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Date:         Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:48:48 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: How to deal with short ALT cable
Comments: To: Raymond Paquette <raymondpaquette@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <4C3BA6A5.4060007@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 07:35 PM 7/12/2010 Monday, Raymond Paquette wrote: >But, when I solder stranded wire on a car, my connection often breaks >off (after a time). > >The wire is flexible, with strands that move independently from each >other, so there's no one spot that takes all the flex.. The solder >creates a solid mass with one flex point where the solder ends. > >FWIW, and not diminishing my overall awe at the wisdom of the collective.

Rem acu tetigisti.

Your observation is correct (and you have opened up a can of worms). The pros and cons of soldered vs crimped connections, and the correct technique for soldering a wire that will be used under vibrating conditions can be researched voluminously on the web; and you've put your finger on exactly the trouble spot.

Let the contest begin...in gentlemanly fashion of course. I'll throw my hat in and say that it takes a great deal less specialized knowledge to make a good crimp joint than a good solder joint in wires that will be subjected to mechanical stresses, particularly vibration and bending stresses.

Yours, David ps -- many years ago I had a catalog which listed a thirty-dollar pair of beryllium-copper "anti-wicking tweezers" to clamp around 20-ga stranded wires for soldering to NASA specs. Thirty dollars was quite a bit more then than it is now.


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