Soldering tips

[markandsandy]

I tried to save some money and solder a new anderson plug onto my camper trailer today, and had no success. I bought a 40w iron, tinned the tip and then applied solder successfully to the 6mm auto-wire. But when I tried to heat the wire inside the anderson plug connector, I just couldn't get the solder to melt and make the bond.

Was the iron I was using too small? Would a bigger iron have provided sufficient heat. Or is it all about technique?

I'm trying to improve my non-existant skills so that I can make roadside repairs to my landy and trailer, as we're on the road for anothe 5 months. :confused:

[d2dave]

I reckon 40 watt is far too small. I would be using 80 watt for this.

Dave.

[tailslide]

Hi MarkandSandy,

Yes 40w is way to small for that job, they are really designed for electronic circuit board work. I have a 120w iron that probably would have done the job without any real problems.

You could (carefully) use a small gas torch to heat the pin (assuming that it is take out of the plastic plug first...)

Cheers
Ron

[THE BOOGER]

Yep 40 is a bit too small I use a gas torch to heat the tips and melt the solder then insert the tinned wire :)

[Blknight.aus]

you're not supposed to solder anderson plugs, they're ment to be crimped.

[bitdist]

I agree, you are meant to crimp them

If you are happen to be in melb with your travelling, I'm happy to crimp them for you

[Xtreme]

Is there anything wrong with soldering a terminal that is designed to be crimped?
I/ve been doing it for years on smaller terminals.

[bee utey]

Anderson plug connectors are silver plated, which is definitely not the correct plating for solder to stick to. A rotating head crimper isn't dear enough to worry about:

6 - 50mm² Electrical Cable Crimper Rotate Crimping Tool | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/6-50mm-Electrical-Cable-Crimper-Rotate-Crimping-Tool-/140595276196?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item20bc21a9a4)

[JDNSW]

Anderson plug connectors are silver plated, which is definitely not the correct plating for solder to stick to. A rotating head crimper isn't dear enough to worry about:

6 - 50mm² Electrical Cable Crimper Rotate Crimping Tool | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/6-50mm-Electrical-Cable-Crimper-Rotate-Crimping-Tool-/140595276196?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item20bc21a9a4)

Silver plating, on the contrary, is just about the best possible surface for soldering (except for gold), although in practice it may not behave any better than a clean tinned surface (and like any surface for soldering it needs to be clean). Historically the best quality plugs designed for soldering have had silver plated connectors, both the connecting and soldering parts.

And some of us, perhaps less well off, would consider spending fifty dollars for a tool you might only use once to be something to worry about!

John

[markandsandy]

Sounds like in this case I can lay at least some blame on the tool then (and the rest on me for buying the wrong tool in the first place)! Looks like a gas torch/solder iron might be a useful additional the toolkit for repairs on the road when 240v isn't available.

[THE BOOGER]

Anderson recommend both soldering and/or crimping here are their instructions for both

Crimping (http://www.andersonpower.com/products/use.html)

I use a soldering iron almost every day for work so its much easier for me to solder than get another crimper:)

PS I have 2 gas soldering irons 80 watt and 140 watt the 140 will do anderson plugs but I use a small gas torch for the plugs and shrink wrap

[austastar]

Hi,
I made a handy dandy landy solder holder to do mine.

http://www.myswag.org/gallery/d/20425-1/resized.jpg

A block of wood with a hole in it to hold the pin, a piece of angle Al cut in vertically, a peg to hold the wire and a clamp to stop the whole caboodle falling over.

Saves burning fingers.

cheers

[Tank]

The trick to sucessfully solder is to have the correct "FLUX", there are different fluxes for different metals, some coils of solder come with flux in their centre, I prefer to use "Yorkshire" paste flux as well as resin core flux on larger dia. wires, hope this helps, Regards Frank.

[PhilipA]

Any auto electrician will have a big crimper and should do it for 10 or 20 bucks , or nix if you have used him before to recharge the air or whatever.

This IMHO would be the safest, and avoid the "dry solder joint" issue that can cause very hard to find problems.
Regards Philip A

[bitdist]

I friend of mine used to work in the technical dept of Tyco which is a big manufacturer of connectors around the world. His take on this question was that their research showed that a properly crimped connection using a connector that was designed for it was better than soldering. When enough pressure was applied to the crimp (a proper crimp!) there was zero atoms of oxygen between the wire and the connector. Also they found that it took slightly more force to take the connection apart than it did to put it together, showing there was some sort of molecular bonding occuring

So for what is is worth that it what they said !!

[drivesafe]

Hi Mark and you have no idea what a can of worms you have opened.

I crimp because I have so many termination to do, BUT, for novices, if you don’t have the correct crimping tool, soldering is by far the best way to go.

If you get a crimp done wrong, cut the terminal off and get a new one and this is not always that convenient if you don’t have spares.

If you stuff a solder join, heat, remove and start again.

As to which is better, soldering or crimping?

The reality is that there is little difference between them.

In laboratory tests, soldered joints were found to be the stronger, BUT, the difference was so insignificant that it was irrelevant.

There is also a lot B/S about soldered joints being more likely to fatigue, especially if the solder wicks up the cable from the joint.

This is nothing but as above, total B/S.

The reason cables fatigue is because they are not secured properly when they are installed and both soldered and crimped joints will fatigue if the cable can flex too much.

BTW Mark, if I do some soldering, I use an 80w electric iron for anything up to 6B&S or 16mm2

[markandsandy]

Yes - a big can of worms DriveSafe - but all very interesting reading! And I now don't feel like quite such a gumbie for having failed in my attempt to make the repair with a 40 watt wand on the grass in a caravan park!!!

Thanks all for the great advice and tips.

Mark.

[LOVEMYRANGIE]

I always crimp. However, if moisture is going to be a problem, I then seal the crimp with a layer of resin core done with a 100W iron then heat shrink it.

Using Capitals, the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse or helping your uncle jack off a horse...

[markandsandy]

I managed to get my busted anderson plug sorted by a pro in Kununurra and then, a couple of days later, had it ripped off again on the Duncan Rd to Halls Creek (shouldn't have put that dead roo through the centre of the wheels methinks)!

Nothing like a second chance to put my new knowledge to the test. I bought myself a 80watt iron and tinning the wires was easy. I then crimped the wires into the anderson pins and - hey presto - managed to solder them in as well.

WOOHOO! :clap2:

Thanks again for the tips!

[d2dave]

I always solder. Over the years I have seen many a set of heavy duty jumper leads fail to jump start a car. It is usually when they get a bit old and the crimped cable has poor contact.

When ever I purchase a new set of jumper leads the first thing I do is solder the cable to the clamps, whilst new and clean.

I also use mini Anderson plugs for all my solar panels and always solder.

Dave.

[CraigE]

Anderson plugs can either be crimped or soldered. Most of us dont have a crimping tool sufficient to crimp this size. Can also make the plugs difficult to fit into the main plug.
Personally I find an electric iron not sufficient for the job. I generally use a butane torch.
It is also really important you use good solder, standard solder is not up to the task. You also need to dip and coat the wire before setting.