[Elecraft] 45A APP Crimper

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Mike W0MU wrote:

I don't think we are subjected to the same issues as a Nuclear plant.  I
have had numerous crimped purchased cables fail because of a lousy crimp job
covered up by heat shrink.


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That's why I'm a strong believer in "strain relief", especially wherever a
cable flexes a lot or vibrates. No matter how the joint is made, if a wire
is allowed to move at the transition from flexible wire to rigid contact,
the metal will crystallize (fatigue) and break at that point. I've always
found that using proper strain relief and support for the wires which
assures that movement - including vibration - is spread over a length of the
wire and so no at one spot prevents breaking - at least in this millennium. 

In work on aircraft and military vehicles we always ensured the wire could
not move where it connected to the pin, no matter how that connection was
made: screw, crimp, solder, etc. 

People familiar with power systems have told me that the reason soldering is
not used (and illegal in many situations) is that wiring can get hot enough
under extreme conditions to actually melt solder. If that happened, the
resultant poor connection left once the solder is gone could heat enough to
start a fire or melt the wires, all without drawing enough current to open
the protective breakers. That can be catastrophic in many environments, not
the least of which is inside the wall of a home. 

Ron AC7AC