sure If my skill is good enought to solder the cables directly to the tortoise. Is it hard?

2

I soldered mine direct and found it easy. I’m not an accomplished solderer, but it was not my first time either. I think with some practice and a HOT iron you could learn as well as I. I did use short wires to a terminal bloc I attached to each Tortoise. Good Luck.

3

You can get 8 position edge connectors, buth are expensive. You can get 10 position edge connectors and a small styrne ‘key’ to lock them into a the 10 position connector. They are about $2 - $3 each in bulk. It is much easier to ‘plug/unplug’ the cable from the Tortoise! Here are some web sites:

http://www.parkadehobbies.com/edgeConnector.html
http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/tortoise/edge-connectors.htm
http://www.loystoys.com/loystoys/tortoise-conn-key.html
http://www.greenwayproducts.com/buy_tortoise.shtml

Jim Bernier

4

This is another one of those cases where it’s far cheaper to get these from an electronics supply house. I use Mouser because they don’t have silly minimum orders like some of the other places.

The 10-place connector from Mouser is $1.77 each in single quantities, 25+ are $1.56 each. Part numbe r587-306-50-010

The keys are 20 cents each, 19 cents each for 25+, part number 517-3439-2

–Randy

5

Hi,
When I talked to the owner of the company who makes Tortoises a few years ago, he told me that I’d be wasting my money buying edge connectors (and he sells them by the way). It’s very simple to solder directly to the Tortoise contact points. Just buy an inexpensive “pencil” soldering iron which has a very small “pencil-like” tip. Believe me, you’ll become an expert in a few moments. I strip about an eight-inch section of the wire, feed it through the back of the Tortoise panel and solder it with a small amount of solder…don’t use flux of any kind. I do ALL my soldering at my work bench and then mount my Tortoises under the layout. Be sure to follow the instructions about how long the various wires should be. If you need help, don’t hesitate to email me and I’ll be glad to answer…heck, I’ll even talk you through it on the phone if you’d like. I think I’m pretty much an expert when it comes to Tortoises after mounting over 70 of them and each works perfectly.

Hope this helps.
Mondo