Update: I used to swear by D-sub crimpers over soldering, now I'm switching back

Spent 3 hours yesterday re-terminating a DB25 on a King radio that kept giving intermittent faults. The crimp tool I've used for years just wasn't grabbing right anymore. Picked up a cheap soldering iron from Hobby Lobby and finished the job in 45 minutes with zero issues. Anyone else find that older aircraft harnesses just respond better to solder?

3 comments

3 Comments

william_harris20d ago

Hobby Lobby soldering irons are usually for crafts, not electronics. 30 bucks says that iron doesn't have good temp control and you're lucky you didn't lift a pad or melt insulation. I've seen guys use those on wire and end up with cold joints that crack later. Older harnesses often have tin-plated copper, which solders fine, but you really need a proper iron with adjustable heat, not a craft store special.

mark_carr720d ago

My 1982 Cessna 172 harness has all factory crimps and they gave me fits for years until I swapped to solder. @william_harris that Hobby Lobby iron might be cheap but it gets hot enough for 18 gauge wire and I never melted anything. Cold joints are a myth if you pre-tin the wire and let the joint cool slow. Sometimes a basic tool beats an expensive one for old dirty terminals.

corablack20d ago

Got to push back on this a little, @william_harris. I mean sure, a craft store iron isn't perfect, but cheap doesn't automatically mean bad for old harness work. Those old King radios and Cessna looms have thicker insulation and beefier terminals that can take a bit of heat without melting. I've had more problems with expensive temp-controlled irons not getting hot enough in a cold hangar than I ever had with a basic 30w iron. Cold joints are real, but they usually come from bad technique not the tool itself. If you're taking your time and you're pre-tinning like the other guy said, a simple iron will do the job just fine. Sometimes the fancy features just get in the way on dirty old terminals.