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Old 15th Jun 2011, 14:14
  #2050 (permalink)  
JD-EE
 
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icehart says, "(hope that does not apply to Airbus)".

Sadly, it does. Solder pot connections don't work very well over time. Crimps work very well over time.

To see why solder pots (not wires wrapped around terminal lugs or the like) fail find a 6" or so length of 1/16" or solder. Secure it around a heavy spoon by one end of the solder. Secure the other end of the solder to a door knob or the like. Let it percolate a few days. Odds favor the spoon waking you up at night as it clatters to the floor when the stretched solder breaks. The weight of the spoon will stretch it. (You may have to adjust the size of the spoon so it doesn't visibly stretch as soon as the weight of the spoon is on it.)

With old bar solder you simply clamped one end of the bar to the table top with the other end hanging over. It would become Dali-esque over time. The 1/8" solder I had at one time would stretch itself and break with only its own weight on a 3' length given some time.

The magic of the crimp is the tight mechanical connection that actually cold welds the two objects, wire and connector pin, together. Wire wrapped around terminals for a secure mechanical joint also performs well because of the good mechanical joint. Solder pot connections have no mechanical strength to speak of. So over time the connection can break if there is any stress on it.
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