How to release and unplug a white JST PH connector from a Victron MPPT

How do I release and unplug the white JST PH connector end of cable inserted into a Victron device (e.g., a Victron MPPT). The cable is a DIY cable used to connect a Cerbo GX to a Victron device in lieu of using an OEM Victron VE. Direct to USB Interface cable.
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Google has been of little or no help.

When I plugged the connector into the MPPT, I heard a click when the plug was fully inserted.

Afterwards, I tried to unplug the cable from the MPPT, but I encountered strong resistance. I am afraid to pull too hard for fear of damaging the MPPPT connector. My understanding is that these connectors are somewhat frail.

I have read that there are nubs on the side of either the male or the female connector (not sure which connector) that need to be released. However, the connector is small and it is difficult to see the inside edges of the connectors.

Does anyone have any removal tips?

Below is a photo of the JST PH white connector that plugs into the MPPT.





Below is a sample photo of a JST PH cable plugged into a Victron device (not my MPPT, just a photo pulled off the web)

There is no latching/locking mechanism to be released. There is a "snap-in" aspect to it, but they don't have a release.

DIY cables are notorious for causing issues with Victron hardware. They work fine in some cases, but not in others. Sometimes firmware updates will break them because they change how communication is occuring. Works with a victron cable, but not a DIY.

sunshine_eggo said:

DIY cables are notorious for causing issues with Victron hardware.

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Sunshine,

Thank you for the info.
I read a rant elsewhere from a Victron tech person on the Victron community forum advising that the DIY cables can cause problems and not to use DIY cables. You may have been the person not long ago who alerted us about the issue and that might be how I found out. If so, thanks!

I ordered the OEM Victron "VE. Direct to USB Interface cable" but will not receive it until next week. In the meantime, I am going to test out the DIY cable(s).

I am in the process of setting up a Raspberry Pi4 in lieu of a Cerbo GX.

Before I spend the money on a Cerbo GX, I wanted to start testing with a cheap Raspberry Pi set up.

I have a cargo trailer I converted with my Lifepo4 batteries and various Victron devices installed inside the nose of the trailer.

Right now, my immediate goal is to be able to read Victron data on my iPhone while driving my pickup truck while pulling the trailer. The blue tooth signal from the various Victron devices is too weak to travel through the trailer while standing right outside the trailer, let alone as far away as inside the truck while driving.

My thought is that if the cheap Raspberry Pi method works for me, I can always upgrade to a Cerbo GX, if need be.

Simultaneously, I am also investigating the possibility of hooking up a blue tooth extender to solve my range problem. If an extender works, an advantage of using an extender is that the extender would work when I have no cell service in remote areas.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!

I can't say that I've ever experienced the DIY connector getting stuck in any of my SCCs.

I use what looks like the same JST plugs on mine (bought from Adafruit) but I haven't had a reason to remove them yet. hmmmm.

featherlite said:

Sunshine,

Thank you for the info.
I read a rant elsewhere from a Victron tech person on the Victron community forum advising that the DIY cables can cause problems and not to use DIY cables. You may have been the person not long ago who alerted us about the issue and that might be how I found out. If so, thanks!

Click to expand...

sounds like me.

featherlite said:

I ordered the OEM Victron "VE. Direct to USB Interface cable" but will not receive it until next week. In the meantime, I am going to test out the DIY cable(s).

Click to expand...

Nice.

featherlite said:

I am in the process of setting up a Raspberry Pi4 in lieu of a Cerbo GX.

Click to expand...

I'm playing with an RPi to get it to interface with a JBD UART BMS. Works great. A few oddities, but still cool.

featherlite said:

Before I spend the money on a Cerbo GX, I wanted to start testing with a cheap Raspberry Pi set up.

Click to expand...

Worth it. Once you deck out an RPi with all the cables/adapters needed to get a full ecosystem up, very little cost benefit.

featherlite said:

Right now, my immediate goal is to be able to read Victron data on my iPhone while driving my pickup truck while pulling the trailer. The blue tooth signal from the various Victron devices is too weak to travel through the trailer while standing right outside the trailer, let alone as far away as inside the truck while driving.

Click to expand...

If the GX and your phone are on the same LAN, I'm 99% sure you can access each device individually that way through VC using the RPi as a gateway to each connected device.

If you're going to have mobile cellular/internet for the RPi, then you should get full VRM functionality.

This may come in handy, list of compatible BT dongles that can give greater range than the internal BT in the Cerbo gx

Brucey said:

This may come in handy, list of compatible BT dongles that can give greater range than the internal BT in the Cerbo gx

Connect ruuvi to CCGX or Venus GX - Victron Community

community.victronenergy.com

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Thank you, I will look at the info.

Update:

I successfully pulled the JST connector out of the socket. It took quite a bit of force, I did not pull on the wires themselves. I only gripped the plastic connector.

This is usually a problem with cheap amazon brands that do not use genuine JST components, so its dimensions are off from the spec. This is the reason it gets stuck. The genuine victron connector doesn't have a strong lock on mechanism and comes off easily.

solarhome said:

This is usually a problem with cheap amazon brands that do not use genuine JST components, so its dimensions are off from the spec. This is the reason it gets stuck. The genuine victron connector doesn't have a strong lock on mechanism and comes off easily.

Click to expand...

Good point. I have both the Victron and cheap JST's.
I wish the Victron fit a bit tighter.