Connectors or Solder

The reason why top professional installers use this method, is for servicability and removability.  The key for good alarm installation is not curring any wires in half, and leaving factory wires intact.  The only wire you should ever cut in half in any vehicle alarm installation is the starter crank wire, thus it has to be broken by a relay.  Possibly any anti-theft, passlock I&2, or transponder systems,  those wires as well may have to be cut in half.

Most vechicles bought today are a form of lease/rent and have to be returned in a specified time.  Those that lease and want extra security tend to add aftermarket alarms.  To avoid confusion and mishaps by cutting wires in half, and depending on reconnections that fail, it's best to keep the wire intact.  The T-Tap method is great, but, they only come in specific AWG characteristics and I have found them being more of a nusiance than a time saver.  Especially the unexperienced that cannot look at a naked wire, and dechipering the size of it.  Plus, some wires have thicker jackets than other, but might be the same size.  The T-tap cannot pierce through thick jacketed wire, such wires located on most ingition switches.  Even though their mostly 12AWG, they look like 10AWG or 8AWG because of the jacket.

I've seen some installers still actually strip the wire, and use a t-tap after that.  Making the T-tap have to work less piercing through the jacket, but if you are wasting time doing the T-taps intended job, why not stick with the traditional method; which is Strip, Poke, Loop, Tape, and Ty Strap.

This is by far the best way for servicability, removability, and furthermost, testing.  What a pain in the ass to solder a connection, and then have to De-solder it to test a characteristic of its function.  A complete utter waste.  These are not aircrafts nor do they have to be installed like one.

The difference in time between soldering, and loop taping, is almost double.   I can say this, If you've installed alarms in a specific vechile so many times, where you can hook it up completely with every option available, and maybe its a friends or personal vehicle, go ahead and solder them if you wish.  But, i dread the day the friend/customer/ or yourself want to remove the system.  NO!  its not proper to cut the wires and butt cap the ends, by anymeans.

If some people want to be ANAL RENTENTIVE about installation,  they are barking up the wrong tree.  They should be anal rententive about removal, servicibility, with keeping installation time in mind.

Any connection that requres a Butt Connector, or any type of crimp connector,  you'd better learn the ways of double crimping, and knowing how to crimp properly.  If you just take the connector and do not observe the 'slit' in the metal, you are crimping incorrectly.  All crimp connectors, at least the good ones, will have a slit down the actual metal itself.  You proceede to crimp in that direction first, and flipping 90 degrees and using the flat crimp to finish.  The crimp when finished will look like a heart.

n0risc

Are you REALLY that bored?