Soldering wires to lengthen them

[Puttputt maru]

I was just wondering what is the best way to splice two wires together to make them longer. I just want to make some wires with a connector already at one end longer before I put an other connector at the other end.

For smaller caliber wires I usually make a "C" shape and hook them together along with a smaller wiring rolled around, then solder.

For bigger wires I just try to make each end intertwine as best as possible.

Anything better beside using an already longer wire of course?

[oliver1071]

I would typically just do bullets in whatever size I need and completely cover them with shrink tube. I have plenty of male and female bullets laying around so it's never an issue.

I just feel safer with a bullet than a spliced in solder job.

[JaggedEdge]

I fray each end, press together, twist, solder and shrink tubed.

Works the same for large wires.
Really though I've never had an issue with side by side soldered.

Not the tidiest example.

[Altimat]

I never saw an advantage to a mechanical connection in the strands. I strip them clean and straight, tin both ends, overlap, solder (no need to add more if both ends are tinned), and shrink.

[P.I.Engineer]

Originally Posted by Altimat

I never saw an advantage to a mechanical connection in the strands. I strip them clean and straight, tin both ends, overlap, solder (no need to add more if both ends are tinned), and shrink.

same for me

[JaggedEdge]

"Really though I've never had an issue with side by side soldered".

But there is something to be said for a "mechanical connection".
It's necessary in many aerospace applications especially when soldering single strand small wires to multistrand larger wire. Those people are certified in soldering and have to follow stringent guidelines.

I'm not going to tell someone the lesser way of doing something is the best way. Cold solder joints aside, too much to go wrong.

[rhodesengr]

While you can get by with an overlap solder job, I like to use crimp splices that are lightly crimped and then soldered. I re-cover with heat shrink.
http://www.alliedelec.com/crimp-term...208-4294965019

You can get the standard insulated ones at Home Depot or Lowes and slice off the insulation before soldering. Or, you can buy uninsulated ones from electronics suppliers like Newark, Allied, or Digikey.

[PTFlyer]

when ever I can I un-solder the wire from the board and solder on a new one the correct length

[ian.newson]

Originally Posted by Altimat

I never saw an advantage to a mechanical connection in the strands. I strip them clean and straight, tin both ends, overlap, solder (no need to add more if both ends are tinned), and shrink.

For me it's simply easier to solder. I never got it right first time without twisting the wires together.

[JaggedEdge]

Besides that with large gauge wire you're never going to attain a solid joint doing the side by side method.

[smiler.se]

Originally Posted by PTFlyer

when ever I can I un-solder the wire from the board and solder on a new one the correct length

Same here. Only thing I don't do it on is (for obvious reasons) motor and battery wires.

[niget2002]

Last place I worked used these:

http://www.amazon.com/Shrink-Solder-.../dp/B00IEFOCRK


I do the 'fray', solder, shrink method myself.

[rdlohr]

I do a mechanical connection first as well. I wrap each wire around the other beyond the splice point so there are actually two good mechanical connections from each wire to the other. I then solder and shrink. I think this method is a hold over from my days of splicing speaker wires without soldering them. Overkill...yep.

Rick

[TheBum]

I use the same method JaggedEdge uses. You get lots of surface area contact that way, which is important to allow the electrons to flow as freely as possible. Solder is not a great conductor of electricity; it's main benefit is mechanical strength with some measure of conductivity.

[JasonJ]

I use the technique shown by Jaggededge as well although I thought I had invented it years ago lol. Optimally replacing with a single longer wire is better but isn't always practical. I even got to do some practice this weekend when I fried the balance connector on one of my 6s batts. I was super smart and plugged the main series connector into the balance port and the two balance connectors. These were 5200mah 6s batts btw. Yep, it was awesome. I had another 6s balance connector with the wires on it from a batt I had put to death. I cut the fried connector off, spliced the other connector on and was back to flying, no harm to either batts thankfully.

[Atomic Skull]

This is why ESCs should stop using hardwired leads and switch to ring lugs like Kontronic uses. It'd probably be cheaper to machine solder tabs onto the circuit board at the factory during manufacture than hand soldering on wires too.

Make up whatever lenght leads you need with a bullet at one end and a lug on the other, screw the lugs to the tabs on the ESC then cover the tab and lug in heat shrink. No worries about later wicking ruing the ESC leads if you need to replace worn out plugs either, just replace the whole lead.

For shrink wrapped ESCs where the tabs will be unsupported at the edge of the board design through holes though the board where the tabs are soldered and put a copper rivet through the tab and through hole and then solder the whole thing in place.

[Icanfly]

twist the cleaned wires onto either ends from about two thirds in toward the remaining jacket and solder, like in the speaker biz.

AS, I've soldered female bullet con's to an esc board to see what it looks like, it's simpler and less expensive to solder wire leads for joe-q public however. My con's looked nice and clean and plug the motor straight in. Did have to redo some shrink wrap though. I'm going to explore this again if the motor wires are long enough.

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

I think it depends on the size of the wire an the application. For larger wires I use bullets and shrink wrap. For smaller ones I just tin both and lay next to each other solder and shrink wrap. I just did a night plane with many lights using this method.

[Ace Dude]

Originally Posted by Puttputt maru

I was just wondering what is the best way to splice two wires together to make them longer. I just want to make some wires with a connector already at one end longer before I put an other connector at the other end.

For smaller caliber wires I usually make a "C" shape and hook them together along with a smaller wiring rolled around, then solder.

For bigger wires I just try to make each end intertwine as best as possible.

Anything better beside using an already longer wire of course?

I'd recommend a lap joint. Make the joint overlap 2-3 times the wire diameter. Tin each wire, then wrap the two wires together using a fine strand of wire, this will hold the two wires together during soldering. Add a little flux to the joint, and solder the joint adding solder if necessary.

Might not hurt to practice on some scrap wire of the same gauge a few times to get the hang of it and see how it works for you. Also, size the soldering tip appropriately for the wire gauge.