back to 25ft 10ga power drops

2. prep:


After cutting the 100ft into four runs of 25ft, I stripped back the ends just enough for a connector. I was
going to use PP30 solderables, but that would mean I'd have to trim off a considerable amount more wire to
fit them in, and use lots of heat, so that was out. Or I could use the crimpable PP45, but this wire is too big
to crimp.

I ended up using a screwdriver as a form to reshape the shoulder on the PP45 to a nice round shape, with a
gap for fitting on. I was able to get the PP45's to fit and close perfectly after trimming 6-8 strands off the
wire. Then I used a pliers to close the connector and adjust it to be mostly round, flattening it ever so slightly
to give the contact a little room to rock when being plugged in. I knew from past experience with the silicon
jacktets that they would widen out and slump down the wire when heated, so I wrapped kapton (polyimide film)
tape around the ends to hold the jackets in place. Once I had all the ends prepped, they were ready to solder.

Pay attention to the orientation of the contacts. Make sure they're facing the right way for the housing before
you solder them!

DSCN6632 (cut the ends to be exactly the same length)	DSCN6633 (also strip back the insulation to an identical length)	DSCN6637 (using a form to bend the shoulder to a round shape)	DSCN6640 (fits loosely with a little gap to stuff in the loose strands)	DSCN6642 (one final squeeze with the pliers locks it in place)	DSCN6646 (adding kapton tape to keep the jacket from swelling or retracting)
DSCN6647 (one drop ready for soldering)	DSCN6650 (position the leads vertically so gravity helps the solder flow in)

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