Jerry,
What you say is true, but the conditions expected for Mil-Spec equipment
are not typical for the average hamshack - the wires are not subject to
excessive vibration and flexing and are not handled on a daily basis.
As a result, I regard soldering APP connectors for ham station use a
suitable and durable solution. For use in a mobile environment,
vibration is a concern, so frequent (maybe monthly) examination of
soldered wires may be in order, or bite the bullet and buy, beg or
borrow a GOOD crimping tool and crimp the connections for mobile use.
For those concerned about strain relief, slip a 2 inch length of heat
shrink over the wires before installing the APP housings and shrink it
up close to the housing after assembly. Even a single layer of heat
shrink will afford a lot of protection for the wires.
73,
Don W3FPR
Jeremiah McCarthy wrote:
Regardless of our personal experiences, the fact remains that soldering a crimped
connection is unacceptable in Mil-Spec work...There are good reasons, not the least of
which is premature failure away from the connector, back inside the wire's insulation
where the rigid solder wick condition ends and morphs to a flexible condition...Military
black boxes get a lot of maintenance and cables are being disconnected and re-connected
often resulting in a lot of flexing...Exposed areas of stranded wire between the wire's
insulation and the connector are also unacceptable...It can lead to a condition called
"bird-caging"...I don't think bird-caging needs explanation...As far as strain
relief is concerned, I haven't seen any strain relief on APP connectors, which is where
this discussion started...
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