It appears the v5 crimp tool has been updated recently. We have a couple new ones that fail to engaged all the way on the final crimp, and the prongs are not crimped properly. It has a smaller plastic block than the original version.
We’ve inspected, tried to see if there was something wrong with the tool, etc but have been unable to figure it out. I took a brand new one out the package today and had the same issue.
The original ones we have never had this issue, but we are down to our last one.
I have emailed vex support but wanted to see if any other teams have encountered this, and if you have been able to make any adjustments to make it work correctly.
Following up on this as @lacsap mentioned crimp tools in another thread.
After investigating further, we found two of the new tools weren’t assembled / tightened properly out the box leading to undercrimping. Cables made with these tools either did not work, or caused some prong damage in brain / motor ports.
We are also finding that the newer tools are loosening up (top bolt) right away . Hopefully loctite will address this, but we will be sending off a summary for vex support.
It has been working well for me. I use it for re-terminating field control cables as an event partner. Note that you want to use the 4P hole when crimping smart cable ends.
great - thank you. Any issues with over crimping ? We picked up a Klein crimper, but found it was too easy to over crimp so we don’t allow teams to use that tool.
I saw your post and had a weird question: is the new cable from VEX your basic 4-wire RJ45 phone cable? Because I have a ton of the stuff at home from old phone projects.
Ah thanks. I wondered about that. Would my old school RJ45 crimping tool work with V5 cable, I wonder?
Anyhow, I asked only because it “felt” like some of the phone cable I had (there’s the thin stuff – I suspect that is what you have in the picture – and slightly heavier-duty wire that was a different brand I also got once),