Oops, sorry, maybe its my bad.

After Nobrakes explaination, it sounded like he was just going to splice (i.e. twist) the wires without the butt connector or soldering, and then solder if he had problems later on. [:'(]

Yeah, I thinkcrimped onconnectors are fine, too. I got no problems with that approach ... I always appreciate a good butt!!!

And shrinkage is good, too ... as long as its tubing that we're talking about!

 

Usually you won't have a problem with butt connectors as long as you use heat shrink or something else to cover the connection like liquid electrical tape. The biggest problem I have using butt connectors is getting loose connections. I now use the soldering iron for most electrical work since it's simply a more reliable way of joining wires together. Plus, soldering is cheaper than buying boxes of butt connectors for projects.

BTW, there are butt connectors and other terminal connectors thathave shrinking insulation already on them. Phillips brandmakes them.

 

d'oh! you beat me to it!

 

Yep, a good product is made by Ancor "Heat Shrink Butt Connectors" .... I trust them in salt water bilges.

HEAT SHRINK BUTT CONNECTORS
Tinned for corrosion resistance. Pure copper for maximum current flow. Brazed seam for maximum strength. Nylon insulator, for marine grade resistance to sunlight, water, oil, chemicals, vibration & cut-through damage. Adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing built into the sleeve shrinks to form a tight seal & the ultimate in vibration & strain relief

 

Crimp connections are fine, but as simple as they look it takes some practice to make a GOOD crimp connection, i.e., gas-tight metal to metal connection. If it's not a gas tight contact with the connector, over time air will oxidize the copper and form a non-conductive layer between the two conductors and then you have a wiring fault. You know the kind, jiggle the wiring harness and it works for a while. It will work fine right away because there is no oxidation yet, but given some time, it will likely fail if not done correctly.

So the key on crimp connections is to make good, tight, crimps and that means using good crimpers like the ones Deej posted (not cheap radio shack brand) and the right sized connectors for the wire you are crimping.

I generally use and recommend solder because it's hard to mess up a solder joint and they are ultra-reliable. Takes a little practice for that too, but IMO it's easier to make a good solder connection than a good crimp connection. At least for someone who doesn't do it often.

 

Gotta chime in on this one Brian, a saltwater environment is about the most corrosive environment in the outside worldand heat shrink butt connectorshave the consensus as the best marine connection........ provideddissimilar metals are not involved, .....crimping is easy with a real crimp tool, not pliers .....I used to be a die hard solder person, no more, unlessI have too.

 

For connections on my boat (when I had it []) and on my bike, I do the following:

1) strip the wires an inch up.
2) Place a heat shrink up one of the wires out of the way
3) splice them together, (some use just twist them, I like to form a U, then twist each back onto itself for a physically strong splice)
4) solder the spliced wires to make a solid connection and to ensure no corrosion weakens the current passing through.
5) move shirk wrap in place, and shrink on with a hair dryer.

I know its probably overkill, but when your on the trail (or on the ocean) its aways a bad time to have a connection come loose.....[:@]

Thats my two cents....

 

I think we are in agreement, Finger. I'm not saying crimping is bad or anything, just that making a good crimp connection is not as easy as it looks. Studies have shown that 85% of newbs can solder better than they can crimp, so the odds are a newb will make a better connection soldering than crimping. I can do either, even with crappy tools. Studies have also shown that 74.3 % of all statistics are made up on the spot.

 

lmao, who thought crimping vs solder would even get two pages....... crimping with heat shrink rules 97.265% of the time.

 

I'm 86.3278645386% sure that the percentages used above are not statistically accurate to the same degreeof confidence as they might otherwise represent