I really dislike these types of connections.In my experience the set screw needs to be retightened often, the copper gets all oxidized, the screws can loosen up and the wires fall out.Yesterday I awoke glanced at my battery monitor and saw +323.6 amps. Not again! Argggghhhhhh!Just pushing on the twisted pair wire from the shunt returned the amps to 3.4 where they should be, but of course Amps from full was thrown out until I reset the monitor.After Sundown I removed the IPN Pro Remote, and did not have to unscrew the twisted pair wire coming from the Shunt, it just fell out.I cut off the brown copper, restripped the wire and tinned it, then filed it down into a square that barely fit into the receptacles. I made it a bit dovetailed so that it cannot easily pull out. I used some Dielectric grease to help seal the connection, then re zeroed the meter after putting both twisted pair wires on the same screw on the Shunt.The set screw device on the circuit board seems so fragile I understand why I did not really tighten the set screws so much the last time, and this time held the body of it with needle nose pliers while torquing the screws fairly tightly on the tinned wire.I guess vibrations from my compressor fridge nearby could have contributed to or been the cause of the screws loosening. I did not want to try any loctite to keep them from loosening, and hope these measures I've taken prove to be lasting.I'm not sure of an easy better way to attach small wires to circuit boards for the end user, but these set screw wire clamps are halfassery at its finest

use blue loctite on the screws, i use it on everything anymore

Not sure I would use loktite on electrical type screws but I do tin stranded wire. Seems to do a better job of holding wire in place.

I have found, that with stranded wire, you tighten as tight as you can, then wait a few minutes and re-tighten. You will be surprised how much the 2nd torquing will yield. The stranded wire has time to collapse and then the 2nd try completes the job and they do not come loose. Using Locktite is NOT a good idea. With Locktite you will have the set screw glued at the set spot, then when the wires collapse, the screw will then be loose, since you will have to tighten it again. It is NOT the screw coming loose(backing off), it is the wire strands collapsing that causes the looseness. Doug

Hi,There are crimp on ends available. They work extremely well.

All of my 4AWG cable connections use the inexpensive 8-ton Hand Crimper tool and appropriate ring terminals...This solved all of the poor connections for me...Everything I use is bolted together... Cable end are dressed properly using adhesive heat shrink tubing keeping everything away from the elements..I also sometimes ID the important cabling with heat shrink markers using a KROY Cable Marker tool...I use BLUE SEA BATTERY SWITCHES, BUS BARS, FUSE BLOCKS etc components with all my battery projects where ring terminals are used for the connections... Everything is sealed against the weather and battery vent gases keeping all of the connections in great shape... I do the same with my FRAME GROUNDs as well...NOTE: I do the same type of things with the smaller DC cables as well...Did it this for years in my working years so it just comes natural to do it now for all of my 12VDC Battery ProjectsRoy Ken

Insert bare stranded wire, tighten screw. | Good Sam Community

jhilley
Explorer
Aug 31, 2014
Ferrules are available for all wire sizes and are available in insulated and non insulated

Ferrules Direct Ferrules for Stranded Wire
pianotuna
Nomad III
Aug 31, 2014
All I can say is thank goodness you can't buy aluminum wire in Canada anymore. I don't have any in my RV, so that is another blessing.
joshuajim
Explorer II
Aug 31, 2014
You could use Panduit terminal ends.

"Panduit - Terminals
Features: These products terminate stranded wire for insertion into terminal blocks and provide superior termination performance. A wide assortment of ferrule styles and tool designs provides panel shops, OEM's, electrical distributors and end users with a proven way to make reliable connections at a lower installed cost."
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Aug 31, 2014
I have noticed that many of these terminations are made of tin plated aluminum. Now brew up a thermal expansion nightmare of aluminum, copper wire and a steel set screw and "Kimosabe, I see big problem".

UNBRAKO sells serrated point set screws. When I encounter a nightmare, I will exchange the standard flat or dish bottom set screw for an unbrako, tin the wires, file a flat spot on top, grab and small Crescent wrench to support the fragile terminal, then put the screws to the set screw. And I sure agree, a second or even a third re-tightening may be necessary.

I grumble about this......"@#$%^&! should outlaw aluminum copper interfaces!"
LittleBill
Explorer
Aug 31, 2014
WyoTraveler wrote:
Not sure I would use loktite on electrical type screws but I do tin stranded wire. Seems to do a better job of holding wire in place.

why? screws aren't giving the electrical path, the lug is
RJsfishin
Explorer
Aug 31, 2014
Set screw terminals have been used for 50+ yrs, never heard a complaint till now. Yes, maybe they are designed more for solid wire. I learned 50 yrs ago to tin, even heavily solder stranded wire. And yes, the set screw needs tightening, and then retighten, maybe even 3 to 4 times before they stop turning. The PD converters, and probably many more use set screw terminals. I really never saw a problem when done correctly.
If the strand wire is a problem, why not solder a solid maybe even larger pc of copper on the end, sealed w/ shrink wrap, (for cosmetic reason only)
landyacht318
Explorer
Aug 31, 2014
The twisted pair wire I tinned is only ~20 AWG, and the small screw tighteners are the small jaws that close down on the wire and require a small jeweler's flat head screwdriver. There is no getting a ring terminal into these.

I did do the double tighten before installing the IPN proremote, but it seems so fragile I was scared of ripping it off the circuit board so did not apply much torque

My solar controller has the little clamps where the stranded wire has to be forked to go around the #8 screw. I H. crimped on ring terminals and modified the business ends so both the 8 awg, 4awg and 10awg would fit correctly. I wish those were made for bigger wire and ring terminals.
ktmrfs
Explorer II
Aug 31, 2014
an issue with a tinned/soldered wire end is that tin is much softer than copper. So..... unless done very carefully, you tighten, tin cold flows, you tighten again, it continues to cold flow..... you continue to tighten.

however, most screw compression terminals are intended for solid core wire or a lug terminal, not stranded wire. it's much harder to get a good long term compression gas tight seal on stranded wire, it also cold flows...

The pictures Roy B showed, are exactly what I have done. However, I also have a hex crimper for #4/0 lugs. A BIG crimper.

for smaller wire (22-12) I use a sargent crimper with a crimp die for the connector type I am using. (e.g. bootlace, crimp, etc). then sometimes solder, and then seal with dual wall adhesive lined heat shrink.

Do this once and it will last a lifetime.
atreis
Explorer
Aug 31, 2014
I agree that they're irritating. x4 on tinning the wire.
westend
Explorer
Aug 31, 2014
You could use an adhesive to encapsulate the connection, although it shouldn't be necessary. Tinning the wire will afford a softer surface to be grabbed by the screw and should work out well for you.

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Insert bare stranded wire, tighten screw.

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