[Elecraft] OT: APP strain relief
EricJ
eric_csuf at hotmail.com
Thu May 2 23:26:14 EDT 2013
Well, we might be talking past one another to some extent, because we
seem to be largely in agreement. When I suggested folding the stripped
wire back over the insulation for fine wires, that takes are of the
fatiguing problem without strain relief because now you don't have bare
wire at the end of the terminal. The insulation runs all the way inside
the barrel. I've never had a failure using that method for small and
fine wires. In R/C, we are often pulling connections apart several times
during every flight day and more times on the bench. Nothing in a ham
shack gets that kind of flexing. Never had a crimped connection fail,
but I used to have lots of fatigued solder joints in R/C.
Eric
KE6US
On 5/2/2013 7:52 PM, david Moes wrote:
> you are correct that a properly crimped connection is as good as
> soldering but that really wasn't the point and I'm not sure why I even
> mentioned soldering perhaps because I know that some do. I just
> crimp as its way faster less burns and swearing and works fine for
> me. The biggest downfall of soldering APP is that the solder and
> flux can run down the pin where contact is made defeating the silver
> plating creating problems.
>
> However, whether you crimp or not, with light gauge wires like that
> the power cable for an HT or small accessory, a strain relief will
> help prevent wires from breaking off right at the end of the connector
> due to fatigue. Frequent connecting and reconnecting plus moving
> equipment while connected will break the wire right where it comes out
> of the crimped connector pin. (I'm not talking about the wires
> pulling out). A strain relief will reduce the radius of the bend in
> the wire at the connection when it is moved around I don't see how
> crimping the connector alone will prevent a wire bending and
> eventually breaking off from fatigue
>
> As for Mercedes Way back I was a Mechanic at a Mercedes dealer and I
> know for sure that Mercedes Benz soldered plenty including pins for
> the connectors. I'm sure that is changed in the last 3 decades due
> to manufacturing cost.
>
> David Moes
>
> dmoes at nexicom.net
> VE3DVY
>
> On 5/2/2013 21:42, EricJ wrote:
>> {Directed at no one in particular. Don't take it personally, anyone}
>>
>> I think someone already mentioned doubling the stripped wire back
>> over the insulation, then putting that in the APP terminal. I'm
>> pretty sure that's what Anderson recommends. But then you have to
>> PROPERLY crimp it, not solder it. Do that and you won't need strain
>> relief in ordinary service.
>>
>> So treat yourself. West Mountain has an EXCELLENT crimper good for
>> all three APP terminals, and as quality crimpers go, it's dirt
>> cheap...$40...the price of two large pizzas. Anderson has one too,
>> but you need a credit check to buy it. I've done hundreds of crimps
>> with the West Mtn crimper for ham, auto and R/C use. Soldering APPs
>> is ridiculous and produces an inferior connection that NEEDS strain
>> relief. You select a stranded wire, then wick solder up it to make it
>> a solid wire. That's nuts.
>>
>> I've heard from lots of R/C people that crimping makes an inferior
>> connection and the connection should be soldered as well. Tell that
>> to Mercedes or any quality auto or motorcycle manufacturer. Except
>> for PC boards, just try to find a soldered joint in an automobile of
>> any quality. You won't.
>> Everything is crimped. I don't know for sure, but I'd bet all
>> aircraft connectors are crimped. I bet the SR-71 connectors are all
>> crimped. Probably the Shuttle too. Shouldn't that be good enough for
>> a 12 volt ham rig?
>>
>> Crimping isn't inferior. Crimping with crap tools is inferior.
>>
>> Well, that feels better.
>>
>> Eric
>> KE6US
>> K1, KX1, K2
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 5/2/2013 4:44 PM, david Moes wrote:
>>> For the fine wires, before crimping I slide a short length about
>>> half to 3/4 inch length of shrink tubing with a diameter just big
>>> enough to fit over the crimped end on each lead then I slide
>>> another piece of shrink tubing over both wires about 2 inches long
>>> and slide it out of the way for now. once the crimp and
>>> soldering is done I slide the short tubing so that it is just
>>> covering the crimp then shrink it then I slide the terminals into
>>> the connector body and join the two together and line them up.
>>> Then I slide the longer shrink that covers both wires as close to
>>> the APPs as I can and shrink it. It makes a tidy strain relief
>>> As a side note I never use the pins to hold the connector pairs
>>> together I find that they can still come apart Crazy glue does
>>> a much better and more permanent job.
>>>
>>> 73 Dave VE3DVY
>>>
>>> . On 4/24/2013 17:20, ab2tc wrote:
>>>> Hi all,
>>>>
>>>> I have recently converted more or less completely to Anderson Power
>>>> Poles
>>>> for all my power supply needs. I use an 8-way "hub" from Powerwerx
>>>> as my
>>>> "distribution center". No fuses as the switching power supplies are
>>>> current
>>>> limited and probably failsafe in the event of most electrical
>>>> component
>>>> failures. For the big stuff, radios with #12 power wires I am not
>>>> worried
>>>> about the lack of strain relief on the connectors. But for the
>>>> flimsy power
>>>> cables supplied with accessories like my KAT500, LP-100A, Lantronix
>>>> serial
>>>> servers I am. Has anybody found a good solution for this? Should I
>>>> just fill
>>>> the back of the connectors with epoxy or is there a better way?
>>>>
>>>> Knut - AB2TC
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> View this message in context:
>>>> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/OT-APP-strain-relief-tp7573006.html
>>>>
>>>> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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>>>
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>>
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>
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