From: Roger Halstead
Date: 1/29/2004 5:10 PM Central Standard Time
Message-id:

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 17:07:17 GMT, Nathan Young

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 07:42:05 -0800, "Tarver Engineering"
wrote:


"Bart D. Hull" wrote in message
. ..
I'm working on the firewall forward for my homebuilt.

I need to extend various wires to make it to their respective
destinations.
(14 to 26 gauge wires.)

Any way to have a nice clean butt joint? I don't like the crimp butt
joints
or twisting the wires together with the accompanying monster bulge.

What have y'all used for a central ground or central power point? I'm
building
a composite so I can't use the airframe as a convenient ground.

Suggestions and/or pictures are appreciated.

Use a terminal block, or a Burndy block.

Do not solder the wires.

I've noticed this - why does aviation not solder wires? Is it a
reliability thing? Ie the solder joint would fracture after enough
vibration and time?

Yes, for the short answer.

As a demonstration, take a piece of aviation wire and cut it in two.
Crimp a spade lug on the end of each piece. On one, solder the wire in
the connector.

Now, bend the wire back and forth.
The one soldered into the connector should break far sooner than the
one that is only crimped.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com


A properly supported wire won't have that problem. Look at cannon plugs. I have
seen many cases in homebuilts where the builder has used far too little
support.
Having said that crimping makes for an easier and quicker assembly. In most
cases there's no reason not to crimp. If you crimp a splice or terminal in an
environment where corrosion is to be expected wrap it in silicone tape, use
heat shrink tubing or the like to prevent contamination of the crimp.

Dan, U,S. Air Force, retired