24 AWG Wire

Red_Dog

Red_Dog

.
Nov 4, 2018
155
Hunter 28.5 Catawba Island, OH
I do not like radio/navigation device manufacturers.
Has anyone found first, a stripping/crimping tool for 24 AWG wire? How about butt connectors and ring terminals? I'm currently soldering all my 24 AWG connections, except for ring terminals, I double strip the wire - using a razor knife - and crimp with a 22-18 ring terminal.
If any one has way better, I'm all ears.
 
D

dlochner

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Jan 11, 2014
11,401
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Red_Dog said:
I do not like radio/navigation device manufacturers.
Has anyone found first, a stripping/crimping tool for 24 AWG wire? How about butt connectors and ring terminals? I'm currently soldering all my 24 AWG connections, except for ring terminals, I double strip the wire - using a razor knife - and crimp with a 22-18 ring terminal.
If any one has way better, I'm all ears.
Click to expand
I feel your pain. They exist, but are hard to find.

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www.waytekwire.com www.waytekwire.com

Since these wires are extremely low voltage sensing and communication wires, I have twisted the wire together, soldered them, sealed with very small heat shrink, bundled the wire together, and sealed in clear heat shrink tubing so the next owner can see what I did.
 
Red_Dog

Red_Dog

.
Nov 4, 2018
155
Hunter 28.5 Catawba Island, OH
Basically, my current solution. It's just a matter of frustration that, you know, 22 AWG, I could walk into my local West Marine, or order through Defender Marine what I need and be done with It.
 
Brian D

Brian D

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Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
For small wires, I don't even try to solder or crimp. They will just break under any pressure. But what I do is get a larger size wire, wrap the small wire around the larger wire (note these are bare wires) and then crimp with a connector. Then, and this is important, this will need to be heat shrink to keep the pressure off the fragile thin wire.
 
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Red_Dog

Red_Dog

.
Nov 4, 2018
155
Hunter 28.5 Catawba Island, OH
rgranger said:
Radio Shack
:biggrin::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:
RadioShack , filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection In February 2015.
You now have to go on-that-line thing to buy stuff.:kick:
Click to expand
Yeah, Radio Shack was THE place for this kind of stuff (unless you're old enough to remember Lafayette Radio, the ham radio super store). Even when I still had a local Radio Shack, walking in there expecting to find anything close to electronic parts, pieces and goodies was a waste of time.

I'm not sure it's worth going to these niche outlets for what I can do with a soldering iron and shrink tube.
 
rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,369
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Red_Dog said:
Yeah, Radio Shack was THE place for this kind of stuff (unless you're old enough to remember Lafayette Radio, the ham radio super store). Even when I still had a local Radio Shack, walking in there expecting to find anything close to electronic parts, pieces and goodies was a waste of time.

I'm not sure it's worth going to these niche outlets for what I can do with a soldering iron and shrink tube.
Click to expand
I remember... I used to build crystal radios and use my grandpa's barbwire fence to drive it.

Them days is gone!!!!
 
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Red_Dog

Red_Dog

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Nov 4, 2018
155
Hunter 28.5 Catawba Island, OH
Crystals . . . crystals . . . oh, yeah, I remember those days. Walkie-Talkies the size of bricks. And, climbing up to the roof top chimney mounted TV antenna to connect my short wave. Radio Moscow was great to listen to back then.
 
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AaronD

AaronD

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Aug 10, 2014
723
Catalina 22 9874 Newberg, OR / Olympia, WA
As usual, @Maine Sail has covered this one pretty well. Here's a link to his article (on his old site - strangely, I couldn't find it on his new marinehowto.com site). Nor do I see that he sells the D-sub crimp tools (he does carry many other electrical tools - he's done a lot of comparison testing to find ones that work and are priced for us non-professionals).

I bought the tool he recommended a few years ago, and I've been happy with that system - for a few NMEA connections, some undersized LED lighting connections, etc.
 
Last edited:
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

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Feb 6, 1998
11,667
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
The PRO-HST tool will crimp up to 22-24 AWG heat shrink connectors.

That said, that PRO-HST is a professional level tool, and not inexpensive, because it is made here in the USA. This article may also help..

Terminating Small Wires
 
Terry Cox

Terry Cox

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Dec 25, 2000
5,731
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Normally use tinned copper stranded 18 AWG wire for all my electronic devices. For that size my multi purpose electrical pliers (cutter, stripper, crimper) works nicely, followed by heat shrink.
 
B

brazenarticle

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Jul 8, 2012
126
Catalina 28 North East
How much money do the radio/navigation manufacturers save by using wire that seems thin as hair? I'd happily pay an extra buck or two to get something crimp-able for my diy installs.
 
Ron20324

Ron20324

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Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Terry Cox said:
Normally use tinned copper stranded 18 AWG wire for all my electronic devices. For that size my multi purpose electrical pliers (cutter, stripper, crimper) works nicely, followed by heat shrink.
Click to expand
Yeah, what Terry said. 18 is the smallest there is on my boat.
 
Terry Cox

Terry Cox

.
Dec 25, 2000
5,731
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
brazenarticle said:
I'd happily pay an extra buck or two to get something crimp-able for my diy installs.
Click to expand
As I have mentioned before, when I did the Link1000 install several years ago, Xantrex recommended six or seven color coded wires to connect it to various points in the system. Rather than spend big money through our local WM store for what I needed, All Battery Sales (local Interstate Battery dealer) special ordered all six or seven in the color codes I needed in 100' spools for $8/spool. I had lots left over of the tinned stranded copper 18 AWG wire that I've used for several electrical projects.
 
DougM

DougM

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Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
The problem is not the wiring on the boat necessarily, its the wire gauge of the accessories...
That exacerbates the connection problems joining the #18 wire to the #24 wire. I would like to find a source for #18/#24 crimp connecters and #24/#24 . Some of the closest things I have come across are really made for solid copper wire ( like telephone or thermostat wires) and I found those at what used to be a Radio Shack store.
 
M

MitchM

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Jan 20, 2005
1,020
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
just NB: on my 2 chevy roadtreks 05 and 07, (owned in sequence not simultaneously ) scotchloks were used on critical 12v wires supplying power to the taillight, reverse light, and rear high markers. over 10 years, i had enough severe vibration failures in those scotchloks to have to redo and join the wires PROPERLY. imho scotchloks are a cheapskate way to connect any wires and save the mfgrs labor money. i'm sure it saved the manufacturer $1 in labor. it took me 6 hours with a fluke ac dc clampon to figure out where the problem was.
 
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