Wire sizes

[Fred Blair]

What are the recommended wire sizes for use in a glider?

Power? The only power is a radio and Cambridge Model 20 and LNav

Speaker?

Push to talk?

Boom mic?

Thanks for sharing your expertise,

Fred

[[email protected]]

Use the wire charts in the AC 43.13 to determine wire size and fuse or
circuit breaker. Remember, you're fusing for the wire, not the load.

http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/99C827DB9BAAC81B86256B4500596C4E?OpenDocument

Jim

[Martin Gregorie[_3_]]

On Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:52:30 -0500, Fred Blair wrote:

> What are the recommended wire sizes for use in a glider?
>
> Power? The only power is a radio and Cambridge Model 20 and LNav
>
I wired mine with 13 amp UK triple flex power cable, denominated Earth
(green/yellow stripe), Live (brown) and Neutral (blue).

The Earth wire is common and fitted with a 4 amp fuse at the batteries.
Live connects one battery to the radio (Filser ATR-500) and T&B via a 4
amp fuse at the panel. Neutral connects the other battery to both varios
and the GPS via a 4 amp fuse at the panel. Both switched by a two pole
push-on/push-off switch on the panel.

I split the circuits so that, if forced to fit a transponder, I can put
it, radio and T&B on one side and keep the varios and GPS separate. If
push comes to shove, I care about having power for the varios and GPS more
than I do about powering the rest. If I need a more flexible setup in
future I can achieve that simply by replacing the switch and fuses on the
panel.

> Speaker?
>
One side of a piece of medium quality dual shielded cable.

This is the cabling you'd use for a stereo interconnect between CD player
and the preamp or between preamp and power amp. Its a figure 8 cable, each
side being about 4 mm (5/32") in diameter.

> Push to talk?
>
Lightweight 3 mm (1/8") diam shielded cable.

> Boom mic?
>
Other side of the speaker's shielded cable. The speaker enclosure is on
the cockpit wall alongside me and doubles as the boom mic mount.

HTH


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. |
org | Zappa fan & glider pilot

[01-- Zero One]

Fred,

1. For power especially, use ONLY Tefzel wire! This is aircraft quality
wire with Teflon jacket that melts at a much higher temp than regular
wire and does not give off the toxic smoke when it overheats that PVC
coated wires do. You can buy it at Wings and Wheels. I would use 14 AWG
wire to minimize power losses (or maybe as small as 16 AWG).

2. ABSOLUTELY mount a 3-5 amp fuse on each battery!!!!! If there is a
profound short in the power wiring, this fuse will blow and you will not
be sitting in a puddle of melted plastic and red hot wires.

3. For all other wires (boom mic, PTT, and speaker), I use 22 AWG single
core shielded Tefzel wire in the harnesses that I build.

4. I like to use a master switch and fuses on the instrument panel and a
good BUSS system for ease of troubleshooting and visual inspection.



Larry "the _real_ cable guy" Goddard




"Fred Blair" > wrote in message
:

> What are the recommended wire sizes for use in a glider?
>
> Power? The only power is a radio and Cambridge Model 20 and LNav
>
> Speaker?
>
> Push to talk?
>
> Boom mic?
>
> Thanks for sharing your expertise,
>
> Fred

[Richard[_1_]]

On Jul 26, 7:52*pm, "Fred Blair" >
wrote:
> What are the recommended wire sizes for use in a glider?
>
> Power? *The only power is a radio and Cambridge Model 20 and LNav
>
> Speaker?
>
> Push to talk?
>
> Boom mic?
>
> Thanks for sharing your expertise,
>
> Fred


Check the FAA advisory Circular

Circular and elecrical supplies on my installation supplies web page

http://www.craggyaero.com/installation_supplies.htm

Richard
www.craggyaero.com

[Darryl Ramm]

On Jul 27, 5:29*am, "01-- Zero One" > wrote:
> Fred,
>
> 1. For power especially, use ONLY Tefzel wire! *This is aircraft quality
> wire with Teflon jacket that melts at a much higher temp than regular
> wire and does not give off the toxic smoke when it overheats that PVC
> coated wires do. You can buy it at Wings and Wheels. *I would use 14 AWG
> wire to minimize power losses (or maybe as small as 16 AWG).
>
> 2. ABSOLUTELY mount a 3-5 amp fuse on each battery!!!!! *If there is a
> profound short in the power wiring, this fuse will blow and you will not
> be sitting in a puddle of melted plastic and red hot wires.
>
> 3. For all other wires (boom mic, PTT, and speaker), I use 22 AWG single
> core shielded Tefzel wire in the harnesses that I build.
>
> 4. I like to use a master switch and fuses on the instrument panel and a
> good BUSS system for ease of troubleshooting and visual inspection.
>
> Larry "the _real_ cable guy" Goddard
>
> "Fred Blair" > wrote in message
>
> :
>
> > What are the recommended wire sizes for use in a glider?
>
> > Power? *The only power is a radio and Cambridge Model 20 and LNav
>
> > Speaker?
>
> > Push to talk?
>
> > Boom mic?
>
> > Thanks for sharing your expertise,
>
> > Fred

Yes, use Tefzel. However Tefzel is not Teflon, althought they are
related and bother are trademarks of Dupont. You want Tefzel aviation
wire, not Teflon coated wires you might find at electronic supply
stores. Tefzel is more abrasion resistant and tougher than many Teflon
insulated wires. Another advantage of aviation Tefzel wire is is it
fully tin plated, which avoids corrosion that sometimes happens to
untinned copper wire.

Personally I would put an aviation circuit breaker right on the
battery, 5 Amp or so - no spare fuses to have carry around or loose.

22AWG multi-strand is available and woudl be less prone to damage from
the single strand breaking due to flexing or vibration (uckilly not
much of that in gliders).

Chief Aircraft is also a good source of Tefzel wire in the USA see
http://www.chiefaircraft.com/airsec/Aircraft/InstallationSupply/Wire.html

You should be using crimp connectors on this wire not soldering it.
Use good quality, brand name (3M, Amp, etc.) crimp connectors, nylon
not PVC jacketed, don't mix connector brands/models where they have to
mate (e.g. there are subtle differences in blade connectors), don't
use junk from a local auto parts store. Good connectors are available
from many electronic supply companies. And using a good quality
ratchting crimper. See previous threads on this.

Previous posts mention using different types of wires. It s generally
cosideered bad form to pull wires with different insulation jackets in
the same harness/cable run. This is mostly an abrasion issue in high
vibration environment or where pulling the cable bundle is a challenge
so may never actually casue problems in gliders. I know different
glider manufactures still do this but I cringe when I see a mess of
Tefzel, PVC, rubber speaker cable etc. trying to pass for a wiring
harness. A nice wiring job should look ultra tidy, use nylon cable
ties, have enough slack in it at places so it is easy to connect/
install without damaging it, etc. Also think ahead about what might
happen if you add more avionics/toys in future. You might want to
avoid using lots of heat shrink to bundle wires since it is harder to
add a wire to in future, and don't use cheap PVC heatshrink, use
Polyolefin its less flamable and more abrasion resistant. You might
want to use color coding or shrink on labels on the wiring to keep
track of things.


Darryl

[ContestID67]

I gave a presentation on this subject of avionics wiring at the 2007
SSA convention. See http://derosaweb.net/aviation/presentations to
download the presentation. It looses a little without my voice over
but you will get the main points. Darryl - Please critique this if you
get a chance.

Couldn't agree more on the use of tefzel. It is an FAA requirement,
not an option. I have seen lots of incredibly lousey glider wiring so
I am on a "jihad" to get the word out to do better. Remember that
your local DIY or electronics store does *NOT* have an aviation
aisle. http://wingsandwheels.com/page5.htm has a good assortment of
Tefzel as well as places like Aircraft Spruce and Wag Aero.

Using rules of thumb on wire gauges can lead to mistakes. Should the
main line from the batteries to the instruments be 12 gauge?
Smaller? Larger? It all depends on the load. In a airplane (versus
an glider) this can go from little to massive, so determining the
gauge needs some careful analysis. Luckily the load of the avionics
package in a typical glider is fairly standard (vario, computer/
recorder, PDA, transceiver) so 12 gauge is generally considered OK.
I haven't analyzed the typical loading of a transponder so cannot
comment further.

Other control (ptt, gear warning) and audio (speaker, microphone) are
low current affairs so I typically using 22-24 gauge which you can
find in multiple wire bundles.

Finally, my disclaimer. I am *NOT* a FAA certified avionics
technician. I cannot sign a log book for a repair or perform the
installation. You need to get your work done by, or overviewed by, a
FAA licensed tech. Nuff said.

My $0.02.

- John DeRosa

[Darryl Ramm]

On Jul 28, 9:10*pm, ContestID67 > wrote:
> I gave a presentation on this subject of avionics wiring at the 2007
> SSA convention. *Seehttp://derosaweb.net/aviation/presentationsto
> download the presentation. *It looses a little without my voice over
> but you will get the main points. Darryl - Please critique this if you
> get a chance.
>
> Couldn't agree more on the use of tefzel. *It is an FAA requirement,
> not an option. *I have seen lots of incredibly lousey glider wiring so
> I am on a "jihad" to get the word out to do better. *Remember that
> your local DIY or electronics store does *NOT* have an aviation
> aisle. *http://wingsandwheels.com/page5.htmhas a good assortment of
> Tefzel as well as places like Aircraft Spruce and Wag Aero.
>
> Using rules of thumb on wire gauges can lead to mistakes. *Should the
> main line from the batteries to the instruments be 12 gauge?
> Smaller? *Larger? *It all depends on the load. *In a airplane (versus
> an glider) this can go from little to massive, so determining the
> gauge needs some careful analysis. *Luckily the load of the avionics
> package in a typical glider is fairly standard (vario, computer/
> recorder, PDA, transceiver) so 12 gauge is generally considered OK.
> I haven't analyzed the typical loading of a transponder so cannot
> comment further.
>
> Other control (ptt, gear warning) and audio (speaker, microphone) are
> low current affairs so I typically using 22-24 gauge which you can
> find in multiple wire bundles.
>
> Finally, my disclaimer. *I am *NOT* a FAA certified avionics
> technician. *I cannot sign a log book for a repair or perform the
> installation. *You need to get your work done by, or overviewed by, a
> FAA licensed tech. *Nuff said.
>
> My $0.02.
>
> - John DeRosa

John, my only comment is I'd encourage people to look for the best
quality *ratchting style* crimpers they can afford - for both Coax and
for wire connectors. Using these tools often produce a night and day
difference from non-ratchting style crimpers, the cheaper ones of
which cannot possibly produce enough jaw pressure to create a correct
connection. The brand name ratcheting crimpers tend to be just better
engineered and the ratcheting mechanism helps ensure the correct
pressure is applied (as long as you use the right connector for the
wire gauge).

There is a good article on crimpers for use in aviation wiring at
http://www.aeroelectric.com/articles.html (and he is comparing an
already better ratcheting crimper than many people would use with an
even fancier one but the good thing is he is showing in detail what a
proper crimp joint looks like). That web site also has lots of other
interesting information and informed opinion on aviation electrics.

While none of this is rocket science by any stretch, I still worry
that if people are having to ask basic electrical questions then the
best thing may be to find an A&P who can show you how to do
professional wiring and look over your shoulder at your work. And to
get a really professional job it might turn out to be cheaper to pay a
trusted A&P to do it than buy special tools, a stock of Trefzel wire,
etc. I know finding that A&P may be the issue in many cases.

Darryl
(Just an anal retentive glider pilot/owner and electronics geek, and
not an A&P)

[5Z]

On Jul 28, 11:38*pm, Darryl Ramm > wrote:
> John, my only comment is I'd encourage people to look for the best
> quality *ratchting style* crimpers they can afford - for both Coax and
> for wire connectors.

I bought this crimper (http://www.westmountainradio.com/PWRcrimp.htm)
a couple years ago to make up the Power Pole battery connectors
(http://www.flyrc.com/articles/using_powerpole_1.shtml and
http://www.westmountainradio.com/order_RC.htm#ppc) I use for making up
in-cable connections. Recently I added the die assortment and have
had very good results making up antenna cables and installing various
terminals.

-Tom

[Bob Kuykendall]

On Jul 27, 5:29*am, "01-- Zero One" > wrote:

> For power especially, use ONLY Tefzel wire!

Here we are again. Is Tefzel the best stuff to use these days? Yeah,
pretty much, no disagreement there. Is it important to use good
materials? Yup, pretty important.

Is it the only stuff to use, the stuff that you must use? All-caps and
exclamation point aside, it depends. I have only a couple of always/
never rules about aircraft wiring, and they're about fuses, not
Tefzel.

Comparatively speaking, I happen to think that how you wire things is
more important than what you wire them with. Given the choice between
organized bundles, well supported, appropriately fused, protected from
abrasion, and kept away from moving parts, all executed in Electron
Hut automotive wire, versus a rats nest of unmarked white Tefzel going
every which way, I'll take my chances with the Electron Hut system.
But, that's just me.

I've written that all before. But here's some new information content:
Be careful about drilling holes around wiring bundles, especially
where you're drilling metal. In one of my current projects, we've
found chips of aluminum swarf embedded in the Tefzel insulation of
wires pretty deep within wiring bundles. We undertook a program to
unwrap every accessible wiring bundle and clean out the chips, and now
are taking special precautions to keep chips out in the first place.
It's certainly a thing to think on.

Thanks, Bob K.

[Darryl Ramm]

On Jul 29, 9:50*am, Bob Kuykendall > wrote:
> On Jul 27, 5:29*am, "01-- Zero One" > wrote:
>
> > For power especially, use ONLY Tefzel wire!
>
> Here we are again. Is Tefzel the best stuff to use these days? Yeah,
> pretty much, no disagreement there. Is it important to use good
> materials? Yup, pretty important.
>
> Is it the only stuff to use, the stuff that you must use? All-caps and
> exclamation point aside, it depends. I have only a couple of always/
> never rules about aircraft wiring, and they're about fuses, not
> Tefzel.
>
> Comparatively speaking, I happen to think that how you wire things is
> more important than what you wire them with. Given the choice between
> organized bundles, well supported, appropriately fused, protected from
> abrasion, and kept away from moving parts, all executed in Electron
> Hut automotive wire, versus a rats nest of unmarked white Tefzel going
> every which way, I'll take my chances with the Electron Hut system.
> But, that's just me.
>
> I've written that all before. But here's some new information content:
> Be careful about drilling holes around wiring bundles, especially
> where you're drilling metal. In one of my current projects, we've
> found chips of aluminum swarf embedded in the Tefzel insulation of
> wires pretty deep within wiring bundles. We undertook a program to
> unwrap every accessible wiring bundle and clean out the chips, and now
> are taking special precautions to keep chips out in the first place.
> It's certainly a thing to think on.
>
> Thanks, Bob K.

Bob, I actually agree, and while harping on components/tools it is
what you do with them that matters. A good wiring job should just
really look neat and tidy and organized. A look at the guts of a Duo-
X had me impressed at factory wiring (for a change). Amongst the
articles at http://www.aeroelectric.com/articles.html are some
related good discussions on proper workmanship and fuses/breakers etc.
And why several glider manufacturers use no color coding or labeling
or seem happy to put out a rats nest of wiring is beyond me. Part of
my grumpiness about this stuff is having experienced wiring relate
problems, including electrical shorts etc.

Darryl

[Andy[_1_]]

On Jul 28, 9:10*pm, ContestID67 > wrote:
>Couldn't agree more on the use of tefzel. It is an FAA requirement.

Would you please tell me what regulation specifes the use of Tefzel
wiring in gliders.

I'm particularly interested since my nearly new glider came from the
factory with wiring that appears to be PVC insulated. Although my
serial number is Experimental the model now has an FAA standard
airworthiness certificate.

thanks

Andy

[Bob Kuykendall]

On Jul 29, 1:00*pm, Andy > wrote:
> On Jul 28, 9:10*pm, ContestID67 > wrote:
>
> >Couldn't agree more on the use of tefzel. *It is an FAA requirement.
>
> Would you please tell me what regulation specifes the use of Tefzel
> wiring in gliders...

Color me confuseled as well. I've designed sailplane control systems
to the dictates of 14 CFR part 23 (and JAR 22, they're quite similar),
and I often use AC43.13 as a guideline, so I'm pretty familiar with
those FAA resources. But I can't find any material in either that
dictates the use of Tefzel or its generic ETFE.

Furthermore, those of us operating Experimental, Amateur-built
aircraft are not bound by the dictates of either part 23 or AC43.13.
Those of us operating Experimental, Exhibition or Experimental, Racing
may or may not be so bound, depending on the specific language of the
operating limitations document that must accompany the special
airworthiness certificate.

Thanks, Bob K.

[01-- Zero One]

Bob, we don't really disagree about much of anything in this discussion.

However, this is not an Advisory Circular. It is a discussion on
"usenet" where opinions are like buttholes... everybody has one. That
is why when I say "For power especially, use ONLY Tefzel" I am hoping
that if folks do not pickup on anything else said in this exchange, they
will remember that. It is the same reason that I say emphatically
"ABSOLUTELY mount a 3-5 amp fuse on each battery!!!!!"

As you have surely found in your considerable experience, glider wiring
as a whole is abysmal! If the plane is more than a couple of years old,
there is going to be some sort of rube goldberg, thrown together battery
connection, or what-have-you. So if they have a rats nest but somehow
replaced the zipcord and speaker wire with Tefzel along the way, they
will at least not be filling up the cockpit instantaneously with acrid,
harmful smoke when the accidental short happens under the seatpan. And
if they heard my second point and actually put a fuse on the battery,
they will do nothing but blow the fuse and not roast their rump.

So, while I agree that if they used all the best aviation wiring
practices that you mention below about organization, strain relief,
abrasion free, etc. but chose to use Radio shack wire, they would most
likely never have a problem. But that, from my experience, is never
going to happen. Some of the brightest pilots I know somehow believe
that when it comes to wiring, just throwing something together will
suffice.

Regards,

Larry



"Bob Kuykendall" > wrote in message
:

> On Jul 27, 5:29 am, "01-- Zero One" > wrote:
>
> > For power especially, use ONLY Tefzel wire!
>
> Here we are again. Is Tefzel the best stuff to use these days? Yeah,
> pretty much, no disagreement there. Is it important to use good
> materials? Yup, pretty important.
>
> Is it the only stuff to use, the stuff that you must use? All-caps and
> exclamation point aside, it depends. I have only a couple of always/
> never rules about aircraft wiring, and they're about fuses, not
> Tefzel.
>
> Comparatively speaking, I happen to think that how you wire things is
> more important than what you wire them with. Given the choice between
> organized bundles, well supported, appropriately fused, protected from
> abrasion, and kept away from moving parts, all executed in Electron
> Hut automotive wire, versus a rats nest of unmarked white Tefzel going
> every which way, I'll take my chances with the Electron Hut system.
> But, that's just me.
>
> I've written that all before. But here's some new information content:
> Be careful about drilling holes around wiring bundles, especially
> where you're drilling metal. In one of my current projects, we've
> found chips of aluminum swarf embedded in the Tefzel insulation of
> wires pretty deep within wiring bundles. We undertook a program to
> unwrap every accessible wiring bundle and clean out the chips, and now
> are taking special precautions to keep chips out in the first place.
> It's certainly a thing to think on.
>
> Thanks, Bob K.

[ContestID67]

On Jul 28, 9:10*pm, ContestID67 > wrote:
>
> Couldn't agree more on the use of tefzel. *It is an FAA requirement.
>

On Jul 30, 6:18 am, Bob Kuykendall > wrote:
>
> Would you please tell me what regulation specifes the use of Tefzel wiring in gliders...
>

Valid comment. I shouldn't be so blith with my use of the "FAA" word.

Let me rephrase. Every book I have ever read about aviation wiring,
and every aviation tech I have ever worked with, and every A&P who has
every looked over my shoulder and signed my log book, has always
required Tefzel (ETFE).

Now, if that isn't an implicite FAA requirement, I don't know what
is. However, there must be something in the regs that is driving all
this. While there probably isn't a reg that says "you must use ETFE",
is there one that says something about wiring being; Abrasion
resistant? Burn resistant? Doesn't release toxins? Doesn't fray?
If there isn't an FAA reg on this, I can start going back to Radio
Shack. ;-) Only kidding...really.

However, when I council a newbie about why his wiring is just plain
wrong, why he shouldn't use spade lugs, and why fuses at batteries (!)
are a necessary thing, etc, etc, I often blithly spead the "FAA" word
around to put the fear of God in them. I will probably continue that
habit. And I don't care if it is standard certified or experimental,
my (high) standards are all the same. It keeps life simpler that way.

My $0.02.

- John DeRosa

[Bob Kuykendall]

On Jul 30, 4:31*am, ContestID67 > wrote:
> However, when I council a newbie about why his wiring is just plain
> wrong, why he shouldn't use spade lugs, and why fuses at batteries (!)
> are a necessary thing, etc, etc, I often blithly spead the "FAA" word
> around to put the fear of God in them. I will probably continue that
> habit. *And I don't care if it is standard certified or experimental,
> my (high) standards are all the same. *It keeps life simpler that way.

Thanks for your well-reasoned approach. We definitely agree on the
major points here: It's important to think things out before you do
them, to do quality work, and to use good materials.

But I'm still concerned that saying something is an "FAA requirement"
when it's really not sets a bad precedent. As we've see with the 337
process, when you say something like that too often, pretty soon even
the FAA believes it, and then they start to demand it even in cases
where it's downright silly. The next thing you know, you get ramp-
checked and then lose a day at the Nationals because the 24ga wire to
the 9-volt battery of your gear warning system, a wire carrying at
most a few milliamps, isn't FAA-PMA stamped Tefzel(tm) brand wire. And
don't laugh, sillier things have happened.

Thanks again, Bob K.

[Andy[_1_]]

On Jul 30, 4:31*am, ContestID67 > wrote:

>However, when I council a newbie about why his wiring is just plain
wrong, why he shouldn't use spade lugs..

Ok, now I'm curious again. What sort of battery do you use to power
your glider systems and what sort of terminals does it have?

thanks

Andy

[jcarlyle]

I dont think he's referring to batteries with this phrase. He's
probably talking about not using spade lugs on terminal blocks (where
ring connectors should be used). All of the small VRLA batteries that
I've seen in sailplanes have Faston connectors, so Faston "spade lugs"
would have to be used there.

-John

On Jul 31, 10:15 am, Andy > wrote:
> On Jul 30, 4:31 am, ContestID67 > wrote:
>
> >However, when I council a newbie about why his wiring is just plain
>
> wrong, why he shouldn't use spade lugs..
>
> Ok, now I'm curious again. What sort of battery do you use to power
> your glider systems and what sort of terminals does it have?
>
> thanks
>
> Andy

[Darryl Ramm]

On Jul 31, 7:15*am, Andy > wrote:
> On Jul 30, 4:31*am, ContestID67 > wrote:
>
> >However, when I council a newbie about why his wiring is just plain
>
> wrong, why he shouldn't use spade lugs..
>
> Ok, now I'm curious again. *What sort of battery do you use to power
> your glider systems and what sort of terminals does it have?
>
> thanks
>
> Andy

Faston = blade connector (typically used in 1/4 wide blades for glider
applications) is not a spade connector. AGM batteries will typically
have a Faston style connector or larger ones will have a screw binding
post (like the batteries on my ASH-26E - which gets crimp on ring
connectors not a spade connector to connect to the batteries) . Faston
blade connectors (use nylon fully insulated where possible) are very
suitable for use in aircraft, see again my favorite source
http://www.aeroelectric.com/articles/faston3.pdf

Crimp on ring connectors should be used on binding posts instead of
spade connectors which can simply fall out easily. However like the
article above advocates a Faston style binding block is even easier to
use, and is tool free. Properly done the Faston style binding blocks
will not come undone. Many things like fuse holders and switches also
are available with Faston blade connections, if nothing else they are
a good idea since you do not need to get a screwdriver down inside
some hard to reach place and/or risk dropping a screw into the guts of
your glider.

Schleicher uses Faston style binding blocks in their gliders. Cobra
uses them in their trailers, ...

Darryl

[Andy[_1_]]

On Jul 31, 8:35*am, Darryl Ramm > wrote:

Spade ... blade....

I thought they were the same thing so obviously I don't speak American
very well yet. When I look up spade connector it looks more like a
fork to me. In fact fork lug is also, perhaps more commonly, used to
describe this terminal type. Agree they are not the best choice but
they do make life a lot easier if one terminal has to be removed from
a stack.


Andy

[Andy[_1_]]

On Jul 31, 1:31*pm, Andy > wrote:
> On Jul 31, 8:35*am, Darryl Ramm > wrote:
>
> Spade ... blade....
>
> I thought they were the same thing so obviously I don't speak American
> very well yet. *

This UK terminal catalog uses the terms blade and spade for the same
catalog items, so it's not just me.

http://www.toby.co.uk/content/catalogue/series.asp?category=26


Andy

[ContestID67]

Ring Lug - a closed loop shaped like an O
Spade Lug (blade) - an open end shaped like a U
Hook Lug - a open end shaped like a ?

The basic undying question is why are ring lugs to be used instead of
spade? It has to do with trying to prevent a connection failing due
to vibration. If the terminal screw works loose, a spade lug would
fall off while a ring lug will hang on (and the loose screw will
hopefully be caught during inspection). Now this is more of an issue
in powered airplanes due to the constant vibration from the engine.
Still gliders have to live by these rules too.

Faston - Shaped like a, ummm, hmmmm, well, that's kind of hard to
explain. From the end they look like a C that was flattened by a
hammer so that the ends are curved inward. They make a very tight
connection to the mating part which is a narrow flat piece of metal
(like on typical gel-cells). It is a male-female connection.

My $0.02.

- John DeRosa