Connectors are more important than you might think! So which one is the best? (Experiment)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 พ.ค. 2024
- Thanks to Knipex for sponsoring this video! www.knipex.com/
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In this video I will explain to you why it is so important to use the correct electrical connectors for your electrical wiring/projects. Along the way I will tell you all about Wago connectors, screw terminals, cable shoes and wire ferrules. At the end I will then conduct a big experiment in order to find out which connector is the best! Let's get started!
Websites which were shown in the video:
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aderend...
Music:
2011 Lookalike by Bartlebeats
0:00 Why good connectors are important!
1:18 Intro
1:37 The problem with stranded wire/contact resistance
4:11 Wire ferrule
4:46 Connector overview
5:02 Wago 221 terminal
5:16 Cable shoes
5:47 Solder/Crimp connection
6:15 Best connector experiment
7:57 Experiment results
9:30 Verdict - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
I'm so jealous of that breaker box. Every box I've ever seen in the US is either unlabeled, or labeled with hand written labels.
It is nowadays standard here in Germany :-)
@@greatscottlab But where is measuring for stranded wire ?
Yes, i agree. It's still permissible in the US to still use breaker boxes/load centers from the late 60's. C'mon NEC...!
What's wrong with unintelligible grease pencil markings? Isn't the Guess And Check method more fun?!
@@inlasttonowhere4459 The NEC won't let you run a coax cable through a doorway in your home, but is happily unconcerned when your power company pulls and leaves your neighbors' power line 10 feet above your lawn
You should add a note that for all the connectors there should be no copper wire visible. You're only leaving the wire exposed for your testing jigs so you can clip on leads.
Yeah, that should totally get added to the video
Agree. I know it was done on purpose, but if this is a how-to, I would suggest re-editing or re-uploading every part that showed the bare wire after the connector. Especially the ferrules!
omg! i'm with you!!! This is REALLY REALLY Imprtant!
ich habe solche Aderendhülsen leider als Elektriker zu oft gesehen... und dann auch noch in 230 bis 400V Abzweigdosen :((( SCOTT!!! BITTE UNBEDINGT DEN HINWEIS DAZU!!!!!
"When are you going to draw 10A through a PCB connector?"
Me: Looks at 3d printer....
Damn, my 3D printer uses those too... Thinking about replacing em with wago connectors 🤔
Uh oh...
@@Fighter_Builder imo if you have 120w heatbed remove connector and directly solder wires to pcb or in case of over it i would recommend using external relay and xt60 connectors they are rated for 60a.
Those screw-contact "PCB" connectors are not much trustworthy beyond 2A or so. They can handle greater current but they will soon fail due to contact resistance heating. Power (heating) increases with the square of current passing through the contact resistance.
Me looking at the controller for 2.2kW heating element mounted in my electric meat smoker.
Designing real world devices, the cost of connectors can easily eclipse the cost of processors and all the really important parts. In my experience the best connections are the ones that dont require hand work. We ended up using pre moulded m12 cables for everything because they are robust and didn't require assembly.
Do you use m12 ( and m8 cables I guess ) with both ends pre fabricated?
I am from Italy and we mostly ise them one sided for sensors
Some economy idiot decided to save 5 bucks on some Relais
The Relais required 15 mm long crimping thingies idk how to write them In English
We had a machine to do the 10 mm long 1.5mm2
So we sat there probably a few weeks making cables...
As is often the case, the answer to what is the best connector to use is: it depends
It depends. I have seen many pieces of serious/expensive equipment where outside conditions made a connected connector unusable after a few years. In some situations the choice of connector protects the equipment during it's use. Sure, there are situations where choice of connector is not important, so you go for most affordable connector that is easy to use, but in some cases it makes a huge difference.
Funny, I just inspected and checked terminal tightness on my household mains panel earlier today. It's a good practice to do once a year if you know what you are doing, of course. I found a sparking/crackling connection to a 30 Amp circuit breaker at work the other day and tightened it up. Luckily, I caught it before anything worse happened.
Lucky find. Thanks for the feedback :-)
Seeing this reminded me of the stuff that I saw at my (previous) workplace.
I was employed there as an electronics/electrical maintenance technician (don't know if that's the correct term)
Some idiot that had worked there before me was connecting CFL lights and while wiring it he didn't pull it through the distribution box and connect it to a breaker. NO SIR. He just stripped the wires and pushed them directly into the 230V mains sockets on the box.
When I saw that, I thought: Well, there's something every self respecting electrician would kill you for.
And it's not like I knew a lot about mains wiring at the time either. I was like 3 weeks into the job with no experience in the field.
Same here. I test the RCD monthly and borrow the company torque screwdriver and torque each breaker annually. The inspector laughed at me when I said the RCD actually gets tested 🤣
@@zanpekosak2383 You are the most dedicated person I know. Hell, I don't even know how to open the panel so I can tighten the screws (Granted I shouldn't really be doing it, but someday after I get licensed to work on that stuff, you bet I'm gonna start doing it)
@@gamefan6142 I wouldnt really care much about it, but electrical is still more of a passion than a job to me. I am fairly certain that will change one day though 😆
It would be really interesting to see the same test done that measures resistance of common modular connectors (molex, xt60, etc) as well as the same connector types of varying quality.
i made a video about xt60 and xt 90 ...
I wish you had included "Molex" connectors. Unlike JST, they often handle serious current.
and never forget "Molex to Sata lose all you data"
What about SATA
Sorry about that. I just rarely use them......
molex makes a huge variety of connectors and are widespread in the US. they work well enough but usually not my first choice any more. I like Anderson power poles for high power applications
@@thecaz001 lol, I wasn't even thinking of the hard drive connectors. But each pin there can handle 11 amps. A sata connector is good for maybe 13 total.
Screw terminals and "when are you ever going to run 10 amps through them?"
Almost all 3d printers run screw terminals for their main power input to the control board, and most also run them on the heater outputs, both the hot end which is relatively low current, as well as the heat bed output.
Many printer heat beds will run 300-400 watts. Even at 24v that is a good few amps, but the older printers running 12v have burned boards and started fires.
Mine is switched now from being a high current 24v bed to a mains powered and SSR switched bed, but that's taking a few extra steps beyond just using heavy terminal blocks on external switching, as well as bootlace ferrules.
Thanks for the feedback
This ^^ - both my 12v 3d Printer beds are 120W, so pull 10A all the time.
YEP! Thats why I replaced my Hotend/Heatbed connectors with a MOSFET board that has some beefier connectors. All you run through the stock screw terminal then is the signal for the MOSFET :D
Completely agree. Another example: I play a lot with LED strips, and prefer the 5V varieties because individually addressable RGBWW LED strips only come in 5V. I can easily push 15A through the power lines (which I usually use 1.5mm or even 2.5mm twin and earth to power, for that reason!)
Consider the source and the cost of said equipment. Never to be done like this in an industrial environment.
I love using the Wago connectors I only wish i'd discovered them years ago.
When I discovered them, I tossed all my wire nuts in the trash where they belong.
The countless number of times I had to retighten a nut is aggravating. I've never had that problem with Wagos.
@@Rudofaux Oh hell yes, wire nuts should be banned for being a possibly fire hazard.
@Jupp Schlabutt Oh that explains why I only recently discovered them then !
It's great to see the soldering connection winning out. I'm getting tired of people saying that soldered connections have resistance! It is fused metal after all, and the surface contact area is much bigger ( even if solder has a higher resistance than copper)
He should have done a Western Union twist anyway before soldering. I never just solder two parallel wires. We're always getting into it with guys who insist crimps are superior to solder in every application because of vibration. NOT.
the worst issue of soldered connections is that on heat they dissolve; they thus are bad for anything that is expected to heat up
I'd like to point the importance of choosing the correct crimping profile when it comes to cable ferrules - there are two common profiles: square and hexagonal. There are also two types of PCB screw terminals - with a square hole and with a round (or a semi-round) hole. So, the square profile is intended for square screw terminals and the hexagonal profile is better for round terminals. Also, it would be great to include the XT connectors in the comparison (XT60 and XT90), which are becoming pretty common in hobby projects (like RC models, 3D printers, etc.)
aren't XT60/XT90 good anyways since they are made for drawing 60/90 amps each? So they are a good connetion as long as you bought good quality ones and you solder them in right.
Huh, I didn't know about crimping profiles. One degree and over a decade in the field, and there's still more to learn about the basics!
PS: For anyone new, that's not a bad thing, and is half the reason I wrote this. There's always more to learn.
Thanks for the heads up, I was also wondering what's so better about the hexagonal crimping tools I saw when I bought my square one, my thinking was that the square crimped joint has better surface area on the terminal I was using (in fact, a square terminal as you mention and he shows on video).
Might grab for work an hexagonal tool too, there it's more likely to use higher current terminals that I've seen in round form.
I'm also curious for the X60 ones, those are certified for some serious amps (I think it's straight up it's name right?), I use one for my print bed indeed. Tho that's bellow 15A.
Great video. I 'discovered' ferrules about 8 years ago and pushed hard for my guys to use them. When inside a large panel/cabinet, hanging upside down, trying to stuff a stranded wire into any sort of screw/spring terminal is nuts. Crimp a proper ferrule on it and it's a piece of cake.
I just discovered ferrules today. I was having so much trouble with my USB screw terminals using stand wire and now hopefully won't have any more problems with the crimping and ferrule kit on the way!
With industrial automation, ferrules are the only way to go.
It is not only handy, but safer and gives longer MTBF. Of course one can live out of making such timed-faults ;-) Small quiz: what is the colour of stranded copper wire after 5 years in an outdoor cabinet?
Yeah i know what you mean, an electrician recommend them to me years ago for wiring heating systems, which often leads to multiple, stranded cables all in the same terminal. Good advice but luckily, since then, there's better, larger boxes with semi-pre wired terminals.
"Butt connectors" are so called because of the way the connection or _joint_ is formed-- the 2 wires "butt up" against each other. Not sure if it carried over from woodworking ("butt joint"), but the idea is the same.
I like to use IDC or Ethernet for lots of data lines.
Less than 90 Days to my graduate exam(to get a good university),But I still support your video weekly!!(It's 11:00 p.m. here~~~)
a
Good luck!!
I work in low voltage controls. (HVAV, security, etc). A sign of great work is what he is talking about. It takes a little extra time, but you avoid intermittent issues and it makes reusing existing wire a snap when it is time to do repairs or upgrades.
Wagos are the best. Also are handy when you cannot turn off power. (Of course you never do that right) put the wago on the hot wire and now it can't accidentally touch something it shouldn't letting you hook up/disconnect your equipment much more safetly.
As an electrician we always used stranded wire with ferrules when hooking up motors and magnetic starters. The solid core would vibrate loose over time from the motor vibrations or just the frequency of the mains power. But the stranded wire with a ferrule due to the flexible nature of the wire wouldn't carry the vibrations and hold the connection
You should try using good quality screw terminals. There are two types of therminals, the ones you use are the shitty ones. In those a screw pushes a metal sheet onto the wire.
In the good ones, the screw pulls up a kind of metal 'elevator' that squishes the cable. Imagin a very big cable entering the door of a regular elevator and then the elevator goes up until it crushes the cable with the door frame and it can't go higher.
I call them the "gillotine " type.
I am pretty sure you'd get a VERY different result with those!
The first ones (the ones Scott uses) are the "leaf spring" screw terminals, the other ones are called "cage clamp" screw terminals. And I agree, the leaf spring are absolute garbage, not only they have high resistance, they also cannot bear any mechanical stress whatsoever.
I definitely agree... these types of terminals have a tendency to release the cable over time as well because they don't properly clamp down
I've also heard the second type called "rising clamp". Though, you need to be careful not to accidentally put the wire in the wrong side.
I've recently found that "fork" connectors work well. They are just like the cable shoes, but instead of having a full circle, they have straight "forks". This means that they can be screwed in with the same contact resistance as a cable shoe, but they can also be inserted in the side of a screw that's already in its hole. It helps to keep the screws in place!
They're so freakin' practical. I've added them to all the screw terminals on my 3D printer (the power supply takes most of those), bought some ferrules too for the other type screw terminals (yeah, confusing I know: the former is the one where you can insert a fork terminal, the screw goes through the place where the wire goes too, the other one you use ferrules on, is what Scott showed on the video).
They're specially easy to work with when you have to do some maintenance and remove cables and such, dealing with the bare wire is annoying.
@@Mr.Leeroy then buy better quality.. no problem here with that.
I tried using a fork for my problem but all it did was shock me '--'
@@MultiDarkZen Were you inside a toaster with your fork? ;-)
@@Mr.Leeroy thicker copper ones.
Thank you for this awesome overview! Videos like this are extremely useful. I've always wondered the difference between these.
A cool follow-up would be why use different connectors. Like a pros/cons for each type and examples of when to apply them.
Scott. Very informative. Thank you for putting this video together.
If you're going to join wires with solder (which is a great idea), at least twist them together before you do. Better still, use a linesman splice (also called a Western Union splice). Some wiring regulations require mechanical connection between wires and solder alone will not pass inspection.
Solder is really like electrical hot glue. It's not super strong, and it's not super conductive. It just holds things in-place.
@@jaymzx0 Wire splices hold things in place. The solder just ensures electrical and heat conductivity remains high, and corrosion between the spliced wires, low.
Electrical conductivity of a spliced wire and solder join is excellent, but mostly because you have a large surface area of contact between the two joined wires.
because when the wires heat up the solder can melt and then the loose end might electrocute someone
I learned how to solder when I was about 11-12 years old I still have my Weller 8200 soldering gun to this date. It's had a new case, replaced the cord a few times, but keeps on going. Early on I learned about cleaning the conductors, and making a strong mechanical splice whether butt splice, pig tail in both solid and stranded wire. Apply heat to the work, let it get hot enough to "melt the solder, and flow into the joint"
Solder is like thermal paste. Not a good conductor, just a lot better than letting an air gap form. And a weak glue that is strong enough for unstressed connections.
This was exactly what I needed to know. I spend alot of time soldering, and it looks like it pays off. Working with 48vdc between 25-75 amps.
I loved the good old souriau linear connectors. I welded tons of them during my thesis work, many years ago. They were reliable, sturdy and simple. The last few ones are still laying in some of my drawers. Nostalgia.
You saved lots of lives in your last video and you are doing it again.. You are a great hero thanks man!
Damn! This must have taken a WHOLE lot of work to measure so many combinations. Thanks for the hard work on these videos ❤️
Very informative! Thanks for the info. BTW, your penmanship is awesome.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for the tips! In the end, I decided to use the Wago 221 612 connector for my new electric shower (the most popular way of having hot water when you take a bath in my country). The previous shower's connector (a generic ceramic one) had a bad contact, since the cables didn't even have a ferule at the tip. The heat was so interese it melted/burned the insulation of one of the cables and it even welded together with the connector!
It was a lucky find, I didn't even know it was connected like that until I decided to change my shower because I just wanted a better one
Glad you made a video on this subject. Connectors have always been a weak spot in my projects!
The PCB screw result is actually quite alarming because my 3D printer and many 3D printer mother board use them as input. The current requirement easily exceed 10A with heating elements and motor attached.
True
Besides cooling the drivers, the fan in the control box should remove some of the heat from these connectors. I still added ferrules to my printer because bare stranded or tinned wires are dangerous anyway.
yup, was thinking the same about my diy 3dprinter with a ramps 1.4 board
Probably upgrade it, if possible, with higher current screw terminal and add more conductor for PCB power traces.
I absolutely agree. Just a few weeks ago I wondered why the Filament suddenly smellt so bad while printing. Until i found the problem, the screw terminal housing was completely melted.
I am always envious of your pen skills
Great video, you did a lot for safer installations! I use Powerpole for 12V higher current (till 45A), will have to test and compare.
Thanks for posting this video.
It's very helpful
3:57 Solder is also not recommended because the leftover flux makes it oxidize exponentially faster as it reacts with the oxide and flakes it away. It also introduces a new metal really far back from the low end of the standard potential table which also increases the speed of corrosion
Flux can be cleaned off with alcohol or white spirit and the usual rosin flux is barely corrosive anyways. Tinning wire strands is totally fine on a screw terminal with not much strain on it and low amperage. No need to look at periodic tables. Low current -> use solder, High current -> crimp. Simple as. No need to look at periodic tables. Frankly, this video is just a German wondering how to make life more complicated, and as such is not very suprising.
@@westelaudio943 That all is mostly untrue. On a PCB where the surface is smooth and watertight, where flux can't remain in cavities, it does work. But in the case of large conductors and stranded wires what you can end up with is cavities where the flux gets stuck between the strands, gets wicked up into the wire under the insulation (you may have experienced wires stiffening under the insulation, even when solder doesn't go up that far, that is because of solidified flux) and then you run into the issue of what the flux is made of. You have rosin core, acid core, ammonia salt based, really a bunch of them and they might not be alcohol soluble (such as the latter two).
About tinning wires. Are you talking about tin or solder? Because tinning does work to prevent corrosion. Soldering makes it worse.
You, my guy, are confidently incorrect and hope you don't ever design a product.
@@whatevernamegoeshere3644
I meant cleaning the surface that goes into the connector. Of course rosin gets sucked up the wire, but you totally ignore that's also what happens when you solder the stranded wire directly onto something, which I've seen so many times in commercial products I've lost count, some made before Boe Jiden entered politics (and that's a long time!) and as of yet, none of those connection has gone thermonuclear in my face because the wires were rotten inside. I've seen Russian electronics where rosin was left on the bare copper PCB, and none of the traces were corroded, like, at all. Old Russian electronics are actually cherished for their reliability.
Maybe cool it a bit with the paranoia. You're repairing an old radio or designing an LED flasher, not a nuclear reactor. Have fun!
@@westelaudio943 You don't consider that the placement of a wire connection greatly effects the lifetime of a connection. The plastic insulation can let oxygen or water through. If you were to solder rubber insulated or cross-linked PE insulated cable, I would not care at all. Those are fine with oxygen and moisture, but PVC and Neoprene let a lot more through, making it an issue. I have seen so many solder joints rotten to shit that I lost count. You might have been just lucky!
There is a very good reason I cannot leave a single solder joint in house wiring in my day job.
@@whatevernamegoeshere3644
I do not ignore that. I've already pointed out
situations where tinning (or soldering, whatever) the strands is not acceptable - like when dealing with high current or strain. I'm sure there are others as well. I've never said this technique is the right thing to do in every application. But in "comsumer grade" domestic electronics or simple DIY projects, which this channel is mostly about, you can very often get away with it. Even with normal PVC wiring, you see it done all the time.
My problem is not pointing out the issues with such a connection; it's that Scott just plainly stated it's a "no-go" which simply isn't true.
Wago makes PCB terminals as well as pluggable connectors. I haven't used them on a project yet but they look awesome.
Wow, thanks for this information! Love wago, but have only seen the cable to cable type shown in the video.
I've used the pluggable Wago terminals, very useful.
Got a model number?
I can really recommend the Wago 804 series. Since I discovered them I stopped using screw terminals on my PCBs
@@simbone Thanks!
Very good informative video!! I did had to replace one of those terminal type that burn to a crisp. Thanks for sharing!
I am from Canada and I have done some house wiring with my Grandpa and Dad more than once for hooking up new outlets and lighting fixtures and we have always used Marrettes for connecting the wires together
Great work, but I'd like to see you have a baseline with bare wires in the screw terminals, so I have an idea what I'm missing by doing it the ghetto way.
And by the way, this video convinced me to finally get some crimping pliers and ferrules.
For 3D printers I’ve found the screw terminals used for main power and the heat bed are usually the right size to replace with an XT60 connector soldered directly to the board. I started doing that after a fire with my first printer (lucky I was sitting next to it at the time….)
I offboarded my bed heater MOSFET using XT60 .... Kind of regret it though, the cables are really unwieldy....
I'm very jealous of your Knippex tools. Very helpful video!
Thank you for this video! I have been doing some DIY projects always wondering why the multi threaded wires are so hard to screw in! This could've just save my house! Bless
You've always got the most wonderful tools. That knipex set is 800 usd. I love the knipex tools I own but have to draw the line at those models. You lucky dog.
Well this whole video is a sponsorship. I like knipex it's a great brand and I guess it's good to show some connections but he's simply whoring himself out for money and really nice tools. Too bad. This may be the end of my great Scott watching videos. I'm tired of all the shills on here.
@@etherealrose2139 Heck, I'd jump on the chance to make a video about my knipex tools if I were paid 1 to 3000 or even Raid Shadow Legends; they pay nicely. You can't blame a person for being obligated to a company for assistance in feeding his family. Remember - you're not a shill until you cash the check. (jk)
Dissenting opinion here... it depends on your needs. For tools that make me money I absolutely will spend cash. For hobbies, I'll save up for certain things that I want or need. 800 is a lot of money, but I know people that will spend more than that on a fishing pole or car tires. I don't crimp a ton of connectors. I don't need it. But I have other knipex (and other good brand) tools and treasure them.
Also everyone bitching about shilling when youtube really doesn't payout crap anymore. Most people don't the time/money to pop out high quality videos. If you are going to get a sponsor, get one that does good products. I can't think of a better company to sponsor a channel like this than Knipex or JLC. Period.
The soldered connection is often the worst for long term applications. I have had so many occasions when the wire breaks off at the place where solder ends. This is the biggest issue with multi-strand wires and always have to use connectors in vibration environments like automotive.
Also don't solder the wires in the crimpable connectors. Same problem with wires breaking off
Great video! There are about a bazillion different kinds of connectors and each one having some form of variant. My electrical kit I take with me to work on, God knows what, is about 80% connectors. There is no way that this video could cover all of them and not turn into a lecture. It was perfect for covering the most common ones, but more so in getting the point across that it matters and that all are not created equal! When I’m diagnosing a problem, step one is usually check the connections/connectors.
Thank you for the work you have done over the years! This channel has been a key part of my development in this field.
That was awesome. Connectors are always the thing that I ponder heavily over when doing a job. Nice to know this information. Thanks.
Great Video. Another connector type that I sometimes use when higher current might be possible are the XT60 and XT90 connectors, but those are overkill for most projects and you will pay a premium for them, at least if you get the real ones (which are probably the only ones you should get)
That's why you go for the XT30 instead. They're much more manageable in size, don't take 10 tons of force to separate, and you can get them in packs. My favorite connector, hands down.
XT60 is actually very inexpensive compared to connectors like Powerplug and EC3 that it competes with. Obviously comparing genuine vs. genuine.
@@SianaGearz a key difference is connector stability too.
A cheap and presumably fake powerpole is absolutely a fire risk. It depends on the construction of the plastic housing to keep the connection intact and stable.
An XT is essentially a bullet connector in a keyed housing. You could remove the entire housing and the connection would still function as designed. Thus a cheap XT... is not nearly as risky a proposition providing the connection internally is sound.
Though I'd still go legit only.
Did I always do my crimp connectors wrong? I thoght the bit of plastic/isolation on every connector is supposed to cover all the copper wires, so you cant touch them direclty when they are inserted.
The bare wire was left for him to connect the volt meter to but should be covered in normal use.
@@sdp8483 Yeah he should have mentioned that you are not supposed to do it that way :D
What others have said. It's an oversight in the video. You're doing things correctly.
Getting sponsored by knipex
That is some development right there
Good for you
Thanks :-)
Great Scott!
Smart AND Attractive.....
I love the content from you. I've learned a lot, and continue to learn. Thank you
I love you brother and I really like your videos keep creating awesome projects for us and good luck
Thanks :-)
Please do the same experiment on XT60 and XT90 connectors. Maybe get some "original" ones and some cheapo ones from Aliexpress for comparison. They're designed for high currents and I used some in my Ebike build recently and was curious to see if they perform adequately enough. Seeing how you seem to like EVs as well, you likely encountered them and would make a good experiment. Cheers.
Yeah this, and also deans connectors and EC-5 and so on.
Very interesting video!
I am a longtime electrican, allways kind of wondered over this but never checked.
Excellent video that I will be sharing. I repair automotive amplifiers and high resistance connections are a huge problem that causes a lot of amplifier failures.
That is very interesting, in 3D printing, some companies like creality use to tin the tip of stranded wires that then go in screw terminals, that's used for the bed and hotend heaters, therefore high power.
It's not uncommon to hear complains from people of melted screw terminals.
With what you found out, it would be better to replace the screw terminals altogether, as when heating up, bed and hotend can draw over 10A.
Did you test the screw terminals with stranded wires or with ferrules?
That was no doubt a cost-cutting measure considering the market segment Creality occupies, presumably to aid in assembly without stray wires shorting out against other terminals. Crimp ferrules are cheap and are the right way to do it. I recently rewired my Prusa knockoff printer bought 5 years ago with ferrules and Wago terminal blocks. Even with the 200mm 12V heated bed at 90c, the connectors are as cool as a cucumber. When I first got the thing, the cheap knockoff 'Phoenix' connector that plugged into the RAMPS board melted and almost caught fire during a print. I replaced it with a legit Phoenix connector and it was fine until I replaced the board a few years later. So, beware of knockoffs!
Can confirm, I have an Ender 3 Pro and am planning to replace those terminals with Wago connectors instead... Never realized how awful those PCB screw terminals are and I'm very glad I learned from a TH-cam video rather than personal experience.
I'm just looking for a good wire and connector for a moduled PSU .
I'm planning to make my own moduled wire to make my computer setup more tidy,however,it seems different wire gage and connector type really do something to the power performance?
The way the gauge affects the terminal is only in regard to the voltage drop across the wire, which increases with more current draw. Hence, a bigger conductor has less drop. This is an issue with REALLY thin wires. the 28-22 AWG wire in PSU's is generally sufficient.
Silicone wire sheething (outside plastic) feels nicer, and is more flexible. The xx/xx numbers on stranded (AWG) wire are a combination of the individual strand gauge, and the count.
For your connectors, you'll have to the standard Molex MiniFit Jr that almost all pc parts have.
@@AnnaVannieuwenhuyseThanks , however, based on my current knowledge,there are several types of connectors(for cpu 8 pins ,PCIe 8pins and MB 24pins),the long one,short one and one with glod layer. There seems lits to do to make a high quality and durable moduled cable!
I needed this, thank you!
Thank you. Very informative.
Sir can you add MOSFET based active full bridge rectifier to your to do list....?
I heard that it offers very low voltage drop compared to traditional rectifier circuits....
By the way informative video, thanks for that.... :-)
Yes I can
That last ferrule you did mad me cringe internally, you didn't butt the end of the sheath into the ferrule so you had exposed wire.
it wasnt just that one...he did it with others aswell... sooooo bad...
Someone suggested he did this for his 'test setup' so he could connect his meter leads right behind the ferrule / connectors. I can excuse him for that, but otherwise you're absolutely right, the insulation should be up inside the ferrule's insulation.
Yeah, had me going, too. In an earlier shot he uses the exposed copper to connect his meter, so maybe that's the reason.
@@mikefochtman7164 If you're going to demonstrate a tool, especially if you're being sponsored by the toolmaker, you should show it being used properly, and if you're going to use it incorrectly for your own reasons, you should explain what you're doing, and how it should be used.
I wonder if Knipex ever sponsored GreatScott! again after this.
Nice work compiling all the info! Just one tip... you could have used the 4-wire sense connections (4W) on your Keysight for more accurate resistance readings. Also known as Kelvin connection measurement.
Hello from India... Thank you Scott for this very helpful safety related video... which is very important factor while working with electronics and electrical devices.
Nice video! I had this problem a couple months ago. There was a loose connection in my breaker box that caused unstable voltage on some power plugs, a differential breaker and current breaker were shutting down and you could feel some heat on the breaker box. Fortunately we found the problem quickly and didn't end up in something serious like a fire.
I had this exact stranded wire scenario in the premise about a week ago, wow amazing timing
I too appreciate the ease and stability of Wago connections!
I really love the WAGO stuff. I began using it for in-wall lamp fixtures (LED lamps), but it became a staple of my electronics projects and messing around. Want a quick connection... WAGO! Ultimately I'll clean up the connectors in the final version or the final cleanup of a project, but WAGO really speeds the work up when messing aroundl.
What a great subject! Thanks a lot
I would really enjoy a video comparing Wire-to-Board Connectors for DIY Projects! Like: how hard is it to crimp a cable, how expensive is the connector, how large is the footprint, how solid is the connection etc etc. !
In retrospect, I should have seen the issues with stranded wire connectors and screw down connectors. I have plenty of projects that have devices that use screw down connectors so I don't get a choice. I am going to switch to Ferrule connectors going forward and will fix a couple of my previous projects.
Thank you so much for this informative video.
Thank you for Information
Was looking for it
I always prefer termination with Lugs crimp and solder them . It is very reliable in all weather,indoor or outdoor . But it takes time. I had applied this method on 400 KV/ 220 KV transformer control wiring and it is working very fine since last 10 years in extreme weather condition
Wow, sponsored by Knipex! They are my favourite handtools, but I don't by them that often anymore, since they last me practically forever, my oldest one is nearly 40 years old.
I recently found out WAGO makes wire-to-board terminal blocks. Really excited to use one in an upcoming project that uses mains voltage!
This is a really useful video. Thanks!
Very helpful video. Thanks greatscott.
Great video idea. I'd like to see AC losses in a part 2 video and how proportional they are to the square root of the frequency.
Nice! It's been a while since you haven't made a video I found actually informative! Do more of them like this! I'm curious about other types of connectors, like Deans Micro, EC3, bullets, XT30/60/90, HXT, Power Pole, etc.
also the best connector which is duct tape two wires together
Amazing explanation ❤️❤️
This is a great video. Here in the states in heavy industry we use almost entirely stranded cable (because of the vibration). I have long maintained that the best connection (I didn't see this one in your video) is two flat plates squished together by a tightening screw.
I would also be curious to see what resistance your PCB terminal gets without a ferrule! I would guess it drops significantly!
I almost never see anyone use ferrules here.
This is great. Thank you.
I would love more on other connector types as well, for the quick removal and insertion? :) We have all these JST PH and the like, would love for some information about what is good for what use, and how easy different connectors are to actually use.
Crimping some common types are an absolute pain.
Thanks from Texas Scott.
Useful information! Thanks!
Great Scott!! Great video! Please make a video about the US method of making residential electrical connections!? I.E., twisting solid gauge wire strands tightly together with electrician's pliers, then capping with a wire nut. Anywhere from 2-6 wires are commonly twisted together, and any gauge from 14AWG to 10AWG. Would love to see that experiment!
Hallo GreatScott ! I became a fan of Wago connectors after I saw them in your video, vielen Dank !
Thanks again very educational will use this when I need it
Glad it was helpful!
This is the most common mistakes electrical and hobbiest do everyday because none of them taught that it could influence things in different ways 😁. Once again thanks for this ❤️💕
simply great, excellent laboratory method.
Amazing video as always. Would like to see some video talking about connectors and wires for signal and data not only power applications (i2c, canbus, etc) (coax, ethernet, screw terminals, normal male and female headers, etc)
Nice experiment, very informative. I only missed the measurement of the solid wire in the screw terminal.
Lots of useful knowledge - thanks a lot!
I'm just building some device, it's going to push 1 A... I hope a screw connector won't melt ;)
Awesome testing and comparison, dude! Thanks a lot! 😃
You just missed connectors like XT60 and so on. 😉
Stay safe and creative there! 🖖😊
Thank for making this video, I love the ease of use of the crimped ferrule for the screw terminal, but I see that the surface area for contact is probably not large. I wonder if a different crimper can leave a pattern that allows for lower contact resisstance..
I was working on some military radio Lion battery power units back several years ago which were connected via 1/4" spade terminals so I had to make up some test leads. Having crimped the female spade terminals onto the leads and shoving 32A down them the first thing I noticed was the fun bit of the leads sringing apart due to the magnetic field around them. What did become obvious was the connectors becoming rather warm. Using a thermal camera I could see that the heat was being generated by the crimp so decided to add solder to the joint too. This noticably dropped the heat coming off the crimps. Due to this I've never been a big fan of crimps and tend to always solder stuff but not forgetting crimps do have a mechanical connection as you wouldn't want your runny solder joint coming apart under load.
5:56 I like to do western union splicing in this case, not only for good electrical connection, but also mechanical properties.
Those cases are really nice!
I have been using these kind of butt connector that has low melt temp solder inside of a shrink wrap tube. When you use a heat gun it melts the solder and shrinks the tube at the same time. They are kinda pricy but they work great for fiddly stuff that is difficult to solder.
i feel like my eyes have been opened for the first time. thank you
Nice. When I got hired by a fortune 500 company after tech school, the first week of training was just on connectors. Very important.
Helpful video. I liked it 👏
Honestly, I need to step my connection game up. I finally started properly crimping spade connectors instead of soldering them and putting electrical tape over them.
Thanks for sharing.
great content! thanks man