New AM Shrink Tube Solder

[Redo91]

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.

[ctt956]

Originally Posted by Ari423

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?

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.

[efoote868]

Originally Posted by ctt956

it's soldering irons that take 3-5 minutes to warm up.

Sounds like you need a better soldering iron.

[ctt956]

Originally Posted by efoote868

Sounds like you need a better soldering iron.

Probably. I have a two-setting Radio Shack iron that takes that long to heat up, and my dad has a Weller that's at least 20 years old, which takes equally long. I have used the Hakko digital irons, which heat almost instantly. I do have a Weller soldering gun that also heats fast.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

EVeryone,
The basic rule of a good soldering job is that both wires reach a temperature that will allow the solder to flow in between the strands of the wire.
These devices were developed for soldering a jumper wire to coaxial cable. The ring is meant to solder to the strands of the coax shield. In general, the shield uses very small stranding. These could be useful for emergency soldering of a broken wire but they are not fool proof. Do not trust them to have good mechanical strength. The two rings of non-metallic material are for water proofing. In use on coaxial cable, these would seal on one side to the outside jacket and the other side would be around the inner insulation surrounding the center conductor.

[Team34Guy]

As several others have noted, these have been around for a long time. I saw them for the first time back in college 25 years or so ago. In my opinion they are a fairly reliable method of joining wires. However, knowledge and experience with good soldering techniques are still required when using these. It's very easy to create a cold solder joint if you aren't careful.