solder then rubber elect tape then shrink tube

crimp splices liquid brush on elect tape

Easiest to use crimp connectors, then brush or dip into WM liquid tape.

But if you're wanting cosmedic perfection, connect it inside lite if possible. Not really right or wrong either way.

ul listed crimps are compatable with cu.cu.al.al,&cu.al splices as long as they are stranded conductors..
some come with a wp dielectric grease which should be used on al wire

arteacher wrote on 07/16/11 at 14:18:14:


Sorry, arteacher, but you are holding on to your feelings, rather than facts.  You must be a liberal.   oooops,... sorry,... I digressed.  

In aviation, the preferred method is crimping.  With the proper stuff, dissimilar metal corrosion is not a factor, the fatigue resistance is greater, and it requires less work/craftsmanship to make the joint.

I will admit, the guy who buys his stuff from Big Lots or from some Chinese vendor on ebay, will not only have crappy stuff that will corrode eventually, it will also fatigue, and probably won't hold the crimp properly anyway.

Soldering, though, requires some skill, and more equipment.  It is easy to get cold joints, too much solder, incorrect flux, ruined insolation, etc.  It is cheaper, though,.. and done properly, has a tidier look to it.

With either method, heat shrink tubing is a good idea.  With soldered joints, I put on a layer of electrical tape, then heat shrink over that, specifically to restrict the motion at the joint for fatigue resistance.

Now with all this going back and forth over which is better, either is fine, as long as you do it properly,.... so there is no reason to get our panties all wadded up over the issue.

Routy wrote on 07/17/11 at 06:03:35:



Zackly.

Here's a thought,..... assuming two guys have all the stuff in front of them ready to splice a couple of wires, how long will it take the crimper to do the splice compared to the solderer?

Laying on the bench, I can splice a wire with a crimp( no heat shrink) in no more than 15 seconds. With heat shrink, add 20 to 25.
Solder, everything on the bench & ready to go, I can do that in about 30 secs.  & that includes stripping the wires & cutting the heat shrink to fit.
BUt,, when workin on a bike, the odds of finding a splice that can be made on the bench go WAY down.. so, it would take longer & I would probably not get to use the same soldering equipment I was thinking of in the above instance, so, Id have to wait for the gas powered soldering iron tip to heat up or drag out a cord. On the bench I remove the soldering tip & just use the little blue flame,
& I do have the real, electricians wire strippers, not just those flat things that have the crimpers built in,, & I sure like them. Wish I woulda spent that $$$ years ago.

Ill use crimps or solder, depends on the location & application,

Arteacher said, "My panties are not wadded up."  No one said they were.  My only point about wadded up panties was that crimp or solder, it makes very little diff, there is no point arguing about it,....  to each his own,....  whatever lights your candle,... etc.   Sorry you interpreted it as an insult.

He also said, "In my experience properly done solder joints do not fail, and properly done crimps do, especially in corrosive environments."   I would submit that the crimp joints to which you refer were not properly done.  

He also said, "I will agree that crimps are useful if and only if you can't solder for one reason or another."   No one asked you to agree with this.  That would be silly.  It would be like asking you to agree that listening to Beethoven at 90db damages your ears less than listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan at 70db.

He also said, "...you have to be very careful with dialectic grease, as it can travel and cause shorts, and has a finite lifespan (dries out eventually)."  Another silly point because we don't use grease on crimped joints.  Connectors,... maybe,.. but not joints.  Also, I am perplexed by your use of the term "dialectic" which means logical argumentation,... a term seldom applied to grease.  Perhaps you meant "dielectric" which refers to a material that will not conduct electricity.  (if it is dielectric, how could it cause a short?)

He also said, "And a properly done crimp has a slightly higher resistance than a properly done solder joint..."  Not true.

He also said, "..it is suggested that you unplug and replug connectors every so often?"  Irrelevant.  Apples and oranges.  Connectors and joints.  Are you suggesting we crimp and uncrimp the joints every so often?

       

(please note all the smileys above,... they are put there to indicate I was tongue-in-cheek with most of the response.  Irreverance, not sarcasm,..)