purchased a new radio Kenwood KVT-512 w/nag and all the works.

They sent me the adaptor for the factory hook up. Is there a big difference between crimping the wires together or just soldering them and using shrink tubing to cover?

thanks in advance.

 

Soldering will give you a much better connection than crimping. Crimps may come loose over time. I have a set of professional crimpers and they do a nice job. Use the heatshrink on either connection.

 

Sodering....I was never satisfied with crimping, connections could come apart with the slightest pull.

 

Soldering
~Gage~

 

if you install correctly and crimp it well, it will serve the life of the vehicle. if you have a wire pull out, it was installed incorrectly. all wires should be wound and wire tied to take the pull out of the wire

 

For a head unit install, both methods are just as good when executed well.

If you use the crimp method, be sure that you use a professional grade crimper. Klein type (One with a spike inside the bite) Make sure you rotate the butt connector so that the split in the metal piece is 180 degrees away from the spike.


If you're doing connections in the engine compartment, then NEVER use the crimp method. They will never survive long-term.

 

solder and shrink tape!!

 

While soldering is good, crimping can be just as good. If you don't have a soldering iron, I would go Crimp.

I have never had a wire pull out of a crimp butt connector, but I don't crimp them like they are kind of intended.

I only use one side of the Butt connector, both wire in the same side and crimp. The other side is left alone. It has worked very well for me and most of the guys that I know that have installed stereos for many shops in my area.

But like others have said make sure you use a Quality crimper, and maybe do some looking around for turtorials on Crimping as to help one undestand how to properly crimp connections. You'd be surprised how much actually is involved in doing proper crimp connections.

Cause I was surprised how much was actually involved with proper Crimping and splicing of wire when I was in my wireways, Connector fab and Fiber optics apprentiship classes.

 

Like said, both work and work pretty well.

My thoughts are a little different though, I have a master appliance UT100si cordless soldering wand. It's easier to have tape, butane and solder handy than the right size crimp fittings. I do keep some of the rings around just because they are necessary. Plus, you can get the bundle back down to a manageable size, my splices are about the same size in diameter as the sheathed wire. Shrink makes the job look better, but good tape like 33+ works well too.

 

Thanks to everyone with advice. I went and started it today. I went with soldering and shrinking. I do have to admitt that I for got to put the shrink on before soldering on one of them. .

 

It happens to me a lot, that and running out of diodes or shrink while I have my truck apart.

 

One observation before I offer a suggestion: The immediate overwhelming preference for soldering is a strong indication of the advanced average age in this forum.

Now, as to the benefits of soldering vs crimping. Both will work absolutely fine as long as each is done properly. Proper crimping is somewhat easier than proper soldering, because proper crimping is 90% a matter of using the right tool and only 10% a matter of doing it right. Proper soldering is 10% having the right tools (an adequate soldering iron and the right solder) and 90% having the right technique.

So, the basic recommendation would be IF YOU HAVE TO ASK, go with crimping.

 

On the other hand, lousy crimp tools outnumber the good ones by about 100:1. And a lot of people who should know better will tell you the wrong way to use a crimp tool. (Like the "ins" and "non-ins" positions on a crimp tool. The "ins" is for crimping connector sleeves around the wire insulation for strain relief, NOT for doing insulated crimp terminals. This only works with particular models of terminal.) For the heck of it, I asked tech support at one of the major terminal manufacturers and they didn't know that. Even a "professional" cable assembly house made up harnesses with incorrect crimps (using the "INS" position) that were loose.

But, yeah, IF you have the right tool and do it like AudioNutz's picture, crimps are fine, and quicker and safer to do. A good wrap of that rubber insulating tape (the kind that turns into a solid lump), followed by good quality electrical tape like Scotch 33 or 88 should strain relieve and waterproof it. Dipping the wire ends in white grease before crimping should provide even more corrosion protection.

One other thing: don't solder wire ends before crimping or clamping in terminal blocks. The solder gives way under pressure and the connection will loosen.

 

After "tinning?" the ends of two wires, I always have a hell of a time trying to solder the ends together. Am I doing something wrong? I usually try to press the ends against each other w/ pliers and solder at the same time. This takes about 3 minutes, and the wires become very hot???
I thing I have a pretty decent soldering gun, Craftsman/100 watt.

 

You need a mechanical connection before soldering. The tinning first works well on short leads from components like diodes, but not so good for joining two wires.

For tin and press, you have to keep the two wires very still and in the same relative spots until the solder cools and solidifies. I have a hard time with it too, and using pliers creates a heat sink, heat travels up the pliers and down the wire on the opposite side of them.