Where is the best place to get electric panels and wire? EOM

[bruceknee]

Where is the best place to get electric panels and wire? Any salvage/ surplus places?

[JackConrad]

Not sure about best place to get panels, but for wire, I have found great prices and service from WayTek, Inc. www.waytekwire.com  I replaced all of the OEM cloth insulated wire on our bus last summer. All wire, switches, and solderless connectors were purchased from WayTek. As usual, I have to financial interest in this company, just a good source.  Hope this helps, Jack

[Dallas]

Wow Jack,
That must have been a real job!
I know I've replaced 3500' of wire in my 4103 and it isn't nearly as finished as OBSII.
And for me that was enough work!
Dallas

[TomCat]

If you're not on a really tight budget, there are some awesome stock panels here... http://www.paneltronics.com/default.htm
And if money is not really an issue when it comes to building your conversion, they will build anything you want, in any configuration.

Jay
87 SaftLiner

[DrivingMissLazy]

Bruce, when I was in the electrical manufacturing business building power converters for luxury motor yachts (mega-yachts) I used Waytek extensively. Never had any problems with their products. I suggest you do not use the typical Pep Boys  or similar electrical connectors. They are very poor quality in my experience.
Richard

[grantgoold]

If you have sometime, I found a very nice panel with all the connections I needed via ebay. The panel was new and the original manufacture used many commonly available parts. I found that boat builders have surplus on ebay or other sights quite frequently. I just had to find one without permanent switch markings.  I think I saved over $600.00 for the panel. Somewhere I think that Dave Galley also builds electrical panels.

Good luck

Grant9
 

[gumpy]

I concur on Waytek. They're just down the road from me and I've spent a bundle there. I now have the most complete set of wire terminals I've ever had in my life (and still wanting more!). I've bought every combination of ring terminals for wire gauges from 22 to 10 and from stud 6 to 10, and then some.  Now when I need a terminal, I don't have to go spend 5x the $$$ for a box of 10 at NAPA.

Definitely easy company to work with and prices are very reasonable. Their catalog should be in every converter's library.

[Dallas]

Maybe I'm wrong, but, I've soldered all my connectors instead of useng crimp connectors. After that I covered them with a piece of  heat shrink tube. Is there something wrong with that scenario?
I've just never liked crimp tools or crimp terminals.
Thanks for any information.
Dallas

[Busted Knuckle]

Dallas, we could both be wrong but I doubt it theres noway two of us could be that far off! Is there? Seriously I can't see any quality crimp connection being any better than a solidered one! Knuckle

[DrivingMissLazy]

Dallas, we could both be wrong but I doubt it theres noway two of us could be that far off! Is there? Seriously I can't see any quality crimp connection being any better than a solidered one! Knuckle

Crimp is the only thing that NASA will allow  so I have been told, and they even have a soldering school that anyone building equipment for NASA must attend.

Primary reason for not soldering is that a weak point is made at the point where the solder wicks up into the wire. It will always (so they say) break at that point.

Do not use the cheap charlie crimpers from Pep Boys. A good crimper costs in the neighborhood of $100.
Richard

[Dallas]

I have 2 sets of crimpers one is from Snap on and the other came from a gov't surplus auction. Others I've had got sent out as "regifting" gifts cause they were new for Christmas or Birth day or some such.
I haven't ever had a solder connection fail, but have seen factory crimp connections fail. Plus I don't trust my crimping skills.
The secret of a good solder joint is to use a heat sink, like a pair of hemostats to keep the heat ahead of the insulation and also use a solder gun that is big enough for the job. You want the connector and wire to heat within about 10 seconds. Heat the connector, not the wire and don't forget to put your heat shrink tubing on before you start the process I remember that the hard way all the time! LOL.
My smallest gun for auto work is 75/100W and gets used on 12 gage or less. On 10 to 8 gage I use a 250W, and on anything over that I use the old style irons you heat with a torch.
One more thing, do not use plumbiing solder, use paste flux with 60/40 LEAD solid core solder or at the very least, 65/35 electronics solid core solder.
Dallas

[Dave B]

Use rosin core solder and do not use acid flux or acid core solder for electrical connections. 

When I rewire my bus I will use only high quality connectors crimped with a high quality crimper and then soldered.  I will also not re-use the push-on type terminal blocks like Eagle used on my 82 (which they later changed out for screw terminals).

[Dallas]

Dave, you are right. Do NOT use acid flux. I use solid core solder with rosin paste. I should have made myself more clear.
Dallas

[DrivingMissLazy]

Solid core solder is designed primarily for plumbers.

Electrical solder has a rosin core and the better type is 5 core rosin.
Richard

[gumpy]

Radio Shack sells rosin core electronics solder in small diameters for circuit board soldering. It works well for small wire (24-10 ga) using a small (40 watt) iron. It doesn't show the lead/tin composition, but is labeled #66/44 which I guess is like a brand or something since the two numbers don't add up to 100 .

I don't typically solder my connectors. I bought a $100+ ratcheting crimper from Waytek and it works great. I bought both insulated and uninsulated terminals and find myself using mostly uninsulated and then putting clear heat shrink over the end, with a printed label under the heat shink for identifying the wire.

Here's a link to my page on labeling: http://www.gumpydog.com/bus/MC9_WIP/Electrical/Wiring/Labeling/wiring_labels.htm

By the way, if you forget the heat shink before crimping the terminal on, you can stretch it using a pair of needle nose pliers inserted into it. I have some long mini needle nose pliers that work great, though I have to typically stretch from both ends of the piece of tubing. This does not affect the heat shrink capabilities of the tubing at all.

craig