REFLECTOR: Electrical Connections?

[Sid Knox]

From: "Kevin Baker" <flykb at verizon.net>
Subject: spam: REFLECTOR: Electrical Connections?


> Hi All,
> Quick question..
> I've heard the following from both camps and wanted to know what you
> guys thought.
>
> 1) Crimp electrical connections - Some say the only way and others
> say it will corrode and cause issues and soldering is better.
>
> 2) Solder electrical connections - Some say this is better, but
> others say the acids will breakdown the connection over time and the
> connections will deteriorate.
>
> ??
>
> What do you guys think?
>
> Thanks,
> Kevin Baker

Crimp connections can be "forever" if done with the proper tool and proper 
technique to achieve a "gas tight" connection.
But for a vibrating environment like an airplane, I prefer to crimp for 
mechanical strength and then solder for electrical properties.
Quality rosin-core solder has no corosive flux.
One potential problem with soldering the crimped wire is that where the 
solder stops (at the end of the connector) and the wire continues, there is 
an abrupt mechanical mis-match from solid soldered wire to flexable wire. 
This point is a stress-riser and if the wire is subject to movement from 
vibration or flexing, it will fail (break) in time.  The cure for this is 
either to clamp or tie the wire so it can't move or to use a short piece of 
heat-shrink tubing over the end of the connector.  This tubing provides at 
least three positives:
1)  defuses the stress riser by spreading the flex region.
2)  if clear tubing is used, you can include a wire id tag under the shrink.
3)  provides a visual "professional" look.

$0.02

Sid Knox
Oklahoma

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