Relay Board Turret Install Tip

[NSB_Chris]

I used the Hoffman relay boards on my first channel switching amp.  I followed the directions on the website to install the turrets, which uses the short turret lugs.  By direction, the turrets are not swaged, they are just soldered on the back side of the board.  The boards are very convenient and the directions are excellent.  My experience was that when I went to solder wires to the turrets, they moved as the heat loosened the solder fastening the turrets to the board.  This was very inconvenient.  If the turrets are swaged to the board, I think there is a concern that any solder would not effectively connect the turret to the board lug.

I was preparing to make my own boards for my next build when I decided to try crimping the turrets rather than swaging them as I had an extra board.  It seemed to work great.  I used the long turrets and simply crimped the turret on the back side of the board.  Once crimped, the turrets are effectively mechanically locked into the board.  With the crimping, there is plenty of exposed surface on the board lug to accept a solid solder joint.  See the attached photos.