Blink J1772 Cable Repair

[GlennD]

KillaWhat,

Maybe the voltage dropped below the minimum threshold for L2 under load as the connection got hotter so the onboard charger shutdown.

All,

Regarding crimp vs. solder: Crimping is faster under assembly line conditions and should be more reliable with properly-adjusted automated crimping tools. Unfortunately, Rema/Blink proved that is not always the way things happen. Soldering makes a good connection when done properly so it is certainly worth fixing a cable at home if the wires and pins are not damaged beyond use.

Gerry

Only one of the cables I have used had a burned connector. That made soldering more work. I had to scrape the cable bright. This was only on one pin. Blink's downgrade is proactive since they had no way of knowing which cables had a bad crimp. Most that I have seen are OK. Soldering is just a precaution. Tony's cable was specially selected to burn up.

I think if I was a technically challenged owner I would just replace the cable and J1772 connector. At the same time you could extend the length. When I upgraded to a 24 ft cable I no longer had to back in my Leaf. It does take years of soldering to get good at it. Tony's cable is a good replacement. And it is available in up to 24 ft at full ratings. Longer derated,

[wwhitney]

One reason why I'm hesitant to just get a replacement cable is that to properly land it on contactor terminals you need to crimp on ferrules on the fine-stranded wire before tightening it with the set screw. I don't want to invest in a good crimper and the cheap ones may produce a crimp that is less reliable than the soldered pins in the Rema handle.

My understanding is that with the right size ferrule, you don't need to crimp it. The ferrule's job is to keep the fine strands contained while the set screw is tightened down. So in effect, the set screw is going to do the crimping for you.

Now, whether you can find the right size ferrule is another question. I don't recall what I did when I replaced my Blink cable; if you find the thread I started a few years ago, it probably says.

Cheers, Wayne

[Valdemar]

One reason why I'm hesitant to just get a replacement cable is that to properly land it on contactor terminals you need to crimp on ferrules on the fine-stranded wire before tightening it with the set screw. I don't want to invest in a good crimper and the cheap ones may produce a crimp that is less reliable than the soldered pins in the Rema handle.

My understanding is that with the right size ferrule, you don't need to crimp it. The ferrule's job is to keep the fine strands contained while the set screw is tightened down. So in effect, the set screw is going to do the crimping for you.

Now, whether you can find the right size ferrule is another question. I don't recall what I did when I replaced my Blink cable; if you find the thread I started a few years ago, it probably says.

Cheers, Wayne

On this point, a crimp is likely still better but I wonder if Polaris Grey Connector sleeves are better suited for this as they are specifically designed to be used with set screws, I'm thinking they might be less rigid than your typical ferrule.

[GlennD]

I have never seen a Blink cable connected to a charger. All of mine were replaced cables from eBay. They are generally around one hundred dollars plus shipping.

On Tony's dual #12 wires I have used a clamp type connector from McFadden Dale Hardware. It serves two purposes, It makes the connections
neater and the extra mass dissipates heat better.

[Valdemar]

I believe all original Blink cable ends had crimped-on ferrules on them:

[GlennD]

OK, A few cables had the ferrals . I just ignored them. The last cable I received had the pilot through a crimp barrel and ferrils..

I have zero interest in owning a Blink charger. In my biased opinion OpenEVSE is much better. The cables after repair are fine. You could certainly add a replacement Quick Charge Power cable to the Blink EVSE. A 24 ft one runs just over $200 with shipping.

[GlennD]

I was told by Tony Williams (Quick Charge Power) that he did not believe in soldering. Considering that he owns the proper crimper hie h can just recrimp the terminals. For me since I do not have a bug buck crimper soldering works fine. Use what you have.

[GlennD]

Well, I just soldered another one. The cable had not yet overheated but the crimps were appalling. This one was $80 shipped from eBay.

It may be that Blink's derating scheme works. In any event the cable I received had not overheated.