# Ring terminals



## Stan the man (Sep 23, 2017)

Shopping for ring terminals to get my wiring back in my boat.. In my radio work I use a lot of heat shrink tubing.. Lately I've found a few uses for the adhesive type shrink tubing.. And I just found ring terminals with heat shrink already on them,.. Cool..
What I can't see, is why anyone would use a terminal with adhesive heat shrink on it.. Am I missing something??


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## heron2000 (Sep 23, 2017)

keeps it cleaner


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## commando57 (Sep 24, 2017)

Would be hard to solder.


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## KMixson (Sep 24, 2017)

It helps keep the wire from flexing at the spot where the insulation is stripped off to help keep it from breaking off there.


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## Stan the man (Sep 25, 2017)

Heat shrink terminals sure.. Adhesive heat shrink terminals?? I guess if its on a terminal that is off again on again it would make more sense.. The fact that they were advertised as "water proof" tripped me up..


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## wis bang (Sep 27, 2017)

I got marine wire and ring terminals with no protection from Del City and added the matching size shrink tubing, just bought a 4 foot length. Good prices. the rings fit the same size marine wire, crimp well and the tubing is tough. I'm using a bernzomatic torch to shrink it. I changed the lower shell of the trolling motor and used some, had to remove one. it was much harder than the stuff the manufacturer used.

I once helped a friend re- do an 14' lowe jon, he was a contract mechanic in a Verizon garage. they had terminals that you crimped then melted the solder/shrunk the wrap, we used a bunch of 'em.


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## Stan the man (Sep 28, 2017)

I guess my thinking was,.. Why would you go to the expense to waterproof something that is inherently not waterproof?? But I guess an argument could be made.. Maybe they are the bomb in a saltwater environment 

UPDATE: As it turns out, the heat shrink terminals I bought, are of the adhesive type.. And I like'em..


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## chuck99z28 (Oct 10, 2017)

So did you find out why they are a benefit? What was it?


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## DaleH (Oct 10, 2017)

FWIW having had boats in saltwater for 40+ years now, I make my own wiring connections water and bomb proof! First off, I'll use good adhesive-lined heatshrink and will use no less than 3X or longer the length of the connector. If the butt splice is 1" long I'll start with a piece at least 3+" long, go longer to allow for 'shrinkage' ... _as George Costanza once opined on Seinfeld comedy show!_

Then I seal the ends of the connector with quick cure 3M 5200 and use a heat gun - not a torch - to seal the connection. Haven't had an electrical wiring or device failure since doing this. I completely re-wired a 25' Parker using this method. *Simple ... and it works!*


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## Stan the man (Oct 12, 2017)

I still say a "ring" terminal is inherently not water proof,.. But I do like the adhesive being there.. Seems a little more solid..
And since its aluminum on copper, there may be a benefit to having the crimp sealed.. Not going to over think it..  

Stan


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## Hanr3 (Nov 28, 2017)

There are codes for small boat wiring. Ring terminals with shank insulation are recommended and meet code. Shrink tubing is not recommended. While the thought of protecting the joint from flexing is noble. The shrink tubing moves the flexing further up the wire (further from the connection) and when the wire breaks you won't be able to see it under the insulation. You can see a broken connection at the ring terminal.

Same principle applies to soldered connections. The solder may reduce flexibility, however you need that flexibility to protect the connections. The wire WILL break where the solder ends almost every time. 

Repairing broken wiring in your driveway is one thing. However that wiring won't break in your driveway. It will break as your boat is being bounced around by rough seas and more than likely when you need that circuit the most. Making a field repair in rough seas is tough at best, however if you can't find the break you're never going to get it fixed. And that could be the difference between life and death...

ISO10133-2000 Small craft electrical wiring.
10 Wiring connections and terminals
10.1 Conductor connections shall be in locations protected from the weather or in IP 55 enclosures, in accordance
with IEC 60529 as a minimum. Connections above deck exposed to intermittent immersion shall be in IP 67
enclosures, in accordance with IEC 60529 as a minimum.
10.2 Metals used for terminal studs, nuts and washers shall be corrosion resistant and galvanically compatible
with the conductor and terminal. Aluminium and unplated steel shall not be used for studs, nuts or washers in
electrical circuits.
10.3 All conductors shall have suitable terminals installed, i.e. no bare wires attached to stud or screw
connections.
10.4 Screw-clamp or screwless terminal blocks shall conform to IEC 60947-7-1. Other terminals shall be of the
ring or self-locking captive-spade type, not dependent on screw or nut tightness alone for retention on the stud or
screw.
An exception is that friction-type connectors may be used in circuits not exceeding 20 A if the connection does not
separate when subjected to a force of 20 N.
10.5 Twist-on connectors (wire nuts) shall not be used.
10.6 Exposed shanks of terminals shall be protected against accidental shorting by the use of insulating barriers
or sleeves, except for those in the grounding system.
10.7 Solderless crimp-on terminals and connectors shall be attached with the type of crimping tool designed for
the termination used and for a connection meeting the following requirements.
Each conductor-to-connector and conductor-to-terminal connection shall be capable of withstanding a tensile force
equal to at least the value shown in Table 1 for the smallest conductor in the connection, without separating...


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## Stumpalump (Nov 29, 2017)

Buy crimpers off of one of the tool trucks. OMG you would not believe what poor crimps you are making until you try one of the newer ones. Mine is a snap on but the ones on the other trucks look like the same exact manufacture. No more deformed ends with broken wire strands and no more wires pulling out. Perfect crimps everytime and built in stripers that actually work without hurting the wire. Best tool on the truck. Yea I already had 6 pairs of "good" ones too. Been an electrical engineer all my life. Wish I had these 30 years ago.


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## Stan the man (Dec 4, 2017)

I was trying not to over think it.. IMHO,.. if the wiring under the dash of my boat is being pulled/flexed enough to break it,.. There are other problems.. Heck, if any wiring in my boat is being flexed enough to break it,.. we gonna stop that..


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## Hanr3 (Dec 4, 2017)

It's the vibration that breaks the wire. Counter-intuitive as it may be, the more secure the wiring, the more likely it will break due to vibrations. Your boat flexes, the wiring needs to flex with it. Your boat also vibrates, while you may not feel it, its happening. This is also why stranded wire is recommended and not solid copper. Your home has solid copper, your car and boat both have stranded. The more you bind the wire, the more likely you are to have a break.


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## Daedalus (Dec 19, 2017)

I have been a fan of Anderson Powerpole https://powerwerx.com/anderson-power-powerpole-sb-connectors connectors in my ham radio and automotive applications. As a new boat owner I am thinking of rewiring the rat's nest and using the Powerpoles (with heat shrink covering, of course). Has anyone here used them in a boat and, if so, what was the result?

EDIT: Sorry, I can't get the URL to link properly.


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## Bob Landry (Dec 22, 2017)

Use the terminals that have heat shrink on them. Crip with good crimpers, then heat witha heat gun until the adhesive oozes out around the wire jacket. You don't need to solder, in fact, ABYC says not to do it. Adding heat shrink to a standard crimped connector may not waterproof the end of the crimp and the exposed wire strands. The ones with heat shrink will. That's all you need. Marine wiring is not rocket science.


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## 86tuning (Dec 22, 2017)

Hanr3 said:


> There are codes for small boat wiring. Ring terminals with shank insulation are recommended and meet code. Shrink tubing is not recommended.
> {snip}



Thanks for these notes, it will help a lot when I rig the boat. It also explains why the ancient wiring on my other boat was still functional after decades of use and abuse.

Cheers, 

Brian


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## Hanr3 (Dec 23, 2017)

86tuning said:


> Hanr3 said:
> 
> 
> > There are codes for small boat wiring. Ring terminals with shank insulation are recommended and meet code. Shrink tubing is not recommended.
> ...



You welcome!


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## Bob Landry (Dec 24, 2017)

The marine wiring color codes are the same for any boat, regardless of type or size. You can find them all over the Internet. I think West Marine has on their website


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