I buy my TXL from Terminal Supply Co
I buy my Tefzel from ProWireUSE
I buy my 3 or 4 strand shielded Tefzel from Pacific Coast Avionics

I only use those heatshrink connectors on boats where they're required. Ither than that, they have a tendencyy to break the heatshrink making the connection pretty much useless.

my personal preference is threading back each wire 3/4" and twisting the junction straight into one another, use flux on the joint then heat it with a pencil torch and solder the connection. let it cool off then shrink wrap it with quality shrink wrap.

stock mazda wiring harnesses use sealant tape and crimp connectors, which eventually fail quite regularly in the eastern states causing many very difficult to trace intermittent electrical issues.

Look what I found:

http://www.deutschconnector.com/prod...onnectors.html

Back from the dead... anybody using the Blue Point crimp tool?

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog

Not sure if there's really a difference from one to the other, just curious what people think?

TTT looooooves soldering...

Soldering is for people who are too weak to squeeze crimpers

I like soldering cause

1 I think it kinda fun (hate all you want)

2 I almost always run out of the correct size of connectors/crimps etc...


So some of my wiring looks like hillbilly college drop out session... Good intentions, horrible execution....


Once I get more moo-lah I will be investing in an outrageous number of connectors, crimps etc....


J.

I think we all know TTT has incredibly strong hands and wrists so this must be false...:suspect:

I understand that there may be negative implications considering this one of my first posts here, however Ive had many discussions with engineers (both ME and EE), mechanics, installers and electricians regarding this subject trying ti find the answer myself.

In my experience, those who have pushed too hard in one direction on this topic have never been very experienced or have not appropriately utilized other methods according to application. that is not to say the previous poster are inexperienced or are not knowledgeable.however, to say that one method is better then the other, ignores the fact that electronic/ electric system harness and component design is Application specific.

For Example:
In the AC43.13-1b (FAA acceptable practices for repair and fabrication) I calls for the use of solderless connections as the exclusive method for harness design and repair. however it does state other factors necessary to relieve wire strain, limits of splices, and wire/ insulation strength and proper amperage yield.
Ease of repair and maintenance access is key to the decision to go crimped-only on repairs and inter component harnesses. However, if crimped was really superior, solder would not be on the circuit boards in the instruments and computer systems keeping the plane in the air.

It's also prevalent in the automotive OEM markets, however, upon the countless harnesses Ive dissected, soldered terminals, splices and other things are used throughout automotive history with solderless increasingly becoming the norm for cost-effective, modular solutions.

In other arenas, NASA and other firms like Barco use solder in specific applications in aerospace and aeronautical component and harness design as well as solderless crimping. Check out ISSI or Raychem

In Audio/ video applications (both hi-fi and automotive), many high quality firms such as monster, harmann kardon, DEI and others use soldering and crimping based on cable size, type, and quality level and recommend both methodologies specific to different applications. (ask any quality installer in mobile alarm or stereo and youll see both used in anything from stereos to high end alarms and automation)

As a Master MECP and an A&P I can say that both systems are useful and have no discernible drawbacks in signal quality, flexibility, durability, given they are executed IAW quality supplies and tools and are appropriate to the given application. there have been many studies to support this as well as my experiments with the old scope and meter.

There are many myths and stereotypes on both "sides" of the fence.
For solder, the problems with early circuit boards and communication systems in the 60's and 70's created huge problems until new solders were developed and eliminated this problem (thus the coming age of solid state tech in A/v . EFI, etc.)

For crimp terminals, user error and low cost/qualityproducts over many years has seemed to be the main problem and, speculatively, caused this entire "debate" as solder was the only suitable substitute and therefore deemed "better"

Solder, when properly applied, is extremely durable, has very effective properties.

The same can be said about solderless termination when applied right.


In closing, I feel that the more then qualified people here using a single methodology is more then justifiable given their experience, execution, and application.

However, pitting two time and results honored systems against each other is moot and affront to engineers everywhere. lol

just remember:

Its already been done. someone has data on it somewhere.
now have a beer, burn and crunch wire everywhere.:cheers2:


as for the photo of the crimp connector . later in that forum thread, an uncrimped butt connector filled with solder held just as much weight as the crimp if im not mistaken:
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/image/93426966.jpg

Good info. As I recall though in regards to the boat anchor, I think it was to disprove that crimped connections are weak more so than that they're stronger than soldered.

Maybe you can answer one of my questions...

I have never had good luck with trying to solder fine-stranded, "OFC" wire - usually speaker wire - for car audio use.
Any significant amount of heat will degrade to the OFC wire to the point where it starts to oxidize and turn green within a few days.
What's the point using this OFC wire if it's going to oxidize, right?
Do I need to sit there for hours with a 5-watt pencil iron just to solder this correctly?
Usually, I'm impatient about wiring the car up, so I don't like to waste time like that.
I end up crimping all OFC wire connections nowadays.


-Ted

In most cases crimping will suffice however when the voltage is low (under 24V) and/or when current is low (under 500mA) I would always recommend soldering.

for the rally car, guys avoid solder like the plague. Vibrations are extreme. Small crimp connections with some shrink tube over top worked wonderfully for me. Or just run new wire all the way to pins at the connectors...

Crimp every time! Years ago I would have said solder, until I wired a 20B into an aircraft and was educated in no uncertain terms by those in the aviation industry. This was reinforced recently when I had a road race engine come back due to a loss of all oil pressure - as it turned out the engine was perfect but the terminal soldered to the wire on the pressure sensor, and shared by the gauge/idiot light/ecu had become corroded from the flux and lost continuity half way through a race, after being soldered 2 years and many race meetings earlier! It was not the terminal itself, but the connection between the terminal and the wire. I guess the flux turned into an insulator over time. A decent pull on the terminal broke the wire clean off.

What tool are you guys using to crimp butt connectors, and which butt connectors do you guys use?

I have a snap on crimping tool, but the locally available butt conectors are not solid, so when you crimp them, they then to get smashed flat, which makes for a FUGLY termination.