How to Solder, beginners guide

I think it's very unsafe to solder if you have to be underneath your work. Soldered connections are good, but no installation is worth taking molten solder in the face.

In cases like this, it's better to get the wires down where you can work with them or work without being directly under what's being soldered.

just my .02 on that.

markcars, I like to use the chrome aligator clips for that kind of stuff. I find them very helpful, the chrome doesn't tin very well, so typically you can feed all the solder you want and still remove the clip without trouble. I've only had one stick once, but there was lots of heat and extra flux involved.

Soldering appears to be a mess for me. I plan to use plugs. What do you folks recommend?

I have access to wire for indoor buildings. Wires appear to be a bit stiffer. Can I use it?

Soldering appears to be a mess for me. I plan to use plugs. What do you folks recommend?

I have access to wire for indoor buildings. Wires appear to be a bit stiffer. Can I use it?

Soldering is the most permanent install. It's more reliable. Had a customer that insisted on crimped connectors and plugs. He came back twice because a speaker wasn't working. That's what happens when you have an offroad vehicle with tunes and no solder. We went back through and soldered the speaker connections, all 14 of them. I always guarantee my work, but this customer thought they knew better, this correction cost him extra. Solder first, Ask questions later! If you are refering to crimp connectors, the crimp itself is more consistent from one crimp to the next. Soldering requires a little more consistancy and skill. If you are using plugs and recepticles, the wires connecting to them may require soldering or crimp pins.

Stereo wire has many small strands. Electrical current flows on the outside edges of each strand, there's capacitive/inductive qualities, and a hole bunch more technical guru stuff. The more small strands, the better. There are application exceptions. Solid core building wire is not appropriate for mobil use. The quality (impurities/oxygen content) and flexibility (vibration in all vehicles) just aren't there. You may have noticed the existing wires in your vehicle are all multi-stranded. Take a look at a stereo wiring kit at your local dealers shop. If the wire in the building is for telephones and you're running a remote amp control, that might be okay. In other words don't use it!

Current travels (on the) outside (surface of) the copper in AC.. current travels inside the copper with DC..

http://www.bcae1.com/trnsfrmr.htm

 Just something to make your head hurt even more..

 Jim

how would I solder to a connector, like say for my battery terminal connector.  would I just use the same method of soldering two wires together?  Should I crimp the connector and then solder?

Nice tutorial!

Soldering's not always the way though! got three mark 3 escorts rallying this year with my wires on them, due to the pressure these motors are under the very first one i did i soldered everything, don't want a rally car with 'wired by CHK' written on the side breaking down in front of crowds cos a wire came loose! BIG mistake!!!

these vehicles have very firm suspension, they're racing over rough tracks at 100 mph +, when you solder a wire you create a rigid section of flex, not good, when that wire flexes normally there is no point where it is totally rigid, crimp connectors having a tapered lead in, and also only connecting by pressure rather than being connected to each and every strand of the flex do not seem to create this weak point.

in cases where vibration is an issue i would always(almost always) crimp! the almost is important, butt connectors, severe conditions, no, those joints have to be soldered, or the complete wire replaced, but for spades or rings i use crimps, not the fully insulated type, use the naked ones, strip too much wire and slide it all the way through, crimp as usual then fold the excess back over on itself and insulate with tape.

not dissing soldering in any way, i use it a lot, but not always!!!