Connectors and crimpers

[Photobug]

I just received some weather pack connectors I was planning on using to connect some lights and other accessories. Any input on these connectors for their suitability? I may also be using some MC4 connectors. Is there a way to make these crimps without a specialized connector or is there one crimper that would work for both MC4s and Weather Packs?

 

[john61ct]

I prefer TE/Deutsch to weatherpack myself, DT/DTM series.

Do you actually need weatherproof? Anderson's my standard otherwise

MC4 only for pretty permanent connections, certainly not for frequent cycling.

I just use the standard crimp tools, borrow or hire if not worth the investment.

 

[Photobug]

If you cant properly crimp, soldering is pretty much only suitable option.
Usually that means slightly crimp with whatever tools available. Just to reduce sloppy fit and allow the finished connection to seat within its plastic housing.
Then solder as usual and finish the assembly.

That was kind of the plan. Use pliers to crimp over the wire part of the crimp then come back with solder. THen crimp the insulation part best as possible, see how that works.
If I could find a proper crimper that worked on a variety of formats I would get it.

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

Get yourself an inexpensive crimper that will do the wire crimp and seal in two separate operations.

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

https://www.amazon.com/Delphi-Packard-Weatherpack-Crimper-Tool/dp/B002CCAEJ6/

 

[Buliwyf]

Crimp often at work.

But for my ride, I solder everything.

 

[Photobug]

Get yourself an inexpensive crimper that will do the wire crimp and seal in two separate operations.

Thanks considering it. I have a nice ratcheting crimper I use for boat wiring that takes dies. I am hoping to find dies to work with the varied connectors.

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

Thanks considering it. I have a nice ratcheting crimper I use for boat wiring that takes dies. I am hoping to find dies to work with the varied connectors.

That is the best approach since you already have the tool frame. That is what I did as I am always encountering different connectors.

 

[Photobug]

I used needle nose pliers to squeeze, the tabs, then soldered, then assembled. Looks like a success. Not sure how long they will last but I made an 8 foot extension cord and a 15 foot extension cord, with a cigg male adapter on one side and a weather pack male on the other. So far i only have the light.

I found the dies for my crimping frame they cost about the same as cheaper crimping pliers, and my frame does not to Anderson Powerpoles.

 

[john61ct]

A proper crimp - gas-tight cold-welded passes a milspec pull test - does not take any skill at all, just the knowledge and money to buy the right marine-grade tools & supplies (aviation specs are overkill).

A monkey can do it with very little training.

Solder adds nothing positive to such a crimp.

Now a properly skilled solderer can make perfectly reliable connections too,

but just like welding, gaining those skills takes not just time & practice after training but aptitude, some just never get it right.

And IMO even the best will not be as consistently / repeatably reliably in all conditions.

 

[Photobug]

A proper crimp - gas-tight cold-welded passes a milspec pull test - does not take any skill at all, just the knowledge and money to buy the right marine-grade tools & supplies (aviation specs are overkill).

I tug tested all my needle nose plier crimps before soldering. It may not pass milspec, but I did not have to wait 3 days for a tool to arrive. I look forward to seeing how long it lasts. The biggest challenge was to figure out how to transition from red/black wire to a spool of white/black, then back to red/black.

 

[rho]

A proper crimp - gas-tight cold-welded passes a milspec pull test - does not take any skill at all, just the knowledge and money to buy the right marine-grade tools & supplies (aviation specs are overkill).

A monkey can do it with very little training.

Solder adds nothing positive to such a crimp.

Now a properly skilled solderer can make perfectly reliable connections too,

but just like welding, gaining those skills takes not just time & practice after training but aptitude, some just never get it right.

And IMO even the best will not be as consistently / repeatably reliably in all conditions.

This.
I've held NASA certs for both of these processes and crimping with proper tools and done correctly is often more reliable in NVH environments as you have a connection that is less subject stress fractures from solder wicking up the wire.

 

[Photobug]

This.
I've held NASA certs for both of these processes and crimping with proper tools and done correctly is often more reliable in NVH environments as you have a connection that is less subject stress fractures from solder wicking up the wire.

Please clarify this. Do you mean solder that works itself into the wire makes inflexible and potentially a place for the wire to crack? I know on sailboats solder has gone away in favor of crimp/heat shrink.

On one of my crimp/solder I can tell the solder wicked up the wire. I am not too concerned as this was only a proof of concept setup.

 

[PSea]

Might want to get one of these with all the different dies. Works well and the guy has a ton of great info on his site.

https://shop.marinehowto.com/products/diy-modular-crimp-tool

 

[rho]

Please clarify this. Do you mean solder that works itself into the wire makes inflexible and potentially a place for the wire to crack? I know on sailboats solder has gone away in favor of crimp/heat shrink.

On one of my crimp/solder I can tell the solder wicked up the wire. I am not too concerned as this was only a proof of concept setup.

That is correct. Depending on how much heat, flux used and how much solder applied, solder can flow up the wire past your strip gap form the contact into the insulation. Sometimes its not an issue if the wire has some strain relief and the the back of the wire isn't being subject to any loads, stress or bending. And as for reliability, most of the time its not a thing where you'd see failure in 6mo to 2 years, but in like 5-10 years.