I sometimes solder inaccessible T&E connections, although I don't know if you are using standard T&E.
The PVC insulation on 70C T&E PVC does seem to be significantly less able to withstand soldering than that on most connecting wires which you are likely to have soldered. If you solder it, make sure there are no forces on the PVC, e.g. dead straight into the connector or it will peel off the conductor as it attemps to straighten out, and nothing pressing against it as it will push through.
Just get on with it Rick, it is not rocket science!. Use a small gas blowlamp get the joint hot quick, solder quick and make sure it "runs" into the joint OK.
Have a damp rag handy to hold the plastic sheathing in and cool it quickly.
Or beg steal or borrow the right crimps then. By the look of the cable size its going to take quite some current and you really don't want a high resistance duff joint else look forward to arcing and fire and smoke and damage!...
Doesn't sound as if the work could be taken to a friendly spark to be done where they happen to be working. Trying to borrow a suitable crimp tool would be my approach to start with.
Agreed, soldering is OK but remember that you need a good mechnical joint as well. In this high current case even more so IMHO.
This is single core 16mm2 stranded 'starter cable'
TBH 21 quid isn't that much for the tool. Yes, it's a bit painful in comparison to the cost of the crimps, but I'd justify it as 11 quid a joint and you end up with a potentially useful tool.
True but it's 1/3 of the weeks supermarket bill...
How often are you likely to do 16mm crimps? I'm with the OP it'll be these two and that's it. I guess one could buy a tool that does more than
16mm but again these are big not the red/yellow/blue that one would find in domestic wiring. Buying and flogging on eBay to recoup some of the cost might be a possibilty.
The link he gave originally led to two tools, one 1.5-16mm, one 6mm-25mm I think. I'd probably buy one, partly because it's always good getting another tool :-)
Just wrap the wires around the terminals if you aren't happy about soldering or proper crimping. To be honest, I've always considered crimping to be a fast, semi-skilled process - an inferior substitute for proper termination/jointing, whether on 16mm wire ends or BNC plugs.
Isn't crimping also a hairdressing term?
(d&rfc)
Crimping is often the superior method and in some cases essential.
That gets my vote as the worst informed quote of the month.
May I comment "nonsense" to the member from opp North!
Done correctly its an excellent method but MUST be done with the correct crimp tools!....
+1
I suspect Frank has only ever come across crimps not done with the corrcet tool for the crimp in use on stuff that the crimp wasn't designed for.
A correctly sized crimp done with the correct tool to the right pressure produces a gas tight cold weld. Very reliable, doesn't creep or vibrate loose. I guess this is why avionics uses crimps...
Not sure about that. With the mention of BNC plugs. There are non crimp ones available for emergency repairs in the field - but the vast majority rely on being correctly crimped. How else would you connect the screen?
Quite.
Years ago when I used to have to make up many BNC leads, the supplied sockets & plugs had a ferrule thing that you had to slide down between the screen and inner sheath, and the gripper 'collet' squashed them tightly into contact. You started striping back to the drawing, soldered the centre pin on, slid the back nut, rubber squashy thing and washer on, then the ferrule. Then assembled the whole shebang onto the body. Got quite good at it
AWEM
You'll also find crimps used in the rigging for yachts - copper sleeve around stainless wire.
Andy
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