Hello guys, I did not post here since a while... I am in the process of finishing my Zen V4 and I have ordered Cardas binding post, RCA and copper litz hook-up wire.
The question might be stupid but do you directly solder on the post?
Also, I tried to solder the hook-up wire and I couldn't. How can I solder these wires?
thanks
Francois
The question might be stupid but do you directly solder on the post?
Also, I tried to solder the hook-up wire and I couldn't. How can I solder these wires?
thanks
Francois
Hi François,
You can solder the wire directly to the post, but it would be best if you use the copper spade lugs from Cardas. You'll make a better connection.
The individual copper strands in Cardas wire is coated with urethane enamal. You'll will need to remove this coating to get a good solder connection.
You can solder the wire directly to the post, but it would be best if you use the copper spade lugs from Cardas. You'll make a better connection.
The individual copper strands in Cardas wire is coated with urethane enamal. You'll will need to remove this coating to get a good solder connection.
Hello,
Litz wire is hard to work with. I have had to sand the coating off individual strands on a Solen Hepta-Litz coil.
I believe a solder pot would be the best way to go.
Using a spade to connect to the binding post is just one more connection. Less is better. Solder the wire directly to the post using a good quality solder and make sure your joint ends up nice and shiney.
Good luck.
Kevin Lee
Litz wire is hard to work with. I have had to sand the coating off individual strands on a Solen Hepta-Litz coil.
I believe a solder pot would be the best way to go.
Using a spade to connect to the binding post is just one more connection. Less is better. Solder the wire directly to the post using a good quality solder and make sure your joint ends up nice and shiney.
Good luck.
Kevin Lee
I've used a wirewheel on a grinder. I would use a piece of wood to back the wire and let the wheel remove the coating. I never used a solder pot before. I would guess you're right and it's the best way to go.KevinLee said:
Same number of metal to metal junctions except nothing beats a good gas tight crimp connection except a welded connection.KevinLee said:Using a spade to connect to the binding post is just one more connection. Less is better. Solder the wire directly to the post using a good quality solder and make sure your joint ends up nice and shiney.
Good luck.
Kevin Lee
Hum, I didn't know the strands was coated. I think I am gonna try to remove the coat with a sandpaper.
Soldering on the binding post is really difficult because the solder does not stick on the metal (cardas solder). I guess the binding post temperature is not high enough.
I will order some spade and hopefully partconnexion has nuts too.
Soldering on the binding post is really difficult because the solder does not stick on the metal (cardas solder). I guess the binding post temperature is not high enough.
I will order some spade and hopefully partconnexion has nuts too.
Hi,
Old proven, (best?) method of removing enamel from Litz-wire:
Burn off enamel using a gas burner or a cigarette lighter, directly afterwards, (when the copperwire is still glowing) dip the wire end in alcohol, (methylated spirit or similar).
This method will not damage the wires as is easy to do with sanding or scraping and will leave the copper wires nice and non-oxidised, extremly easy to solder.
Regards Hans
BTW, what is the reason to use Litz-wire in an amplifier? I have only used it for low frequency coils and SMPS transformers.
Old proven, (best?) method of removing enamel from Litz-wire:
Burn off enamel using a gas burner or a cigarette lighter, directly afterwards, (when the copperwire is still glowing) dip the wire end in alcohol, (methylated spirit or similar).
This method will not damage the wires as is easy to do with sanding or scraping and will leave the copper wires nice and non-oxidised, extremly easy to solder.
Regards Hans
BTW, what is the reason to use Litz-wire in an amplifier? I have only used it for low frequency coils and SMPS transformers.
Soldering Litz wire
Those are some good suggestions except I recommend a soldering gun of 250 to 300 watts.
Burning the enamel off is what I usually do first, especially if the wire is to small to file or sand. The Cardas hook up wire is to small to file or sand, and do not use a motorized wire wheel. You could damage the strands.
When heating with a flame, do not get the wire red hot! This will burn the insulation and damage the copper.
Instead, heat the strands until you see the enamel bubbling out. It will be dark in color. Immediately stop heating and cool in alcohol, like the other member suggested.
Now you have to remove the enamel which bubbled to the surface, and hardened. It should break off with your finger nail or a small tool.
Now put flux on the strands and twist them together. It helps to put the flux on before twisting the strands so the flux is in the strands.
Now is the time to use the heavy soldering gun, holding the wire well away( 4-6") if using your hand, or better yet, use a small vise. A soldering pot will also work, but you will have to wait several minutes for the pot to heat up.
Next, heat the strands with the gun tip hot with solder on the tip. It will take about 15 to 20 seconds for the rest of the enamel to bubble out. Again, stop, cool, remove burnt enamel and solder again. This may take two or three times and you will end up with a nice solid tinned end.
When soldering to the binding post, take off the nut. The nut absorbs lots of heat!
Good luck!
Those are some good suggestions except I recommend a soldering gun of 250 to 300 watts.
Burning the enamel off is what I usually do first, especially if the wire is to small to file or sand. The Cardas hook up wire is to small to file or sand, and do not use a motorized wire wheel. You could damage the strands.
When heating with a flame, do not get the wire red hot! This will burn the insulation and damage the copper.
Instead, heat the strands until you see the enamel bubbling out. It will be dark in color. Immediately stop heating and cool in alcohol, like the other member suggested.
Now you have to remove the enamel which bubbled to the surface, and hardened. It should break off with your finger nail or a small tool.
Now put flux on the strands and twist them together. It helps to put the flux on before twisting the strands so the flux is in the strands.
Now is the time to use the heavy soldering gun, holding the wire well away( 4-6") if using your hand, or better yet, use a small vise. A soldering pot will also work, but you will have to wait several minutes for the pot to heat up.
Next, heat the strands with the gun tip hot with solder on the tip. It will take about 15 to 20 seconds for the rest of the enamel to bubble out. Again, stop, cool, remove burnt enamel and solder again. This may take two or three times and you will end up with a nice solid tinned end.
When soldering to the binding post, take off the nut. The nut absorbs lots of heat!
Good luck!
Hi,
Putting the wire in a flame is not a good idea. It makes the copper brittle with the risk of broken wires just after the tinned end. To prevent this further you can use some shrink tubing after tinning as a strain relief.
In fact it is much easier but takes some patience. Use a 100W soldering iron well heated up and generous amounts of flux cored solder. At the end of the wire there is some bare copper (at where it is cut). If you start tinning this small end of blank copper the tin creeps slowly under the enamel: Just keep the end in a sufficient big solder blob on the soldering iron for a while. Some extra flux/cored solder may help, I use no clean rework flux paste for PCB’s for it when necessary.
Tin wire by wire this way and remove the burned enamel, you can use a cloth fore it with some alcohol. Then twist the wires and there you are. Works for most (poly)urethane enamels, only not for high temperature enamels like polyimide.
The above works like a poor mans solder pot. At work I have a nice Weller solder pot, but rarely use it. Heating the thing up takes more time
Putting the wire in a flame is not a good idea. It makes the copper brittle with the risk of broken wires just after the tinned end. To prevent this further you can use some shrink tubing after tinning as a strain relief.
In fact it is much easier but takes some patience. Use a 100W soldering iron well heated up and generous amounts of flux cored solder. At the end of the wire there is some bare copper (at where it is cut). If you start tinning this small end of blank copper the tin creeps slowly under the enamel: Just keep the end in a sufficient big solder blob on the soldering iron for a while. Some extra flux/cored solder may help, I use no clean rework flux paste for PCB’s for it when necessary.
Tin wire by wire this way and remove the burned enamel, you can use a cloth fore it with some alcohol. Then twist the wires and there you are. Works for most (poly)urethane enamels, only not for high temperature enamels like polyimide.
The above works like a poor mans solder pot. At work I have a nice Weller solder pot, but rarely use it. Heating the thing up takes more time
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Joined 2002
IF it is a decent gauge of wire, you could use sand paper i use 220grit.
Take the piece of wire you are planning on sanding and put electrical tape around the spot where you don't want to sand, ie use the tape as a guide, so you don't sand to much, then when done, remove tape, I usually only sand 1/4" on the ends, then trim the unwanted length, stuff you don't need off.
Take the piece of wire you are planning on sanding and put electrical tape around the spot where you don't want to sand, ie use the tape as a guide, so you don't sand to much, then when done, remove tape, I usually only sand 1/4" on the ends, then trim the unwanted length, stuff you don't need off.
Reasonable gauge Litz is easy to solder, been doing it for decades without special tools or techniques. A 60 watt iron is good, if I'm too lazy to fire it up a regular one does the trick.
Snip the end of the wire clean with side cutters. Set the iron down and put a blob of solder on the tip. Hold the clean end cut in the blob with one hand and feed a constant small stream of solder into the blob with another. The Litz coating at the solder should quickly start burning off, when it does start feeding the Litz through the solder pool, tinning as much end as you require. Spinning the wire to get a solder coat started contains the heat and makes quick work of the job.
The last time I used this method was last night. The main downside is if the iron temp is too low the coating can melt a bit up the wire.
Snip the end of the wire clean with side cutters. Set the iron down and put a blob of solder on the tip. Hold the clean end cut in the blob with one hand and feed a constant small stream of solder into the blob with another. The Litz coating at the solder should quickly start burning off, when it does start feeding the Litz through the solder pool, tinning as much end as you require. Spinning the wire to get a solder coat started contains the heat and makes quick work of the job.
The last time I used this method was last night. The main downside is if the iron temp is too low the coating can melt a bit up the wire.
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