Off topic: Crimp connectors

[Kenneth G. Gordon]

On 24 May 2010 at 12:51, Ron Kramer wrote:

> I am using crimp connectors in wiring up solar chargers to solar
> panels. Would it be better to solder the connector after crimping the
> wire or just crimp the wire only? The crimp connectors are screwed to
> barrier strips. The system is running 12v 1 amp.

It sort of depends on how much movement there might be.

 If the units are not going to move much, if at all, then **I** 
would solder them.

Unless you get one of those crimp tools with the "tooth" in 
it, crimp connections rely on the crimp-fitting maintaining 
some form of spring-tension on the wire(s) involved, and 
we all know that that tension will "go away" in short order.

Loose fittings mean increased resistance, increased 
resistance means ohmic losses, etc.

However, soldering wires makes them brittle, thus the 
question about movement.

Furthermore, if you accidentally make a cold-solder or poor 
solder joint, the connection would be not much better than 
a crimp connection and could fail equally quickly.

Ken Gordon W7EKB

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