Anyone know how to use these banana plugs?

[robbbby]

I bought some banana plugs over at PCX, it's their brand of connectors, "locking" style"

Hopefully i'm allowed to link to them..
Connex Banana plug, gold plated, WBT style

Anyways the two little set screws on them are fairly short and don't grab the wire, just fall into the body. Now I noticed (after buying), that the description says "10 ga bare wire screw", now i'm not sure if that is a minimum wire size? Regardless, I found a small screwdriver with a diameter larger than 10awg cable, the screws barely touch it then fall in, I don't even think it would work with 8awg stranded after the screws start crushing and tightening down on the wire.

Anyways, I figured I was maybe doing something wrong so was hoping somebody here may have possibly used these connectors before.

Thanks

 

[epicyclic]

Go to the same website as posted

select banana plugs

select WBT

select " dimensional drawing -PDF "

It would seem your are meant to crimp a sleeve over the wire first " WBT style " .

 

[Cal Weldon]

And then use the set screw closest to the pin to secure the crimped wire and the other set screw to secure the insulation.

Yikes! I'd be tempted to double back the wire and just use the set screw onto the wire.

 

[robbbby]

If you double the wire it still needs to be tinned so that is doesn't crush, the screws are so short that you need at least #6awg conductors.

Crimping a sleeve on may be an idea, but what kind of sleeve?

 

[Cal Weldon]

Honestly, if you have to add a crimped sleeve then the connection doesn't seem very sound to me.

 

[Pano]

I usually have to double back the wire and tin it with connections like these. Maybe not ideal, but it works and is solid.

 

[oktyabr]

If you double the wire it still needs to be tinned so that is doesn't crush, the screws are so short that you need at least #6awg conductors.

Crimping a sleeve on may be an idea, but what kind of sleeve?

I use this style of banana plug all the time. The locking feature is quite good. Doubling the wire works, if it's twisted tight enough. The first screw, the one that hits bare wire, is intended to make sure the wire has a good contact, it is not intended to secure the wire inside the plug. It does not need to be tight enough to "crush" the wire and one method you can use is to fold the bare wire back along the insulator and then make sure that the insulator is facing the screws. The second, longer screw is also intended to contact the insulator and will secure the wire inside the plug.

12 gauge (approx.) Monster Powerline 2 and Canare 4s11 (14 AWG) work well with these.

You might also find that the wire can be pressed or twisted quite far into the plug. Someone on another forum said that the plugs they had actually had a sort of thread in there that the bare wire could screw into, like the little plastic twist connectors used in home construction wiring. The ones I have do not have this feature but the wire can still be pressed quite firmly into that channel.

 

[robbbby]

Good idea oktyabr, might try folding it over the insulator opposite the screws and then tighten the two screws down on the insulator having it push the copper against the body on the other side.

 

[Speedskater]

Honestly, if you have to add a crimped sleeve then the connection doesn't seem very sound to me.

Why not?
Crimped ferrules are often used with stranded wire in industrial and military equipment.