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Using an old trailer plug for some tow lights.
I need to have red stop lights and amber turn lights for my project. I didn't go with RV /Trailer 7 core wire as I only need 5 wire; Stop, Right, Left, Tail and Ground. This would be three phase Star [also called Wye] (3 ph Delta is only 4 wires). I ordered 5-16 on line, by the foot. Cheaper and better quality than RV 7 wire.
Strip old plug, unsolder connections on back of terminal block. Clean, check, blah blah...
L - R: ID tag, part #, clamp nut, O ring, body nut with cap retaining ring, rubber body, bung lock ring, taper thing, bung and 12 pin end. I am sure there are propper names somewhere out there...
I made a sleeve tool - slashcut copper pipe, to stretch and slide a piece of sheathing down the 5-16 cable to make up the difference in size to the 12 wire original - so that the O ring would hold the cable tight.
Decide what terminals will be used - either LH or RH Stop will work for combined stop lights when using seperate amber turn signals. Even though US vehicles have Red stop / turn lights, all NATO vehicles have towing sockets wired for Amber turn signals and separate Red Stop lights (plus all the other stuff - Aux, Convoy etc.,) for common trailer towing - just as Pintle hooks and Lunette rings are standard. I guess there was a time when this was standardised from simpler 4 pin plugs.
Slide wires through appropriate hole in bung.
Check order of parts before soldering! - You'd think I wouldn't have to make a point of saying this....
I soldered terminals from the bottom up - it's pretty fiddly when using a decent sized iron to get enough heat for thorough penetration.
Use a make up piece so that O ring firmly grips new, smaller cable.
Finished plug, smaller cable yet nicely centered and quite secure.
I don' know how this UK NATO plug compares to the US manufactured ones - the operation is the same but components and serviceability seem different going by other trailer plug wiring threads...
I need to have red stop lights and amber turn lights for my project. I didn't go with RV /Trailer 7 core wire as I only need 5 wire; Stop, Right, Left, Tail and Ground. This would be three phase Star [also called Wye] (3 ph Delta is only 4 wires). I ordered 5-16 on line, by the foot. Cheaper and better quality than RV 7 wire.
Strip old plug, unsolder connections on back of terminal block. Clean, check, blah blah...
L - R: ID tag, part #, clamp nut, O ring, body nut with cap retaining ring, rubber body, bung lock ring, taper thing, bung and 12 pin end. I am sure there are propper names somewhere out there...
I made a sleeve tool - slashcut copper pipe, to stretch and slide a piece of sheathing down the 5-16 cable to make up the difference in size to the 12 wire original - so that the O ring would hold the cable tight.
Decide what terminals will be used - either LH or RH Stop will work for combined stop lights when using seperate amber turn signals. Even though US vehicles have Red stop / turn lights, all NATO vehicles have towing sockets wired for Amber turn signals and separate Red Stop lights (plus all the other stuff - Aux, Convoy etc.,) for common trailer towing - just as Pintle hooks and Lunette rings are standard. I guess there was a time when this was standardised from simpler 4 pin plugs.
Slide wires through appropriate hole in bung.
Check order of parts before soldering! - You'd think I wouldn't have to make a point of saying this....
I soldered terminals from the bottom up - it's pretty fiddly when using a decent sized iron to get enough heat for thorough penetration.
Use a make up piece so that O ring firmly grips new, smaller cable.
Finished plug, smaller cable yet nicely centered and quite secure.
I don' know how this UK NATO plug compares to the US manufactured ones - the operation is the same but components and serviceability seem different going by other trailer plug wiring threads...