Am I going insane... D Sub 9 connectors

[ashtray1987]

Hi Guys,

Appreciate if you can help me out.

I am struggling to find an adapter and/or a way to securely connect these two male/female D sub 9 connectors together (without resorting to duct tape).

I have searched everywhere on RS components for an adaptor, or a female D sub 9 kit (with nuts instead of screws), but to no avail...

Am I missing something? Am I the first person in the world to want to connect these two connectors together??

I looked at purchasing some nut kits, for want of a better word, but it would appear that the nut inside the connector housing would not fit.

Preferably I do not want to unsolder these connectors and start afresh.

Is there an alternative?

Appreciate your help! :-)

[oPossum]

4-40 threaded standoff

https://www.mcmaster.com/standard-threaded-standoffs

[ashtray1987]

Hello oPossum,

Thanks for your help.

Is 04-40 an M3 size thread?

Thank you :-)
Ashley

[james_s]

4-40 is an inch size and is what is typically used on these, M3 is metric. I suppose you could use metric hardware as long as you don't need to try to attach it to anything else.

[vk6zgo]

I think you can use a "gender changer"
Googling, it looks like you can get ones with a female screw(nut) both sides, but even if you can't, from memory, there is enough depth on the thread to fit a long nut which does the same job as the normal one, but doesn't have the  male thread extension.

If you can't get the long nut, you can cut off the male thread extension on the usual type, trying not to mangle the thread on the other part.
Some years back, I was involved with various kinds of butchery of "D" connectors, & remember you could buy odd sorts of special nuts, apart from the conventionsl ones.

On second thoughts, I think that some versions of "D"connectors can use long female screws,with knurled tops like the normal male ones.
I guess the holes in the metal part of the plug need to be a bit larger to do this.

[Alex Eisenhut]

The cable shell usually has screws, and the board mounted mating connector has the nuts. You don't usually use these connectors for cable to cable.
That being said,

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/9-Pin-RS-232-DB9-Female-to-Female-Serial-Cable-Gender-Changer-Coupler-Adapter/281997774997?hash=item41a8609095:g:8L4AAOSwJQdXCHyl

[Alex Eisenhut]

oh...
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/9-Pin-Male-to-Female-Port-Adapter-DB9-Serial-RS232-Mini-Coupler-Cable-Extender/223329913534?hash=item33ff800abe:g:-BgAAOSwvNVcQJm4

but you see the problem, the standard is one gender has the screw, the other the nuts. You shouldn't have both to have screws.

[mikerj]

These are the things you need on one of the connectors.

[james_s]

The cable shell usually has screws, and the board mounted mating connector has the nuts. You don't usually use these connectors for cable to cable.
That being said,

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/9-Pin-RS-232-DB9-Female-to-Female-Serial-Cable-Gender-Changer-Coupler-Adapter/281997774997?hash=item41a8609095:g:8L4AAOSwJQdXCHyl

It's not that uncommon to use them this way, I've done it lots of times. You can install the nuts in a cable shell too. They used to be a lot more common back in the 80s, not a lot used them anymore.

[boffin]

BEST: 
  #4-40 threaded standoff

SHE'LL BE ALRIGHT:
  a cable tie, diagonally from the back of one connector (between the cable on the thumbscrew) to the back of the other. Two forming a cross if you're feeling really paranoid.

[T3sl4co1l]

You'd need an extension actually, not a gender changer.

The former is male to female, with nuts on both sides.  The latter is male to male (or vice versa).

Tim

[gibbled]

these are aluminum but often they are made of brass...

[mariush]

4-40 standoffs and spacers like in the picture above: https://www.digikey.com/short/p01jnw

4-40 screws ... small and long : https://www.digikey.com/short/p01jdp

Absolute lowest effort solution ... 2 very long screws and two spacers (tube like in picture above) .... insert screws through both connector holes and screw the extension on the thread on the other side.