New kits from Amazon

[tomchr]

I have always preferred soldered connections, but this technique is definitely less of a PITA.

Soldered connections won't do you much good if you have a screw terminal that you need to connect to.

I strongly suspect that any issues regarding metallurgy have been solved now. The automotive industry have been using crimp connectors for many decades now. It wasn't without teething issues, but cars are pretty darn reliable now.

Tom

 

[gene_stl]

@MickeyBoy Greetings

I have read (but don't ask me to quote the source which was probably in the 1960s) that properly crimped connections are better than soldered.
They are supposed to be airtite. They are used in aviation and medical applications where if it was more reliable they would solder things.
Of course in the aforementioned applications there would probably be a bunch of procedure validation tests.

I have worked on lots of equipment with high current connections. If they weren't good connections they would have scorched. ( I once had a massive series of failures on 1/4 " Stakon connections. The high resistance was between the male and female Stakons. It took 25 years and was a damp environment. Actually an humidity controlled damp environmental chamber that ran 24/7. I cleaned the mess up by eliminating the stakons altogether with crimped butt splices)

I think, like cabling generally, it would be hard to discern an audible difference.

And to paraphrase Taryl Fixes All "It ain't th Space Shuttle, it's a record player!"

 

[SimpleTheater]

Anyone make one of these with Audiophile grade, gold plated, directional connectors?

 

[jhaider]

Anyone make one of these with Audiophile grade, gold plated, directional connectors?

Not directional, but…
https://www.wbt.de/english/products/a/Kategorien/p/zubehoer-1.html

Surprised they ship that kind of tool. I guess speaker connections aren’t quite mission critical, so even regular pliers are fine.

 

[Harmonie]

Not directional, but…
https://www.wbt.de/english/products/a/Kategorien/p/zubehoer-1.html

Surprised they ship that kind of tool. I guess speaker connections aren’t quite mission critical, so even regular pliers are fine.

WBT sells so many things, I realized that I bought their solder some 20-25 years ago (never opened it yet).

BTW, you have impressive crimping tools !

 

[tomchr]

So I bought one of these Amazon crimp kits and have used it on wires ranging from AWG 20 to AWG 14. It seems to work well. The crimps are tight and the tool is comfortable to use. I'd recommend it.

Tom

 

[GeorgeBynum]

I have read (but don't ask me to quote the source which was probably in the 1960s) that properly crimped connections are better than soldered.

I remember the same; aircraft terminals are crimped, and not soldered.

BUT, the key word is properly. Connections I make using cheap terminals and my $3.99 Sears crimper are not as good as those I use with my pre-ROHS soldered, twisted wire. (But I don't need heat shrink with the terminals for them to look nice)

 

[tomchr]

BUT, the key word is properly. Connections I make using cheap terminals and my $3.99 Sears crimper are not as good as those I use with my pre-ROHS soldered, twisted wire. (But I don't need heat shrink with the terminals for them to look nice)

Yep. You want a gas-tight crimp. And you're not likely to get that with the free cereal box quality stamped sheet metal tool that you got for free with the terminal kit.

The crimp tool in Post #1 is the real deal, though. Or at least a copy of the real deal.

Tom

 

[gene_stl]

I have had the same experience with knock off Stakons purchased by others at Harbor Freight. They have worked well enough but the don't inspire the confidence of real Stakon and Panduit connectors. Or of ones made in Germany. Most German electrotechnical stuff I have worked on is very well engineered.

 

[tomchr]

Don't forget Lindström. They make incredible precision pliers and side cutters.

The Amazon tool actually feels about as sturdy as the Molex crimp tool I have for spades and ring terminals. Maybe the quality of the plastic isn't quite the same, but it's certainly good enough for my needs. I have no complaints about the crimps made.

Tom

 

[The Equalizer]

I picked up this crimper from Amazon to aid in terminating some speaker cables with SpeakONs and locking bananas, and I'm pleased with it. One question I have, though, is about the use of tin-plated copper ferrules in gold-plated banana connectors. Several sources I've run across warn against mating tin with gold (one was at the Molex website). Would this be of any concern in my application?