Soldering three cables

[andsarkit]

Generally that is something I avoid, but every time I have used a good heat shrink with a generous amount of adhesive, it easily sealed around both wires, and between them as well. Is this a non-problem?

View attachment 194607

I would usually prefer to run separate cables for each device but a soldered joint can work well. If you use adhesive heatshrink and pinch the tubing between thje two wires while the glue is soft it will seal around all the wires. When the glue is cool it becomes rigid and there is no strain on the solder joint and no flexing either..
Ordinary heatshrink in this application is a complete waste of time as it does not provide waterproofing or adequate support.
Also going against convention my boat was originally wired with household twin single core cable. This has the advantage of the insulation sealing around the copper so water cannot wick down the cable. Also any slight corrosion can be removed from the terminations which is difficult with multistrand cable. In over 50 years none of the cables have failed through vibration. Whilst I would not recommend this to anyone and I have always tried to use tinned multistrand cable for replacements and additions I try not to be too pedantic about these things.

 

[Refueler]

"Ordinary heatshrink in this application is a complete waste of time as it does not provide waterproofing or adequate support."

Actually easily sorted ... gob of epoxy over the joint - slide normal heatshrink over .... dab of extra epoxy in the ends .... heat to shrink.

The heat does two things then ... 1. shrinks the heatshrink of course .... 2. makes the eopxy wick into the joint and also speeds up curing.

You end up with a strong reslient covered joint.

 

[PabloPicasso]

I dunno, crimped cinnectiins seem to give lots of issues. They lose grip, rattle apart, corrode etc.

Supported soldered joints seem to be better.

Using cheap, or even good, crimp tools is difficult in the confines of many boat spaces.

Soldered adhesive heat shrink Maybe is the way to go. Especially if you're not likely to have to take it apart again.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I dunno, crimped cinnectiins seem to give lots of issues. They lose grip, rattle apart, corrode etc.

Only if you use inferior tools, materials and/or techniques.

Supported soldered joints seem to be better.

Using cheap, or even good, crimp tools is difficult in the confines of many boat spaces.

Soldered adhesive heat shrink Maybe is the way to go. Especially if you're not likely to have to take it apart again.

So everyone else in the thread is wrong about solder ?

 

[Elessar]

I dunno, crimped cinnectiins seem to give lots of issues. They lose grip, rattle apart, corrode etc.

Supported soldered joints seem to be better.

Using cheap, or even good, crimp tools is difficult in the confines of many boat spaces.

Soldered adhesive heat shrink Maybe is the way to go. Especially if you're not likely to have to take it apart again.

Nonsense. People made an effort to put facts in the thread then you write this. Paul Rainbow is a professional giving his advice for free.
The most reliable joint is a crimp. You just need to buy the right ones. Halfords ones with a £9.99 tool will indeed fail but that’s your fault for using the wrong thing.
AFAIK only crimps are allowed on an aircraft. Not solder.

 

[ylop]

Using cheap, or even good, crimp tools is difficult in the confines of many boat spaces.

Hanging upside down in some cramped dark space, a crimp is far easier than soldering!

 

[PabloPicasso]

Anyone remember the 'Scotch press' connectors ?? Car Audio people and various loved those .... blue plastic bodies with blade inside that when you inserted the wires and pressed the connector closed - the blade cut into the insulation through to the wire itself.
I never trusted them years ago - but later saw gear that had been connected with them many years before and still surviving pretty harsh environment ..

They were useless, a weak point awaiting failure. A terrible idea, but quick for audio guys to fit which was what was important. You can still get similar items if you'd lile to.

Doing it properly would've been less profitable.

 

[Refueler]

Friend of mine in USA was lead guy for serious Electrical work in USA .... from low power domestic to high power undustrial. His knowledge is as far as I am concerned second to none.

Ask him about Solder vs Crimps.

It is 101% Crimp ..... but of course using the proper gear to do the job.

 

[wonkywinch]

I can't take American electrical standards seriously whilst they continue to use those screw on connectors.

 

[PabloPicasso]

They may use those screw on things but do they meet a actual standard?

 

[wonkywinch]

They may use those screw on things but do they meet a actual standard?

I believe they are UL approved.

As a warning against people researching using Google/AI, this laughable statement came up ..

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

They may use those screw on things but do they meet a actual standard?

They were common in domestic wiring in the 1950's and early 60's. used to be called "Screwit" connectors and were ceramic. Haven't seen them used in the UK (or anywhere else) since about 63. I certainly wouldn't give them house room these days.

 

[PabloPicasso]

Mabybe the best thing I can ask in this thread is for recomendations for two things:
1 a good quality crimp set
2 a decent crimping tool

I have sets of both which seem to be of dubius quality, then add in my amateur skill level and we have a problem waiting to happen....

 

[PabloPicasso]

I believe they are UL approved.

UL approved? Is that thehe University of Limerick?

 

[wonkywinch]

UL approved? Is that thehe University of Limerick?

UL Solutions

 

[st599]

UL approved? Is that thehe University of Limerick?

The Underwriters' Laboratory. In the UK and EU, you'd see government standards compliance with a CE or UKCA logo. In the US, you see a UL logo (organised by the insurers)

 

[KevinV]

Mabybe the best thing I can ask in this thread is for recomendations for two things:
1 a good quality crimp set
2 a decent crimping tool

I have sets of both which seem to be of dubius quality, then add in my amateur skill level and we have a problem waiting to happen....

Ditto - though I'd insist on it being @PaulRainbow approved - he works with the things all the time.

 

[jamie N]

Umhh, this thread is interesting as I worked in an industry where we had most electronic connections made by soldering in preference to crimping for reliability. These were on ROV's where durability is paramount, and they're in as harsh an environment as one could wish, far harsher than anything one would see on a boat. Also, these connections will be working for about 5000 hours a year, and must be 100% reliable.
Also, every single piece of electronic equipment on a boat will have soldered joints, components & cabling, as they pretty much all have a form of chocolate block/screw connector; each and every one.
To make a fully waterproof and reliable 'Y' piece it has to be done properly, which is soldering the cables, cover the joint with ScotchKote, let it go tacky, then wrap it with Scotch 23 tape, then ScotchKote again with Scotch 23 again, then wrap it in Scotch 33 tape, not heatshrink as this will damage the Scotch 23. In truth, on an ROV there'd be 3 wraps each of 23 & 33.
This method will never fail, but is over the top for pretty much anything on a wee boat, but is the proper way of doing it. Other ways of doing a join are all listed above, but have to be done properly, which is where many people will fail as they don't really have a clue what they're doing, and haven't been trained to do it properly.

 

[wonkywinch]

Umhh, this thread is interesting as I worked in an industry where we had most electronic connections made by soldering in preference to crimping for reliability. These were on ROV's where durability is paramount, and they're in as harsh an environment as one could wish, far harsher than anything one would see on a boat. Also, these connections will be working for about 5000 hours a year, and must be 100% reliable.
Also, every single piece of electronic equipment on a boat will have soldered joints, components & cabling, as they pretty much all have a form of chocolate block/screw connector; each and every one.
To make a fully waterproof and reliable 'Y' piece it has to be done properly, which is soldering the cables, cover the joint with ScotchKote, let it go tacky, then wrap it with Scotch 23 tape, then ScotchKote again with Scotch 23 again, then wrap it in Scotch 33 tape, not heatshrink as this will damage the Scotch 23. In truth, on an ROV there'd be 3 wraps each of 23 & 33.
This method will never fail, but is over the top for pretty much anything on a wee boat, but is the proper way of doing it. Other ways of doing a join are all listed above, but have to be done properly, which is where many people will fail as they don't really have a clue what they're doing, and haven't been trained to do it properly.

I bet, as I said earlier, the connections were mechanically secure before any solder applied. That is the basis of electronic assembly. Again, in my apprenticeship, when assembling a circuit board full of components, we tipped them upside down and shook them to make sure nothing fell out before it went in the flow solder machine.

 

[KompetentKrew]

Mabybe the best thing I can ask in this thread is for recomendations for two things:
1 a good quality crimp set
2 a decent crimping tool

I have sets of both which seem to be of dubius quality, then add in my amateur skill level and we have a problem waiting to happen....

I remain happy with these: 12voltplanet crimping tool and spare / additional dies

I think I have almost exclusively used the dies for heat shrink covered crimps, for non-insulated and for ferrules.