Just to add a few things to keep in mind in anything you do.
Like a carpenter, measure twice, cut once. Meaning double check all work being performed prior to cutting, splicing, interupting any component / electrical wiring in your vehicle.
Use a DMM to varify all components you wish to interface / connect to, for proper polarity. (+/-)
Check the surrounding area, under, over, and behind before drilling or cutting.
The best method of making proper connections is with proper soldering techniques and using either 3M Super 33+ electrical speed tape (Scotch brand) or heat shrink tubing.
The time spent and invested in doing so, is the difference in a 1 year install, and that of a trouble free lifetime installation.
There are many people who use electrical *butt* connectors, and wire *taps* to make there connections.
Each of them have there own use, and application. If the installation is to be a temporary installation or where it needs to be a test area. Then using a wire tap is fine, and prudent.
If it is not, then for any long term installation especially for a alarm installation. It is simply lazy, and asking for a easy circumvent, as the points of intersection is easily seen and disabled.
Butt connectors: If you really want to go this route. Then my suggestion is as follows. If you wish to use them only use the clear nylon ones, and not the cheap ones that are solid in color. The reason is two fold.
1. The nylon ones enable you to see through which side needs to be crimped and to visually see that the connection is sound and tight.
They also do not crack under load, and do not require as much force to crimp.
2. As I said before there is ONLY one side that is to be crimped on the butt connector. Time after time, I see Pro installers not following such easy procedures in crimping, which leads to improper terminal connection to the wire / casing slipping out. To actually cracking the connectors.
Each butt connector has a *in seam / split* this spit side is not to be crimped witht the ^dink^ of the crimping tool. It is the direct opposite side of the split end that is to be crimped.
The split end is to allow expansion of the connector upon load. This means you do not crimp the side(s)either.
Once the crimp has been made, a good and solid crimp will not allow you to remove the two ends with a minimum of 10 lbs of pulling force. If it takes you alot more effort, even better.
But with any butt connection it is not even close to a solder joint, which is as solid as a single stranded wire uncut.
The only person(s) who can ever claim to have a crimp that *is* as solid as a soldered joint is a manufacure who has spennt millions in dollars in robots or equipent that can apply even down force on the connectors such as a vehicle manufacture.
Anytime you require more than 10 amps in current draw for a system. It is recommended that you go directly to the battery. Fuse all power wires within 18" of the battery terminal.
The shorter the better, as the fuse will protect even more wiring in the circuit. Always measure the current load in series of any device to varify its actual *load / draw*
Doing this simple measurment will provide you with two things.
1) It will varify that the wire guage & fuse is correct for the equipent.
2) It will allow you to know the exact current drain during idel, and operation. This will allow you to either remove the circuit from the vehicle temporarly incase of a parasitic drain situation for long term parking,
or allow you to place a trickle charger in place to allow you to protect your vehicles battery from shorten battery service life.
SECUIRITY: If you apply and live your life with these simple creedo's. 90% of your problems will not be a there.
BE AWARE-DON'T ADVERTISE-PARK SMART-LOOK TWICE
The only other golden rule about automotive security is layer your system. Its always about back-up !!!
Regards
EVIL Teken . . .
Topic Closed)
Members
Search
Register
Login
Printable version
