Hakko FX-888D DIN Jack Repair / Upgrade Adapter

thingiverse

The DIN connector in my Hakko FX-888D soldering station had become extremely unreliable. It was possible that the plug on the iron's cord was also faulty. Either way, the connection was poor. The plug wobbled loosely in the jack, and when I wiggled it with the iron still on, the temperature reading would spike up and down or lose the connection entirely. Cleaning the contacts only provided temporary relief; the problem always came back. I decided to replace both the jack and the plug with high-quality DIN connectors. This printed adapter is a small insert that makes the new jack fit perfectly and looks great. After this upgrade, you'll have a much more robust jack with virtually no play, and you can use a lock-ring to prevent the plug from being pulled out. The adapter frames the component nicely on the front panel and looks like it was made in a factory. The built-in jack is a 6-pin DIN connector (240 degrees), but the center pin isn't connected to anything. If you look closely, there's no metal contact in the center hole. So, the jack can be replaced with a 5-pin DIN connector (240 degrees). In fact, the one I used (61HA5FX) also has a blank hole right in the middle, which keeps it fully compatible with an unmodified FX-8801 iron's 6-pin DIN plug. I wanted mine to have a lock-ring, so I replaced the iron's plug too; the stock plug on the iron is low quality and mine was making poor contacts in the jack. Components: * Switchcraft 61HA5FX (available at Digi-Key [SC1823-ND](https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/61HA5FX/SC1823-ND)) * Optional: Switchcraft 12CL5MX (available at Digi-Key [SC1509-ND](https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/12CL5MX/SC1509-ND)) * 2x M3 x 8mm pan-head machine screws * 2x M3 nuts Notes: * The FX-888D is extremely easy to disassemble, and there are step-by-step guides available elsewhere. * Make good notes or take good pictures of the colors of all the wires before cutting any of them so you can re-solder them properly to the new components. * After printing the adapter, place it in the existing cutout in the panel on its own and then use it as a template to drill two 3mm holes through the plastic front panel for the machine screws to go through. * Remember to thread all the wires through the panel and the adapter before re-soldering them to the new jack.