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Ok, since re-wireing seems to be the theme the last few months. What do you guys do for connections on the little tiny wires from your electronics, which are something like 22 guage?
For example, my Raymarine Chartplotters NMEA in and out wires, and WAAS GPS reciever wires are all tiny little #22 gauge wires that I need to connect to normal size wires (12, 14 or 16 guage..?) for connections. Like the power and ground lead for the GPS reciever as an example, both are something like #22 guage wire, that connect to my breaker panel via #14 guage wire.
So how do you guys connect these? Crimp em? Solder.... special "step down" connectors?? Whats the deal?
Funny you brought this up as I dealt with that issue this weekend. I strip an extra long bare wire on the small wire and double it over. Never had a problem doing it that way.
trying to reconnect the data cable between my GPS and VHF radio. For the small stuff of the same size (like 22 to 22) I use a butt connector with heat shrink. The heat shrink seems to help out as a strain relief. For different size (like 22 to 16) I use the step-down butt connector. I don't recall if you can get them with heat shrink on these or not (I didn't have any in my workbox), but I wrap up the ends of the connector with electical tape, again to help out as a strain relief. I've tried soldering these wires as well (you tell'em Thom!)but they are just too damn small for me to get a good solder joint. I'd sure like to hear some other ideas.
I hear the frustrations...it's a huge pain in the butt to work with 22 gauge wire. Like already mentioned I usually strip the smaller wire twice as long and loop it back in on itself inside the butt connector and it seems to work better that way. Shrink tubing is a good idea as well. While using the correct size connectors is important, I almost think the crimping tool is as important if not more important than the materials used. A good crimp device will squeeze the connector in the proper area, apply the proper force and most importantly will not "slip" off the joint like the cheapos will. Once it's done give it a light test but if it doesn't come apart it will probably last.
Radio Shack has a terminal strip called "European Style" which I believe is made in UK and is perfect for #20 to #26 wire terminations. They come in strips of 8 or 10 terminals and you can cut off the number you want to use with a diagonal pliers. Radio Shack also has very small heat shrink tubing for the small wires.
I've been using a connector popular with the telephone installers. It looks like a little button, about the same shape & size as a watch battery. Both wires (unstripped) go in same side then you squeeze the button with pliers. Inside a little blade with two notches chomp down on the wires and connect them together. The inside of the button is also filled with a dialectric grease that keeps the connection from corroding. You can put different size wires in up to a point. I'm trying to remember where I got them . . .
Each terminal is a small metal tube with 2 captive screws. The tubes are embedded in a molded plastic that looks like teflon. You slide the stripped wire into the metal tube and tighten down the captive screw on the wire. These are very small screws and you will need a very small screw driver.
Sure you can. Each wire goes under it's own screw and conductivity is through the metal sleeve or tube. However, you don't wrap the wires around the screw. You tighten the screw down on the copper wire that is contained within the metal tube. Just like a good crimp only much better and you can take it apart later if you wish. I know #18 will fit as is and #16 is pretty close, maybe have to cut a few strands.
These are essentially the same type of terminals that Simrad uses on it's autopilots.
I currently have a Garmin 2006 with it's GP17N antenna, the GSD20 Sonar Box , the Garmin 182C and the Simrad AP11 autopilot. I also have a double throw switch that allows either the 182C or 2006C to feed the autopilot, and have the GSD20 Sonar feeding both the 2006C and 182C simultaneously. Trust me, all of this mess is neatly connected using these terminals.
They are a pain in the butt to deal with aren't they. The smallest wire I keep here is 16 gauge and so that's the stuff I find myself splicing into most often. I simply strip back about 3/8" of insulation from both wires, flux each, stick them into each other and twist to hold, the I solder themI have a little block of plywood with two chunks short lengths of 1/2" stock glued to them parallel to each other. I hold one wire on each block (they raise it above the plywood by 1/2") and solder from there - letting the block hold them up where I can get to them and still while I solder. Once they are soldered (just tin the tip and barely touch the wires with the iron for an instant, don't let the solder wick up under the insulation). With them soldered I coat the soldered connection with 5200 the slip the shrink fit over it and shrink it down. The connection itself is simple enough but what I make very sure of is that I support the wire on each side of the connection.
Actually I'm usually pretty good about providing support for wires anyway but this is a case where I think it is particularly important. What I don't want is that heavier wire working the connection as the boat bounces around.
If you all are using butt connectors that you are crimping on or some other type of speciality connector that you've been lucky enough to run across I would suggest that you pay a lot of attention to supporting each wire on each side of the fitting just to make sure it never pulls apart on you.
Thom
"More than 25% of US High School Graduates read at the 5th grade level or less" How's your kid doing?
i used the step down connectors for splicing two different size wires together and after i was done with each connector i use some rubberized electrical coating by 3m and some heat shrink tubing for corrosion protection
When I splice a 20 to a 16 or 14, I put both stripped wires into the same end of a blue butt connector and crimp.
Then I seal the unused other side of the butt with liquid tape. And I'll use heat shrink and small tie straps for strain relieve.
Works for me.
Preoccupation... See Thom's quote:quote:(just tin the tip and barely touch the wires with the iron for an instant, don't let the solder wick up under the insulation) Do you tin each wire with solder before putting them together? Then all you have to do as stated: just hit the joint with the solder gun/iron. By the way pros use a solder iron...you can tell (I use a gun).
"Never enough time to do it right; ALWAYS enough time to do it over." Boston Whaler, "MUMBLER", 24' Outrage (1996), twin 175 HP Evinrude Ocean Pros. Snowball, the cat...
Mumblerone, it's not that I don't know how to solder, it's holding two small wires still long enough to get a bead on them...usually while stuck in some painful position with crappy lighting!
Re-wireing: SMALL wires, what do you guys do? 
"Never enough time to do it right; ALWAYS enough time to do it over." Boston Whaler, "MUMBLER", 24' Outrage (1996), twin 175 HP Evinrude Ocean Pros. 
Snowball, the cat... 
