Hobby Source Notes

The hobby track follows the same transparency rules as the rest of the site (see the main Source Notes dashboard and the source hierarchy): claims are sourced, marked as judgment, or explicitly flagged as needing a source. Clone and marketplace parts make this discipline more important in hobby work, not less.

Verified / source-backed

Only what is actually backed by sources present in this repo:

• JST XH, PH, EH, SH, GH, ZH, SM, and RCY series — pitch, connector type, and headline datasheet ratings (XH 2.5 / PH 2.0 / EH 2.5 / SH 1.0 / GH 1.25 / ZH 1.5 / SM 2.5 / RCY 2.5 mm), each cited to its official JST series PDF (ZH to JST's official product page) on JST Is Not One Connector. Genuine-part figures only — clones and "compatible" parts are not covered by them.
• JST VH (3.96 mm, up to ~10 A @ AWG 16) — per the JST datasheet cited in the engineering track's §12.
• USB-C 10,000-cycle durability — per the USB-IF Type-C specification, cited in §12.
• One wire per crimp barrel — the gas-tight/qualified-fill mechanism per TE Connectivity's crimping whitepapers; the dual-wire-only-when-explicitly-qualified exception evidenced by Molex's published dual-wire test summary for the 5556 (Mini-Fit Jr.) terminal (2 × 22 AWG); and the clause-level backing verified against NASA-STD-8739.4 §12.3.3 (contact-conductor combinations shall be per manufacturer's recommendations). Cited on Crimping; genuine-part, exact-terminal documentation controls as always.
• USB-C power mechanics — the sink-side 5.1 kΩ-per-CC-pin rule and the source's Rp current-advertisement levels per silicon-vendor engineering documentation (Infineon, Renesas); the unattached vSafe0V behavior and Rd-qualified transition to the attached-source state per USB-IF's functional test specification; the PD fixed-voltage rungs (5/9/15/20 V, plus 28/36/48 V EPR), the 100 W / 240 W ceilings, and the e-marked/EPR cable requirements per USB-IF's own publications; the Raspberry Pi 4 shared-CC-resistor case study per engineering-press coverage carrying Raspberry Pi's own confirmation (labeled as such). Cited on USB-C Power for Hobby Projects.
• JST GH figures and the Pixhawk standardization — 1.25 mm pitch, 2–15 circuits, positive latch, 1 A (AWG #26) / 50 V / AWG #30–26 per the official JST GH datasheet; GH as the connector of the Pixhawk Connector Standard (DS-009), the DF13-predecessor history, and the not-all-boards-follow-the-pinouts caveat per the Pixhawk standards document and Dronecode connector-workgroup documentation. Cited on JST-GH.
• JST XH datasheet detail and the balance-lead convention — position span (to 20), the SXH-001T/-002T contact wire ranges, 3 A max / 250 V, and top/side-entry headers per the official JST XH datasheet; the cells-plus-one balance-lead arrangement per charger-ecosystem vendor documentation, labeled as a convention with the meter-check hedge. Cited on JST-XH.
• Qwiic / STEMMA QT connector conventions — 4-pin 1.0 mm JST SH, polarized, cross-compatible ecosystems — per SparkFun's Qwiic documentation and Adafruit's STEMMA QT technical specs, cited on JST-SH, Qwiic, and STEMMA QT.
• XT30/XT60/XT90 attribution and ratings — AMASS (Changzhou Amass Electronics) as XT-series originator per its manufacturer site; rated/momentary currents (XT30: 15/30 A, XT60: 30/60 A, XT90: 40/90 A), cable specs, and temperature-rise conditions per AMASS-authored documentation (distributor-hosted PDFs — AMASS publishes no spec tables on its own site). Genuine-part figures only; clones uncovered. Cited on XT30, XT60, and XT90.
• Servo-lead conventions and figures — the red-center-positive pin order and darkest-negative/lightest-signal color rule per a servo manufacturer's documentation (Kpower) and a hobby-industry reference (Flite Test); the reverse-insertion damage warning per Pololu's servo guidance; JR-universal vs Futaba J housing geometry (bevel, keyed tab, shave-to-universal) per vendor documentation (Hansen Hobbies, Pololu); the old-Airtronics polarity difference per conversion-adapter documentation; the 0.1-inch contact-class current (~3.5 A continuous / 5 A intermittent) per servo maker ProModeler's engineering note quoting pin-manufacturer ratings; stall currents per Savox's published specifications; and the 26/22/20 AWG servo-wire ladder per vendor documentation. No governing spec exists for this family — nothing transfers to clone leads or kit terminals. Cited on Servo Connectors.
• WAGO 221 lever-connector figures — both size classes (4 mm² and the 6 mm² / 41 A-class 221-6xx line) and both rating systems on the identical parts (IEC 32/41 A @ 450 V; UL 20/30 A @ 600 V per the UL 486C listing), per WAGO's own family and product pages. Genuine WAGO only — clone "Wago-style" levers inherit nothing. Cited on the terminals page and the families capsule.
• Screw-terminal maintenance and tinned-wire guidance — product-specific maintenance and vibration behavior, including Phoenix Contact's maintenance-free Reakdyn screw design, per Phoenix Contact's terminal-block documentation; the tinned-wire fracture/thermal-expansion loosening mechanism and ferrule alternative per Phoenix Contact's application note. Cited on the terminals page.
• LED distributed-power guidance — short runs may use one feed; larger runs distribute feeds according to calculated current and voltage drop; multiple supplies share the signal reference while their positive outputs remain assigned to separate LED sections, per Adafruit's NeoPixel power guide. Cited on JST-SM and LED String Connectors.
• Anderson Powerpole PP15/45 and family-ladder figures — 15/30/45 A contacts sharing one housing, #20–#10 AWG, up to 55 A/pole, and 600 V (UL) per Anderson's own datasheet; contact finish and no-load wire-to-wire durability kept configuration-specific (tin: 1,500 cycles; silver: 10,000 cycles), with the separate 5,000-cycle IEC test result labeled as such; PP75/PP180 ladder per Anderson pages and an Anderson-hosted PP180 datasheet (one distributor-hosted item labeled as such); the ARES/RACES orientation convention per emergency-service training references (convention, not ratings). Cited on Anderson Powerpole.
• Barrel-jack structure, polarity-is-convention, and the switched contact — per Same Sky's (CUI's) own selection guide, with a representative 2.5 A rating from the PJ-102A datasheet (that part only). Cited on Barrel Jacks.
• Deans/T-plug originator attribution — per W.S. Deans' own site (attribution only; ratings deliberately unasserted). Cited on the RC battery landscape.
• FFC 0.5/1.0 mm pitch classes — per Molex's Easy-On family page. Cited on the families capsule.
• Grove connector and port-type pinout variation — 4-pin 2.0 mm connector; signal-pin function varies by port type (I2C/UART/digital/analog), per Seeed's Grove System documentation, cited on JST-SH, Qwiic, and STEMMA QT.
• Plain STEMMA vs STEMMA QT — plain STEMMA = JST PH 2.0 mm (4-pin I2C, 3-pin analog/digital/PWM, 3–5 V device power, Zener-protected 3-pin ports), distinct from the 1.0 mm SH-based STEMMA QT — per Adafruit's STEMMA documentation, cited on the SH/Qwiic and PH pages.
• 0.1 in = 2.54 mm — definitional; the basis of the Dupont/header ecosystem discussion.
• "Dupont" name lineage — the ancestor is Berg's Mini-PV 0.1 in crimp system (Berg → DuPont → FCI → Amphenol), and MiniPV® remains a current Amphenol 2.54 mm crimp family per Amphenol's FCI Basics portfolio PDF; the history per a community connector reference (attribution only, no ratings). Cited on Dupont / 0.1 Inch Headers.

Engineering heuristics (judgment, not specification)

• "JST" is not a complete connector description.
• Measure pitch before buying.
• Compare drawings rather than product photos.
• Treat marketplace connector names as clues, not proof.
• Buy small samples before committing.
• Use pre-crimped leads when tiny terminals/tooling are impractical — a reliability decision, not cheating.
• Move to the professional guide when failure consequence, environment, or documentation burden increases.
• Soldering crimp terminals is usually a smell; genuine parts from authorized distributors are cheap insurance for repeatable projects.

Example-only / source-needed values

Typical hobby usage, not design ratings. Anywhere these appear they carry a verify hedge — verify exact pitch, current, voltage, wire gauge, and mating part against the manufacturer datasheet or supplier documentation:

• Clone / "compatible" / "-style" versions of any JST or XT series — the genuine-part figures above do not transfer to them
• JST/XT series usage beyond the sourced figures (derating, environment, cycles in your application)
• Servo connector/lead current examples beyond the class figures and Savox stall currents cited on Servo Connectors — your servo's stall figure and your terminal's rating still decide
• Dupont / 0.1 in header current assumptions
• Barrel jack size and rating examples beyond the figures cited on Barrel Jacks (5.5 × 2.1/2.5 mm remain common sizes, not a standard; the PJ-102A 2.5 A rating covers that part only)
• Screw/spring terminal ratings and gauge ranges beyond the WAGO 221 figures cited on the terminals page — clone blocks and torque-class figures stay unsourced
• LED connector current assumptions and power-injection sizing
• Every marketplace kit claim (series, pitch, "waterproof," "high current")

Needs source before hobby v1.0

Source targets tracked to closure. Rows marked Closed are done — the citations now exist in the repo at the locations named; everything else remains honestly open.

Release decision (2026-08): the rows still open below are deferred past v1.0 — they remain this track's sourcing backlog, every affected page keeps its verify-the-exact-part hedge, and none of them gates the release.

Item	Source target
JST EH/ZH pitch and headline ratings	Closed (audit 2026-08): EH cited to the official JST series PDF and ZH to JST's official product page; figures live in §12.2 (its [^jst] footnote) and, since the fix batch, as sourced rows on JST Is Not One Connector
XT ratings from AMASS-direct hosting	Closed for values (audit-2026-07) via distributor-hosted AMASS PDFs; an AMASS-domain-hosted equivalent would still be an upgrade — deferred post-1.0 (2026-08)
Crimping tiny open-barrel terminals	Manufacturer application notes / crimp specifications. Deferred post-1.0 (2026-08) — the page's pre-crimped-leads guidance stands, and the general crimp mechanism is now cited (TE whitepapers; NASA-STD-8739.4 §12.3.3)
LED power injection guidance	Closed (audit 2026-08): single-feed vs. distributed-power criteria, voltage-drop basis, and multiple-supply ground/positive-output topology cited to Adafruit's NeoPixel power guide on JST-SM and LED String Connectors
USB connector guidance (if formalized)	Closed (audit 2026-08): formalized as USB-C Power for Hobby Projects — CC/Rd/Rp mechanics per silicon-vendor documentation, PD rungs and cable rules per USB-IF publications, 10k cycles per the Type-C spec (as in §12). Exact PDO tables and tolerances deliberately left to the USB-IF specifications
Barrel jacks, terminal blocks, Wago-style lever connectors, screw terminals	Relevant manufacturer documentation. Substantially closed (audit 2026-08): WAGO 221 figures cited to WAGO's own pages at datasheet level — both size classes (4 mm² and 6 mm²/41 A) and both rating systems (IEC + UL 486C); barrel structure/polarity to Same Sky's selection guide with a representative rating from the PJ-102A datasheet; maintenance-free screw-design counterexample and the never-tin mechanism cited to Phoenix Contact. Still open: representative torque-class figures and EIAJ RC-5320A per-class voltage figures — deferred post-1.0 (2026-08); clone-block ratings stay permanently untrusted
Deans / EC3-EC5-IC / Traxxas / Tamiya-style / bullet ratings (RC battery landscape page is deliberately rating-free)	W.S. Deans, Horizon Hobby, and Traxxas documentation for genuine parts, if any figures are ever added. Partially closed (audit 2026-08): the Deans/T-plug originator claim is now cited to W.S. Deans' own site; ratings remain deliberately unasserted — the landscape page stays rating-free, deferred post-1.0 (2026-08) should figures ever be wanted
FFC/FPC pitch classes and cycle expectations; GX/SP-style circular claims (capsules are identification-level)	Connector-manufacturer FFC/ZIF documentation; GX/SP clones have no governing spec — listings stay untrusted. Partially closed (audit 2026-08): the 0.5/1.0 mm FFC pitch classes are now cited to Molex's Easy-On family page; FFC cycle-expectation sourcing is deferred post-1.0 (2026-08), and GX/SP clone claims stay permanently listing-untrusted

Content status and roadmap

The editorial roadmap is split into what is already published and what still needs a deeper page. Source-verification gaps are tracked in the table above; a published page is not a claim that every possible family, clone, or rating is fully covered.

Published deep pages

• JST-XH — deepened (audit 2026-08) with positions, contact wire ranges, header orientations, and the balance-lead convention.
• JST-PH — initial page; an XH-style "in detail" table remains planned.
• JST-SH / Qwiic / STEMMA QT — conventions and Grove/plain-STEMMA distinctions sourced.
• Dupont / 0.1 inch headers — name lineage and identification guidance sourced; no governing spec exists.
• XT30 / XT60 / XT90 — AMASS attribution and ratings sourced; clone parts remain uncovered.
• JST-SM and LED string connectors — full page; SM figures and LED distributed-power guidance are now sourced.
• Servo connectors — conventions, housing geometry, current, stall figures, wire ladder, and reverse-insertion warning documented.
• JST-GH — datasheet figures, Pixhawk DS-009 context, and lookalike guidance documented; clone cables remain uncovered.
• Screw/spring terminals and ferrules — WAGO figures plus Phoenix Contact maintenance and tinning guidance documented; representative torque figures remain open.
• USB-C power for hobby projects — CC/Rd/Rp, safe-zero attachment, PD, cable rules, and the Pi 4 case study documented.
• Barrel jacks and polarity traps — structure, polarity, switched contact, and representative rating documented; EIAJ class figures remain deliberately unquoted.
• RC battery-connector landscape — identification-level and deliberately rating-free except for the cited Anderson Powerpole figures.
• Anderson Powerpole — PP15/45 configuration-specific housing, plating, cycle, and current figures documented; PP75/PP180 ladder remains partly distributor-sourced.

Planned deep pages and depth work

1. Grove ecosystem — a dedicated page covering the 2.0 mm connector and port-type pinout variation.
2. JST-RCY — the red 2-pin battery-pair family and its lookalikes.
3. IDC ribbon connectors — keying, pitch, strain relief, and mass-termination workflow.
4. FFC/FPC flat-flex — ZIF mechanisms, cable orientation, bend limits, and cycle expectations.
5. GX/SP-style "aviation / waterproof" circulars — identification and listing skepticism; no ratings until a governing source exists.
6. JST-PH depth pass — positions, contact part numbers, and header orientations in an XH-style reference table.

note

No exact current, voltage, temperature, or cycle rating in the hobby track should ever be read as universal. When a number matters, the exact part's datasheet decides — same rule as everywhere else on this site.