# Great idea



## oakchas (Aug 7, 2018)

Didn't know where else to put this. But, if it works, it would have saved my butt on more than just wiring the boat!

https://www.facebook.com/187306448744731/videos/1153865908100004/

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk


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## LDUBS (Aug 7, 2018)

Pretty cool. At first I was worried about the low temp solder fusing but looks like you would be able to see that it melted around the wires.


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## DaleH (Aug 7, 2018)

FWIW I follow ABYC and other (e.g., USCG) when I myself DO NOT use soldered connections anywhere on a boat's electronics. Many boats that have burned have been found to have soldered wiring, which hardens it and makes it fail in a hostile marine environment where the boat is subject to repeated bounces, i.e., choppy seas. 

I used heat-shrink, length to the wire at least 1.5X that of the connector in size and even goop up my connections in the bilge with 5200 first, then cover them with the adhesive-lined HS.

I have never had a wiring or connection failure in 30+ years of working on my boats and wiring boats for others. Are you a good solderer? Good - go for it, just do not rely on it as the sole means of connection (same as ABYC, BIA, and USCG states in their wiring standards. 

Just think back to Apollo 13 and recall that_ the entire incident was caused by poor soldering technique ... _


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## LDUBS (Aug 7, 2018)

Shoot Dale, I liked this product but as usual you are spot on. Well, just goes to show that all good things may not really be good things.


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## gnappi (Aug 7, 2018)

DaleH said:


> >>SNIP<<Just think back to Apollo 13 and recall that_ the entire incident was caused by poor soldering technique ... _



+1. Folks who are not proficient at soldering should not attempt it, especially on boats, planes, trains and automobiles


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## KMixson (Aug 7, 2018)

I would not trust that method. If there is a lot of current going through those wires and there is a weak or poor connection there it would heat up at that connector maybe causing it to fail or worse burning your boat down. When he joined the wires he never twisted them together to get a more secure connection. He just laid them side by side and is trusting the low temp connector to secure the join. If it heats up that low temp connector is going to be the first to fail. If you try this and the circuit does not work or fails, this connector is the first place I would suspect or look for the problem.


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## handyandy (Aug 13, 2018)

I solder and heat shrink most of my connections, can't tell you how many trailer light problems, or other electrical problems I've had in things that were the result of a connector. When the wires could have just been soldered. Dale what do you use for your connections?

The initially posted things I have used at work before, on some of our engines here it's surprisingly easy to get an injector wire lead and connector pinched by a valve cover if the cover has been removed and reinstalled. Bosch who makes the injectors we use I'm referring too has an engineer here at our site has brought those sort of heat shrink solder combo connectors here to use for repairing the wire lead/connector on the injectors. I have considered buying them worked quiet well here the few instances I know of them actually being used.


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## DaleH (Aug 13, 2018)

handyandy said:


> Dale what do you use for your connections?


Connections - Nothing but marine quality Ancor connectors and using buss bars or other electrical items from places like Blue Seas.

Other - Premium brand, and ample length of marine quality (meaning non-cheapo) adhesive-lined heatshrink. As a general rule, I'll never use a length less (when shrunk) than 3X the length of the connector body itself, maybe longer. For connections in the bilge, I'll also dab 3M 5200 at the ends of the butt connectors, then bring the HS up over that. 

Tools - I have a pair of Klein ratcheting crimp pliers., they are superb!

To me, _while it may not be the soldering technique that fails_, remember that a soldered connection is a HARD connection. Any hard joint like that can and WILL fail when subject to repeated fatigue stress ... akin to repeatedly bending a paper clip wire until it breaks. I personally believe most people DO NOT secure their wiring runs well enough to avoid this repeated jostling of the wiring ... and connectors. 

Not soldering works for me ... but as with anything, your mileage may certainly vary  .


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## Scott F (Aug 13, 2018)

I was a service technician and serviced commercial food equipment for 36 years. Except for circuit boards, I never saw or used solder to make connections. Crimped connection failures were pretty rare especially if the correct connectors were used. Soldered connections on boards failed much more frequently due to corrosion in the wet environment of commercial dishwashers. 
My own Ranger Trail trailer came with crimped connections on all wiring and has held up for 30 years of over the road travel with few problems.


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## handyandy (Aug 16, 2018)

You guys have had better luck with things with crimped on connectors. Then again most the crimp on connectors I've had issues with were non marine grade ones without protective heat shrink with good adhesive. My trailer when I got the grounding tabs were crimp on ones were all corroded and no longer made good contact. I replaced them with good connectors that I also soldered on and covered with good heat shrink. Haven't had a light issue since doing that and going to the LED's. So far I have been pleased with the heat shrink solder connectors I've used. I was impressed with them enough the few times I saw them used at work I bought a mixed box of them for my home shop.


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## DaleH (Aug 16, 2018)

Crimped connections with poor technique = Failure

Soldered connections with poor technique = Failure

... I opine most people suck at soldering, so advise using crimped connections, which with GOOD technique = Success!


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