Crimping vs. Solder

[negativezeroz 5,000+ posts]

I soldered my D310 harness this past week and compared to my crimping job, honestly (might just be psychological) my overall system sounds better. EQ is the same, same speakers, etc. Isn't a huge difference but a slight difference. Solder > crimp.

 

[baseballer1100 5,000+ posts]

So basically you need a butane torch. but how do you solder them togheter? I'm so confused. But i want to solder from now on badly.

 

[reneeb7363 10+ year member]

solder is pretty basic, wether you are soldering copper plumbing, lg awg wire...whatever... it MUST be clean and have a good mechanical connection. Solder follows heat so once you have accomplished the first two steps it is just a matter of heating the material, you are applyiing the solder to, up enough that when you apply said lead/tin compound it is "pulled into the material and creates a good "ELECTRICAL" connection. For larger ga. stuff and copper pipe you MUST use some kind of flux to ensure adhesion. (and cleanliness)

 

[negativezeroz 5,000+ posts]

You use a butane torch or soldering iron to heat the wire/wires and then touch the flux to the heated source, causing the flux to melt soldering the wires together.

Best to use flux with rosin core. From now on I am only going to solder. Besides, flux is really cheap.

 

[BaseSteala112 10+ year member]

Sounds like you're using the wrong solder then. Solder with a high silver content will basically be the same or less resistance as a piece of wire of the same length. I've yet to hear about a good solder joint causing a high resistance voltage drop (even after several years of use) but bad crimps and poorly connected screw down terminals turn out to be the source of voltage drops and melted terminals all the time on this forum.

Agreed. However, most solder used is tin/lead based, not silver based, which is the most conductive of the metals.

 

[BaseSteala112 10+ year member]

Solder > Crimping for conductivity.
Crimping is just metal to metal, solder provides metal to metal and a median for current travle where there was none before by filling the gaps with a conductive material.

Best conductor? no

Better than air? by far

I think you misread my statement. I never even compared soldering to crimping, especially for conductivity. I just simply stated that solder(a mixture of tin and lead) is not the most conductive of substances. I know how solder works.

 

[djman37 5,000+ posts]

guys, OP hasn't responded to any of this. I guess he got what he wanted, now it's just us re-informing ourselves we know how to connect wire.

 

[Lil Poot 5,000+ posts]

you're talking to me all wrong.... you do it again.... ill stab you in the face with a soldering iron.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Agreed. However, most solder used is tin/lead based, not silver based, which is the most conductive of the metals.

Most plumbing solder is composed as you described. Plumbing solder is not meant for electrical work. Electrical solder is lead free and high in silver content. It also uses an rosin flux that is electrical safe. The same can't be said for the brush on flux used for plumbing (plumbing work is technically brazing but whatever...) so like I said, you're using the wrong solder.

 

[reneeb7363 10+ year member]

In electronics, solders are usually 60% tin and 40% lead by weight in order to produce a near-eutectic mixture (lowest melting point — below 190 °C [374 °F]). These are commonly designated Sn60/Pb40. The eutectic ratio of 63/37 corresponds closely to a Sn3Pb intermetallic compound.

In plumbing, a higher proportion of lead was used. This had the advantage of making the alloy solidify more slowly, so that it could be wiped over the joint to ensure watertightness. Although lead water pipes were displaced by copper when it was realized that the lead was poisonous, lead solder was still used until the 1980s because it was thought that the amount of lead that could leach into water from the solder was negligible. But even tiny amounts of lead have been found to be detrimental to health, so the lead in plumbing solder was replaced by copper or antimony, with silver often added, and the proportion of tin was increased.

 

[BaseSteala112 10+ year member]

Most plumbing solder is composed as you described. Plumbing solder is not meant for electrical work. Electrical solder is lead free and high in silver content. It also uses an rosin flux that is electrical safe. The same can't be said for the brush on flux used for plumbing (plumbing work is technically brazing but whatever...) so like I said, you're using the wrong solder.

No, I don't use the wrong solder FYI. Alot of other people probably do.

 

[timvanderet 10+ year member]

whats a copper barrel connection?

I'm still curious. I searched google and got nothing

 

[baseballer1100 5,000+ posts]

Ok so what soldering iron or butane torch do you guys reccomend?

 

[reneeb7363 10+ year member]

I'm still curious. I searched google and got nothing

A 'copper barrel' connector is a maleable copper/lead butt splice basically...usually for larger gauge wire and usually found in the 220V + Industry. ANY contractor/electrical supply store will have them and probably let you look at what they are and what your options are (as far as other connectors) don't expect to only buy one or two... usually you have to buy a whoole box-- unless you have an electrical contractor buddy that can hook you up with his company acct :wink:

other than that -- try looking at http://www.ask.com

 

[baseballer1100 5,000+ posts]

Where do you put the flux?