New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

I'm wondering what CD's opinions are of the new soldering heat shrink tubes that AndyMark just released. They require no soldering skill, only a heat gun and these (or these)heat-shrink tubes.

In my opinion, learning how to solder is an invaluable skill that students can learn to do well through FIRST and carry on with them into their careers. I would say that, for most of the robot, these aren't necessary and it will be cheaper and a better learning experience to solder and heat-shrink by hand. I do think this is a great option for those quick electrical modifications between matches where you don't want to have to wait for a soldering gun to heat up and then have to squeeze inside the robot to solder two wires. It just takes ~30 seconds with a heat gun, which heats up almost instantly.

What do you think?

Re: New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

I'm wondering if a 12 AWG version will be released

Re: New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

I'll support most things that make robotics programs more accessible. This is certainly one of those things.

Edit: This quite clearly isn't a magical replacement for all forms of soldering. Even if it were, I'd still support it, because I have seen so many robots fail on the field due to faulty wiring. Anything that makes it easier for students/teams to make robust connections should be encouraged.

Re: New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

We use a product similar to these for grounding the shielding of cables we build here at work. I thought they were the coolest things when I first saw them. I have not actually installed one myself, but they seem MUCH easier to implement than other methods I can think of.

My personal opinion, use them! That being said, being able to properly solder a connection is important. You can't use a butt splice to connect everything.

Re: New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

I agree that learning how to solder and heat-shrink by hand is a good skill to have, but this can make life easier in some cases. (like during situations where you need to make a quick swap, etc.) I like it.

Re: New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

We also released two things:

1) This how-to video so you can see the process for yourself.

2) This rather satisfying GIF of the solder melting in:

Re: New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

When I saw these I immediately put them on our shopping list. Our electrical team is more than capable of soldering. The lead even does chip repair in his free time, but having these look like they could be a life safer for fast repairs at competitions.

Re: New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

I won't pass too much judgement on these until I try them or see other people try them, but I'm skeptical. I don't understand what advantages these would have over a butt connector. If anything, I would think crimping on a butt connector would be even quicker and offer a better physical and electrical connection, all for less money.

Edit: Huh, I guess I've just never heard of these and they're available elsewhere under a few different names, including in different sizes. Some market them as waterproof and for marine or automotive applications. Neat.

Re: New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

I think these seem like a great idea! Soldering guns heat up about as quickly as a heat gun; it's soldering irons that take 3-5 minutes to warm up. That said, these tubes are a lot less work than it would be to solder wires the traditional way. Also cleaner and safer, as there's no chance of molten solder dripping somewhere you don't want it, unless you melt through the tube. I agree with everyone who has said that soldering is an important skill to have. I learned long before I was in FIRST, and it has allowed me to repair and build a lot of things I couldn't have otherwise. I don't think these were intended to completely replace traditional soldering, but for fast repairs and soldering wires easily. And I see it working very well for that purpose.

Re: New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

I can't see it being too useful for our team (already bought some bulk levernuts), but it seems cool for people wanting a more permanent way to patch together cables quickly.

Also, there definitely needs to be a yellow version for 12AWG, so that people can use it for motor wires.

Re: New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

It looks pretty neat, I will most likely get some for my boat connections.

For FRC we have made a complete transition to the Anderson Powerpole series of connectors this season.

Re: New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

+several

Whenever I buy a generic package of automotive crimps, the butt splices always seem to live on past everything else. Why do we really need these at all, unless we have runs longer than a spool of wire?

In any case, most of our robotics soldering involves a PC board and/or a component, and is not wire-to-wire. The relatively small number of wire-to-wire solder joints I have been part of over the years have involved things where appearance more important than substance (e.g. Christmas Door Decorations, and an illuminated 8+8+carry adder for one of Gixxy's high school projects), and most of those have been solder joints of 3 wires, not just 2. On a robot, crimping or a 3 position lever nut or a Power Pole was regularly a better solution than solder.

Re: New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

Anything that reduces the chance teams will show up with screw terminals or wire nuts for all their connections is a good thing in my books.

Re: New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

We've used them for making PWM Y-cables many times and they have served us well. The finished splices are stronger than the wire at either end. We have never tried them on wire larger than 22 AWG.

They do require a lot of heat to melt the solder cylinder within, much more than most wire insulation can tolerate, so some care is needed to avoid damaging the wire insulation.

Re: New AM Shrink Tube Solder
 

They have been around for many years in a couple of different forms. They are much more likely to create a strong mechanical and electrical connection than a standard vinyl insulated crimp connector. In fact Ford and GM require a version that includes a crimp section as well as the solder and adhesive for warranty repairs in specific circuits and locations. So that type of connector is well proven in industry.