VAF Forums

VAF Forums (https://vansairforce.net/community/index.php)
-   RV General Discussion/News (https://vansairforce.net/community/forumdisplay.php?f=2)
-   -   Switches... Screw or push-on (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=96901)

az_gila 02-27-2013 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brantel (Post 748052)
When I was ripping my panel out for the upgrade, I decided to "test" the quality of my crimps I had done on all of the ground wires going to the forest of tabs ground bus.

I pulled about 30 of them off the forest of tabs by pulling on the wire. Not a single one of them pulled the wire out of the connector. Some had to be pulled very hard to get em to come off.

Sold me on good connectors, good crimp tools and Faston connections.

A "used" 1/4 terminal is down to about 5 pounds average removal force, and if you used 20g wire the crimp spec. is 13 pounds minimum.

Just be careful when the tabs are new and unused and be aware that the smaller gauge wires have lower pull forces...:)

Rupester 02-27-2013 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gasman (Post 747968)
Lectric Bob.... explained why push on connectors were a superior electric connection.

Several years ago our EAA Chapter (129) hosted Bob Nuckolls and his weekend Aeroelectrics seminar for about 20 -25 of us. That was 3 to 4 years before I was ready to do any wiring, but I learned a TON of valuable info I never forgot. One of the many "Gems of Wisdom" was why to use Fast-on terminals on switches. Bob also made it clear that we need the good fast-on terminals .... i.e. the cheapies at most local stores are junk. OTOH, the ones from Stein, B&C, and Spruce are excellent. :)
All my switches are fast-on terminals - I wouldn't do it any other way.

vlittle 02-28-2013 08:59 AM

A bit of thread drift:

Several years ago, I had multiple switch failures of the Carling switches in my RV-9A (switches bought from B&C). Working with Bob Nuckolls, and after much discussion and failure analysis, we established that the riveted connections on the Carling switches were working loose, increasing resistance and causing a chain reaction of failures due to overheating. The worst offenders were switches used for non-resistive loads: strobe circuits, landing light circuits and (wow!) master switch (alternator field) circuit. The master switch failure led to overvoltage in the charging circuit. The strobe switch failure led to charred wiring and a burnt finger.

I replaced all of my Carling Switches with similar Honeywell TS switches and the failures have stopped. It was a lot easier working with fast-ons when upside down under my panel!

You can Google this on the aeroelectric list if you wish. This study was pretty definitive. Failing switches are not just an inconvenience-- they are a flight safety problem.

Wayne Gillispie 02-28-2013 06:58 PM

I used Otto T7 series with 1/4" Q.C. terminals. Price= $9-25. 25,000 cycles inductive load and 50,000 cycles resistive. I use similar terminals in the HVAC field and as long as they are tight going on, they hold up good pulling 25 Amps. Much quicker for troubleshooting later too.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:02 AM.