> >>After comparing prices and features, I bought some of the GM
Weather Pack
connectors. The first
> >>thing I will say about them is that they are BIG. The 6-pin
connector (flat,
in-line) is about 2"
> >>wide, and the two ends connected are about 2 3/4" long. Also
they are made for
automotive wiring
> >>with the thick insulation, so the wire entrance seals won't seal
around anything
less than about
> >>#16 wire with Tefzel insulation. They make a #22 wire look tiny.
> >>
> >>But they will work; they are about half the cost of the more
compact round
connectors, and they
> >>have removable pins (an important feature for me because I'll
need to take some
connectors off
> >>again after the dyno run to feed them through the firewall).
> >>
> >>For a small number of these you can do the wire crimping with a
needle nose pliers.
For small
> >>gauge wires you'll want to solder as well.
> >>
> >>When you buy the connectors, they come carded with the seals and
pins included.
Very convenient
> >>packaging
> >>
> >>Al
> Al,
>
> There's a big red flag in the post above. Crimping a connector with
anything
> other than the tool designed for that connector will likely get you
a failure at
> the worst possible moment.
>
> I have no desire to start a flame war about the merits of crimp vs.
solder, but
> please, if you don't want to invest in the tool, solder everything.
>
> Charlie England (electronics tech in a former life)
Good point. With skill and care you can make a good crimp with a
needlenose, but not
likely as good as with the specific crimper. I also did a very
careful solder job on
every lead making sure it didn't wick up the wire. The pins have a
crimp that goes
around the end of the insulation as well, and then the seals are
behind that; so the
wires are well supported.
Al
Maybe I am just inept at soldering and crimping, being a novice, but
building the RMI micro encoder and monitor, building the RST Marker reciever
and audio pannel and all the other wiring in the plane.. here is my .01 -
every time I tried to use the crimpers on anything smaller than 16G I ALWAYS
ruined the pin. With practice I feel I make good crimps with a pair of
small needle nose. Don't forget to trim the excess metal on the pins for
small wires.
JMHO
Dave Leonard
The secret to soldering is a the right size iron and tip cleanliness.
Paul Lamar
Hi guys,
I don't want to push us too far off-topic, but here are a few thoughts.
I've soldered a lot of wires & I've crimped a lot of wires with pliers & cheap
crimpers. For wire lying in an attic & never moving at all, you can usually get
away with 'Southern Engineered' crimps. In a plane the wire is likely to be
vibrating all the time. Bob Nuckolls (Aeroelectric Connection) likes to talk
about 'gas tight' crimps. If any of the strands of wire in the crimp can move,
it will move in the connector when the wire moves or is just vibrated. If one
strand moves, the one next to it will also move eventually. If they can move,
they can corrode between the strand & connector. If they can corrode, they will
corrode. A useful analogy might be 'smoking rivets' on aluminum planes.
I've used the inexpensive electrical/automotive crimpers on wiring in a
homebuilt before; some joints lasted & some didn't. I've never had a soldered
joint fail.
Purpose-built crimpers actually shrink the entire sleeve around the wire & most
also crimp a secondary sleeve around the insulation for strain relief. (High
dollar tool required for each style connector.) With a $10 iron & some practice,
you can make reliable solder joints.
Solder wicking up under insulation creates a stress riser, but the butt end of a
crimp connector does as well. Neither are problems if the wire is properly
supported & doesn't move. Analogy: aluminum tubing works fine if it doesn't
move; hose is required if flex or movement is likely.
I hope this is useful info.
Charlie England
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