Harsh environment crimp connectors

IMO, the only thing the shrink tubbing buys you is strain relief (which is good in some cases!). The ring end is still exposed and the more likely connection failure is the loose screw (assuming a good crimp). :smt001
 
JimG said:
IMO, the only thing the shrink tubbing buys you is strain relief (which is good in some cases!). The ring end is still exposed and the more likely connection failure is the loose screw (assuming a good crimp). :smt001
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That's not really the way I looked at it. Stranded wire has lots of surface area to corrode and where the wire meets the crimp can corrode and break off. I've had bonding wires do that which were connected to the brass strainers/thru hulls. Sea Ray crimped on the connectors, sprayed them with a protectant, and then the small wires corroded and broke.... The other thing is if the wire area starts to corrode and the resistance goes up (like on a circuit drawing some big Amps), that could be really bad news...
 
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Four Suns said:
That's not really the way I looked at it. Stranded wire has lots of surface area to corrode and where the wire meets the crimp can corrode and break off. I've had bonding wires do that which were connected to the brass strainers/thru hulls. Sea Ray crimped on the connectors, sprayed them with a protectant, and then the small wires corroded and broke....
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Something else to note... the longer neck in your original terminal you speak of is actually intended to crimp the insulation for strain relief... not for more wire contact.
 
JimG said:
Something else to note... the longer neck in your original terminal you speak of is actually intended to crimp the insulation for strain relief... not for more wire contact.
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Yeah.. I mentioned that... YOU NOT READING THE WHOLE THREAD?!
 
So what do you guys recommend for battery cable crimpers? Most crimpers I've seen are over $200 bucks.
Are the hammer types like the one in the link below any good?
http://www.nanaimomarinecentre.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=6_59&products_id=93&osCsid=ee653d4e13fb4e799f

I have to rewire the batteries in my boat next spring as the previous owner has three batteries in it, all wired in parallel. There are anywhere from two to 4 connections per terminal on the batteries, plus one of the lugs fell off when I removed the batteries in the fall.
 
Gary, do you ever strip say 1" of insulation off the wire, fold the wire in half to effectively double the wires thickness before inserting into the terminal? I've found this lessens the chance that they pull out.

I've searched to see if this is an acceptable way and I've seen it mentioned both with and without folding the wire over.

Doug
 
douglee25 said:
Gary, do you ever strip say 1" of insulation off the wire, fold the wire in half to effectively double the wires thickness before inserting into the terminal? I've found this lessens the chance that they pull out.

I've searched to see if this is an acceptable way and I've seen it mentioned both with and without folding the wire over.

Doug
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Doug, please do not use my terminals.
 
douglee25 said:
Are they 24 karat gold or something? :huh:

It was a question as I've come across a couple different ways to crimp on a ring terminal. I did not preach it as gospel.

Doug
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No I think what he's eluding to is that if you have enough room to fold over the wire and stuff it into a connector or terminal, you're using the wrong guage, and depending on the application can screw up the lighter duty control board type screw compression terminal strips.
 
Presentation said:
If Doug is going to use his described technique I would prefer he do it with someone else’s products.
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Isn't that like GM saying, "If you're going to let a slut like that ride in one of our cars, we would rather that you buy a Ford."
 
They are not going to put it in writing!
 
rolleyes.gif
 
douglee25 said:
Gary, do you ever strip say 1" of insulation off the wire, fold the wire in half to effectively double the wires thickness before inserting into the terminal? I've found this lessens the chance that they pull out.

I've searched to see if this is an acceptable way and I've seen it mentioned both with and without folding the wire over.

Doug
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This technique is only used when you don't have the correct lug for the size wire you are working with.
 
There are lots of ways to terminate wiring properly and many more ways to do it wrong.

The crimp-on terminals required for the marine environment permits limited post-crimp visual inspection. My preference is loose terminals that are inserted into a housing after the crimp because the conductor, the insulation, the conductor crimp and the insulation crimp may be fully inspected to ensure conformance to requirements.

The insulated ring tongue terminals used in marine applications conceal the business-end of the conductor and insulation crimp from detailed visual inspection, but there aren’t any options permitted.

All that being said the two crimps on a typical ring tongue terminal need to performed properly, using appropriate parts, tools and procedures, to attain an acceptable lifetime.

My preference is to use name-brand parts, such as Ancor or Amp, instead of generic parts. The Ancor parts have decent corrosion resistance and construction. The automotive and generic parts end up in my trash can.

The general-purpose clam-shell crimp tool doesn’t get an acceptable conductor crimp and I also prefer the Klein 1005 crimp / cut tool.

The Ancor terminals w/ adhesive-lined shrink tubing are great, especially in a wet environment, such as a bilge.

Another factor to consider is labeling. Prior to purchasing my Brady IDXPERT I would print label text using Excel, on plain white paper, back it w/ double sided tape, wrap it around the wire and laminate w/ clear shrink tubing. This was a decent low-cost solution. The label maker is WAY better. Both ends of every wire are labeled. This has proven very handy.


Four Suns said:
Here's a shot inside the cabin's electrical panel:

DSC_0459-2.jpg
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The best way to route marine wiring is to include a drip loop, so if water starts traveling along the jacket exterior, then the loop causes it to fall prior to entering the connector.


admin said:
We use the Fastenal brand non solder heat shrink connectors for our installations and Ancor in a pinch.
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The Fastenal crimp connectors look like generic connectors.


hack4alivin said:
crimpingtool-1.jpg

This is the type I use. The arrow points to the “***” on the bottom where the bottom of the log is placed. The crimp will be formed evenly around the lug. Best used for lugs of 14 to 12 gauge.
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The Klein 1005 crimp / cut tool is rated for 10-22AWG wire and has jaws for insulated and for uninsulated terminals.
 
Just curious, and maybe it is a Marine thing, but why would anybody want to use a crimp connector when a solder connection would likely be far more secure and conductive? Welding parts together have always seemed better than "smashing" them together.

In our electrical work, a solder connection is always preferred to a crimped one. Heatshirink is used for insulation only as ring connetors attach to buss bars.
 
Uplate said:
Just curious, and maybe it is a Marine thing, but why would anybody want to use a crimp connector when a solder connection would likely be far more secure and conductive? Welding parts together have always seemed better than "smashing" them together.

In our electrical work, a solder connection is always preferred to a crimped one. Heatshirink is used for insulation only as ring connetors attach to buss bars.
Click to expand...

Solder does not tolerate vibration or corrosion at all.
 
wingless said:
Another factor to consider is labeling. Prior to purchasing my Brady IDXPERT I would print label text using Excel, on plain white paper, back it w/ double sided tape, wrap it around the wire and laminate w/ clear shrink tubing. This was a decent low-cost solution. The label maker is WAY better. Both ends of every wire are labeled. This has proven very handy.
Click to expand...

The specs show that label maker's printer is thermal transfer. I found that thermal prints don't last and turn dark pretty easily even when not exposed to heat, like in the engine room. I am not a fan of thermal transfer printing technology. Have you found that the text remains legible for years?

Best regards,
Frank
 
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