Electronic mounting hole request

If I have one request to all the fabulous electronic engineer masters out there that have brought many new products, that I am eternally grateful for. Is to continue using the larger #4 size mounting holes on all your new and up coming products, and a promise that you will never go back to #2 size ever again for any reason.

After a day of looking for all the small #2 size nuts that I dropped in the carpet :bang: i'm done with them. The hardware store down the street has a plethora of #4 screws/nuts in stock for pennies. But instead I get to go across town to the hobby store and pay $2.00 bucks a pack for 8 nuts.


Thank you!

TA

YES!!
My lowes carries 4-40, but good luck finding 2-56...

you can buy them on ebay

McMaster.com ! SS Nylocks 2-56. 91831A005

Dennis

bdureau said:

you can buy them on ebay

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Dwatkins said:

McMaster.com ! SS Nylocks 2-56. 91831A005

Dennis

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Yes but that doesn't help my problem of readily available. Its not that I cant find the screws its that I cant go to my store two blocks away and get what I need.

For those looking for #2 nuts and bolts you might want to try audio shops that deal with turntables. 1/2" headshells for cartridges use this size of nut and bolts, with varying lengths.

Radio Shack

https://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=13384949&kw=2-56&origkw=2-56&sr=1

ACE Hardware stores, if it's a decently stocked store, have 2-56 and sometimes even smaller. You can buy just one if you want, for, well, around 10 cents, perhaps 5 cents. I was lucky, I've had an Ace HW and great hobby shop close to each other, about 2 miles away from me, closer than the mega hardware stores.

Really, I was shocked to realize the Lowe's and Home Depots do not carry tiny screws, that's on them. Then again last month I also wanted to get a roll of Reinforced strapping tape (parallel fiberglass strands in a very sticky clear carrier tape), and while someone in Lowe's did remember such tape exists, the store does not carry it. I think the last time I got a roll, many years ago, was at Ace......sigh.

Realize your request for manuf's to go from #2 screws to #4 screws, would be like asking other companies making other products to go from 6-32 (1/8") to 1/4" screws, or 1/2" to 1". It's a big difference for things that do not need to be overkill.

BTW - one workshop tool I have is a wood dowel with a 1" magnet on the end of it. Used for "sweeping the area" to try to pick up any little screws or nuts or other ferrous items that I have dropped. Not a sure thing, but worth doing as it does get them about half the time.


For the heck of it, I looked it up. Yep, Lowes does not list Strapping Tape on their website. Ace does......boy, do they ever......

- George Gassaway

+1 for Ace Hardware our local has everything and only a 1/4 mile down the street ... even a line of stainless steel fasteners

georgegassaway said:

Realize your request for manuf's to go from #2 screws to #4 screws, would be like asking other companies making other products to go from 6-32 (1/8") to 1/4" screws, or 1/2" to 1". It's a big difference for things that do not need to be overkill.

BTW - one workshop tool I have is a wood dowel with a 1" magnet on the end of it. Used for "sweeping the area" to try to pick up any little screws or nuts or other ferrous items that I have dropped. Not a sure thing, but worth doing as it does get them about half the time.

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Ya but aren't they suppose to listen to us the consumer? Most of them are switching to the #4 screws anyway.
I was just on a rant that I lost some nuts and I couldn't just run down the street to my ACE hardware store and get new ones. I have been over that nut and bolt section with a fine tooth comb and no #2 screws.

I have a big magnet at work I may bring home and give it a try.


That Radio Shack link is nice I may order some, to bad they don't carry them in their stores.


TA

thobin said:

That Radio Shack link is nice I may order some, to bad they don't carry them in their stores.


TA

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They do carry them in stores. That's where I got mine. In the back where the small drawers are with switches, resistors, capacitors, LEDs, etc. and other small electronic components. They come in a small plastic bag of multiple lengths. Nuts are separate.

I will look again I may have missed them, thanks.


TA

I typically just drill the holes larger. As long as there is room to spare without the screw touching any pathways or other contact points, you should be fine. I've never had a problem, even on the Ravens :confused2:

As I understand it each Ace Hardware store owner/manager chooses which products to carry. I live near 2 Ace stores and neither carry 2-56 hardware. I'm with you thobin.

StanO

thobin said:

If I have one request to all the fabulous electronic engineer masters out there that have brought many new products, that I am eternally grateful for. Is to continue using the larger #4 size mounting holes on all your new and up coming products... <snip>
TA

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Just thought I'd mention that I have standardized on 4/40 avionics mounting hardware for the last 15 years, and will continue to do so. There's a practical limit to "small" when it comes to overall avionics size and the associated hardware necessary to integrate everything necessary into a complete "system". Small has its place, but the trade-offs tend to be in fiddle-factor and required finesse.

lkal32 said:

I typically just drill the holes larger. As long as there is room to spare without the screw touching any pathways or other contact points, you should be fine. I've never had a problem, even on the Ravens :confused2:

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I'm afraid to do that because i'm sure the drill bit would catch and spin violently around the room. One: cutting my hand three times before I can get out of the way or stop the drill. Two: flipping the said altimeter across the room breaking it on the opposite wall. Three: breaking the hole I attempted to drill making it possible to use any size screw I like. :bangpan:

I have been debating to drill out the my Adepts 22's, just a little skittish still.


TA

thobin said:

Yes but that doesn't help my problem of readily available. Its not that I cant find the screws its that I cant go to my store two blocks away and get what I need.

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I've probably got what you need. I ordered a bunch from McMaster. But you have to come to Kaysville.

Joe

thobin said:

I have been debating to drill out the my Adepts 22's, just a little skittish still.


TA

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I did it to 4 of them. Very simple, use a hand drill & you won't have to worry about losing control, bit slides right through. Not much needs to be removed to use 4-40.

I would imagine if you start drilling on altimeter PCBs you would void any warranty.

That is what I was thinking. I just use supplied hardware.

To solve the "readily available" issue, order them now on eBay and you'll have them later when you need them.

As electronics shrinks, #4 mounting holes are larger than many of the components. It's a waste of space. Personally I think it would be more useful to have something like a plastic mounting block or rails that the altimeter slides into and have no holes at all in the board. It would make transferring an altimeter from one rocket to another much easier, and only the rails or blocks would be required for each rocket.

Hey - there's an idea for 3D printing. A plastic mount that fits under the Raven/Perch that allows you to undo the screw terminals on the raven and slide it out of the mount. And improved battery retention.

I would have preferred to put #4 holes on my tracker pcb, but it would have made the board bigger whereas the #2 could be accommodated in unused space without increasing the board's footprint. I think most would agree that having any mounting hole, even if it is small, is better than nothing.

A word of caution. The thru hole may be plated to connect the circuit layer on the bottom of the board to the top layer. If it is, and you drill out the hole, you will break this connection.

If you do drill it out, a drill bit in a tap holder makes a good hand drilling device that won't send the board flying.

Bob

thobin said:

If I have one request to all the fabulous electronic engineer masters out there that have brought many new products, that I am eternally grateful for. Is to continue using the larger #4 size mounting holes on all your new and up coming products, and a promise that you will never go back to #2 size ever again for any reason.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggest; all of our current Altus Metrum products do use 4-40 screws; we used 2-56 in the first TeleMini version as there just wasn't space for 4-40 holes, but we made the new board just a bit wider and now it sports 4 4-40 holes. We also sell nylon stand-off kits which avoid any possibility of shorting between the mount and the tiny components on the board.

thobin said:

If I have one request to all the fabulous electronic engineer masters out there that have brought many new products, that I am eternally grateful for. Is to continue using the larger #4 size mounting holes on all your new and up coming products, and a promise that you will never go back to #2 size ever again for any reason.

After a day of looking for all the small #2 size nuts that I dropped in the carpet :bang: i'm done with them. The hardware store down the street has a plethora of #4 screws/nuts in stock for pennies. But instead I get to go across town to the hobby store and pay $2.00 bucks a pack for 8 nuts.


Thank you!

TA

Click to expand...

Agreed. The (extremely delayed, sorry) Featherweight Sparrow that's in work uses 4-40 holes for exactly this reason. It's a little painful to put those footprints into the design when comparing the size to the electrical functionality that could be put into the same area, but I know overall it's worth it for most customers.

I rarely use hex nuts for mounting electronics. My boards are usually 0.032 or 0.062 G10 so I drill and tap the board or install PEM nuts. I have tapped mounting holes in plywood too.

Sailorbill said:

I rarely use hex nuts for mounting electronics. My boards are usually 0.032 or 0.062 G10 so I drill and tap the board or install PEM nuts. I have tapped mounting holes in plywood too.

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I prefer to use PEM nuts as well. I just ordered a bunch of #2 PEM nuts for the first time. I've always used #4 or #6, but for #2 I just drilled holes in the plate and threaded them.

I've ordered from this outfit several times. Good stuff, quick service, and cheap:

https://www.microfasteners.com/home.php?cat=568