[Elecraft] Crimped vs soldering

[Don Wilhelm]

Jerry,

What you say is true, but the conditions expected for Mil-Spec equipment 
are not typical for the average hamshack - the wires are not subject to 
excessive vibration and flexing and are not handled on a daily basis.  
As a result, I regard soldering APP connectors for ham station use a 
suitable and durable solution.  For use in a mobile environment, 
vibration is a concern, so frequent (maybe monthly) examination of 
soldered wires may be in order, or bite the bullet and buy, beg or 
borrow a GOOD crimping tool and crimp the connections for mobile use.

For those concerned about strain relief, slip a 2 inch length of heat 
shrink over the wires before installing the APP housings and shrink it 
up close to the housing after assembly.  Even a single layer of heat 
shrink will afford a lot of protection for the wires.

73,
Don W3FPR

Jeremiah McCarthy wrote:
> Regardless of our personal experiences, the fact remains that soldering a crimped connection is unacceptable in Mil-Spec work...There are good reasons, not the least of which is premature failure away from the connector, back inside the wire's insulation where the rigid solder wick condition ends and morphs to a flexible condition...Military black boxes get a lot of maintenance and cables are being disconnected and re-connected often resulting in a lot of flexing...Exposed areas of stranded wire between the wire's insulation and the connector are also unacceptable...It can lead to a condition called "bird-caging"...I don't think bird-caging needs explanation...As far as strain relief is concerned, I haven't seen any strain relief on APP connectors, which is where this discussion started...
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