Wire #6, #4, lugs and bus bars
"Beautifying" my solar wiring from controller to battery. Scrap pieces of #18 wire (yes, like on your desk lamp) twisted together to make it #12 need to be replaced with proper #6 and #4 wires. Tr...
Forum Discussion
I like using ring lugs and have found that the best way to solder up a heavy gauge wire to ring lugs is a torch. I do the following.
1.) Clamp the ring terminal in a vice or with some vice grips.
2.) Brush flux onto the end of the stranded wire
3.) Clip a bunch of pieces of heavy flux core solder so that they fill the end of the ring terminal and stick out a little bit
4.) Hit the ring terminal with the torch until it is good and hot, then drop in the solder. It will melt and the flux with etch the inside
5.) Before the flux completely boils off, push in the end of the wire and hold the torch on for a couple seconds more. The wire will heat all the way through and the flux will do its job.
If you used the right amount of solder, you will have a nice and full end. Once everything cools, the solder will set and you will have a great connection. Squeeze some silicone into the exposed end on the insulation side, cover with some heat shrink and you now have a very nicely weather sealed end that should last the life of your equipment.
Jose
1.) Clamp the ring terminal in a vice or with some vice grips.
2.) Brush flux onto the end of the stranded wire
3.) Clip a bunch of pieces of heavy flux core solder so that they fill the end of the ring terminal and stick out a little bit
4.) Hit the ring terminal with the torch until it is good and hot, then drop in the solder. It will melt and the flux with etch the inside
5.) Before the flux completely boils off, push in the end of the wire and hold the torch on for a couple seconds more. The wire will heat all the way through and the flux will do its job.
If you used the right amount of solder, you will have a nice and full end. Once everything cools, the solder will set and you will have a great connection. Squeeze some silicone into the exposed end on the insulation side, cover with some heat shrink and you now have a very nicely weather sealed end that should last the life of your equipment.
Jose
