Topic: Has anyone used Posi-Locks for electrical connections?

[moham]

Excellent, always loved those airplanes. My pop was with A-10s forever so we did the Davis Monthan-RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge circuit a couple times. Got to see TR-1s taking off and climbing like crazy at Alconbury for awhile... Cool stuff. 

I got to see the prototype A 10 roll out of the factory at Republic Aircraft on Long island in 1971!

Great Aircraft the A10.  It's Gatling gun was unbelievable to see, a Soviet T55 was literally made hot enough to burn iron, toasting the tank crew.   ; f'kn awful thinking about it. 

I assume TR-1 is a variant of the A10?

No kidding, we were in Edwards AFB early 70s with my pop as crew chief on one of the first couple A-10s.

Actually, the TR-1 was a retro-fit U-2 (enormous wing-span long-range recon plane that Gary Powers was shot down in during the early 60s) that Hughes Aircraft was working on in the late eighties/early nineties. My mom was working as a civil contractor for Hughes and I got to drive right up to the flightline (outside the hanger anyway, close enough) and watch them go. They would do these super steep climbs right off takeoff that were just freakin' cool.

[Markcb750]

Never saw a U2 take off live.  I have seen films, they do climb out pretty steep.

Best take off I ever saw was an F15 and a F4 start side by side, F15 was nearly out of sight straight up before the F4 could get his landing gear up.

Got to see Gerald Ford that day also!

[Duke McDukiedook]

Maybe keep a couple on the bike just in case.

When you do solder, tin both ends first. Then use a couple clips to hold the wires so they do not move. Heat up the bottom so the solder flows from the top. This makes sure the solder flows through ALL the wire at the joint. Finally, once you add the solder (just a little, dont need a lot) remove the heat and make sure you do NOT move the joint till all the solder is cool. If you do, you get what was called a "cold" joint and it is not as efficient.

This might not be such a big deal on bikes but on r/c cars, it could make a difference and IS detectable with a good meter.

Besides that, a good joint will be stronger and last longer than a cold joint.

That's what I was taught when you solder electrical connections- tin the ends.
How do you connect the wires when you tinned both wire ends- not easy at all.
Could someone show me some pics how this is done?

[eldar]

You dont. That is for solid core wire pretty much. or wire that will support weight even though it shouldnt.
Besides, if you tin good and make a good joint, you will be golden.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Just tin and connect? What type of a joint? Do you have a pic or drawing of this Eldar? I'm not following.

I am asking these questions because I have to hunt down some gremlins with my flashers and stop light.

[dagersh]

Great link for the FAQ!


http://fordfuelinjection.com/?p=7

[Frankencake]

How about solder and shrink tubing. Less bulky and a low loss connection if done properly.

+1000

Yeah, what he said.  You might as well twist the wires together and tape them.  Long term= corrosion and non-continuity

[Duke McDukiedook]

How about solder and shrink tubing. Less bulky and a low loss connection if done properly.

+1000

Yeah, what he said.  You might as well twist the wires together and tape them.  Long term= corrosion and non-continuity

Ya ever tried that with tinned wires? Not easy.

[eldar]

You do not twist the wires. You tin them and then solder.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Just solder them together side by side? Do you have a pic or drawing of this being done?

[eldar]

Well the methods are similar. in some, you twist the wire and then solder it. As I have worked on electrical components that need minimal heat, I tin the ends such as this site shows.

http://www.teamnovak.com/tech_info/how_to/solder/index.html

[Duke McDukiedook]

That's what I was wanting to see. Thanks Eldar. 

[eldar]

No prob.

[bradweingartner]

Well the methods are similar. in some, you twist the wire and then solder it. As I have worked on electrical components that need minimal heat, I tin the ends such as this site shows.

http://www.teamnovak.com/tech_info/how_to/solder/index.html

That link looks like the tinned wires are just butted together and then soldered. Wouldn't that make for a weak connection where the wires are held together where the solder is the only connection between the 2 wires?
 I usually solder the way shown in the 1st link and have never had a problem with it.

Is it pronounced "solder" or "sodder"?
 

Yes, you are right. If you can help it, try not to simply solder two tinned leads side-by-side. Interleave or twist in some manner to increase the surface area that the solder has to hold on to. In either case the solder is still the only thing holding it together, but the tinned side-by-side solder is much more prone to mechanical failure.

Now as Eldar said, if you are in a heat sensitive circumstance it might be beneficial to tin the leads before soldering, but this is usually the case when soldering a wire to something else that might already be tinned.

In general, if soldering two wires together, interleave then solder. You may feel like you need an extra set of hands when doing this but what I do when soldering wires (which I do for a living), and I need an extra hand I use heavier solder and I either hold the smaller spools in my mouth or put the heavier spools on the bench and bend the solder to where I'm working. That way I can hold the wire in one hand and the iron in the other.

That said, honestly, if the wires are properly secured and you avoid like the plague soldering wires together at stress points like in the neck area where side to side movement is going to happen, either case is likely going to be trouble free. The number one problem I see with soldering is cold joints. The Solder should flow extremely well into the joint. You don't need to move the iron around, just hold it in one spot until the wire sucks up the solder like a sponge. You're not just trying to pile solder on top.

[NickC]

Soldering stuff and shrink tubing is good, until you go to remove/replace the part you need. I prefer the solder quick connections, or even better the weatherpac connectors found on most newer vehicles

[eldar]

I have never had a breakage on my method. If the wire is properly supported, there is no issue. You should not be using the wire to support weight anyways. To do so puts stress on the wire internally and can cause the strands to break. If you tin both ends and then solder them good, I will bet that the joint will never cause an issue in ANY application. try the method once, you will see that the wires do not just sit on top of each other with a thin layer of solder.

the tin method is used on ALL electrical components as well. When you go to connect a wire to breadboard, you tin it first. Partly to make the connection easier and better but also to reduce the amount of heat applied to the parts. If you need any proof of this, solder 2 wires together using the twist/solder method and then feel the wire THRU the insulation a few inches from the joint. Now try it after tinning them first. Unless your hands are not heat sensitive, you will notice a difference.

remember that the next time you need to solder a wire onto that electronic voltage reg or onto some ignition pickup.

Again, no wire should be supporting a weight load.

[BobbyR]

Soldering stuff and shrink tubing is good, until you go to remove/replace the part you need. I prefer the solder quick connections, or even better the weatherpac connectors found on most newer vehicles

Connectors are fine to remove a part when you need to. That is what they are best used for. In the middle of a run, they are there for ease in manufacturing, not for connectivity.

[eldar]

I like connectors too, Most are ok unless you either have old wire or a poor charging system. If the part is not going to be removed often if at all, then soldering removes a failure point, unless the solder breaks but if done good, that is not likely to happen.