Soldering 5,5mm Bullet connectors

[lomdel]

What is the correct and best way to solder the OSE 5,5mm conncetors onto the ends of 10 or 12 gauge wire? Please post pics of your methods or finished wire-ends!

[Ub Hauled]

which one of the 5.5mm do you have?
post a shot of the soldering side of your plugs.
40w iron is a good way to start, nice and hot.

[lomdel]

These ones : http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...d=ose-55bullet .
What is the soldering side, the one with the hole in?

[Ub Hauled]

yes... the one with the hole (enclosed).

get the wire and get a little solder on the tip,
fill the hole with solder being held by a vise,
heat up the solder on in the plug (to melting point)
and stick the wire in it. Make sure to have the males and females
on the correct sides and keep your wires as short and as even length as possible.

[Ub Hauled]

double post...

[Jimmy Sterling]

I had the camera out so I took a few pics 4 U

- Just like UB hauled said its best to have the connector in a vice (whether it be female or male)

- Apply a small amount of solder to the tip of the soldering iron to create a 'heat bridge', then touch the iron to the connector and ensure that the solder is in contact with the connector.

- As the connector heats up, slowly apply the solder to the connector on the inside, fill it up to the holes in the side of the connector.

- The piece of wire that you use will need to be stripped so that it will fit snug in the connector, it then needs to be tinned.

- The same mehotd is used here as the connector, apply a small amount of solder to the tip of the iron and use it to heat the exposed wire. When it is hot enough slowly apply the solder to the job

- Be careful not to overheat the wire as it may cause it to become discolored.

- With the connector in the vice, reheat it to liquify the solder in it, once it has liquified slowly drop in the tinned wire. Remove the iron and hold the wire dead still to avoid a dry solder joint (I normally hold my breath so I dont move)

- The solder may need to be cleaned up a bit with the iron to remove any blobs, circuit board cleaner can also be used to remove any flux


Hope this helps
Jimmy

[lomdel]

Thanks all. Jimmy, that last pic is a neat connector! No heat-shrink tubing neccessary?

[Jimmy Sterling]

No, I just did'nt use heat shrink so you could see what it looked like

[Ub Hauled]

just to confirm what Sterlo said... heat shrink IS NECESSARY!!!
Yu use it on the entire female and up to the edge of the actual plug (just past the solder hole)
on the males... anything that would stay exposed after the male is inside the female hosing + close to half inch over the wire.

[Steven Vaccaro]

Someone on one of the forums had a good suggestion to wrap a thinner wire with brass braid to get the wire to fit snugly into the larger diameter hole, since the copper is a better conductor then lead.