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PostPosted: August 1, 2016, 12:36 pm 
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Joined: January 27, 2010, 1:11 pm
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Location: Jefferson City, MO
I am trying to use some LEDs for my turn signal indicators on the dash. They come with a 12" pigtail, but very small wires. I do not know the gauge, but they are very small. I want to use a bullet style connector to get power and ground to these LEDs as they need to be removable. I am using 18 gauge wire to the one side of the bullet connector. I have thought about just soldering the thin gauge wire to a short piece of 18 gauge wire that would go to the other half of my bullet connector. My concern is the reliability of the soldered connection. Even if I support the thin gauge wire at the solder, where ever the support ends I am afraid the thin wire would flex and break. Talking to a friend who is a electrical engineer, he suggested an epoxy coated bread board, but that seems to be a complex solution to what should be a simple problem.

I have 4 LEDs that I need to install now and I would like to add another 6 in other parts of the car eventually.

Any thoughts? If I go the solder route, I could make sure the solder joint, with support, is bundled up with other wires to give it even more support across more of the wire.

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PostPosted: August 1, 2016, 2:25 pm 
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Joined: June 8, 2010, 8:02 pm
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Location: White Rock, BC, Canada
For the actual connection you can strip the thin wire further and double it back to give you more wire to solder/crimp to. Some hot glue to secure the wires/splice to dash, then secure near the bullet connector with something more solid so it doesn't pull off the glue when you unplug it. Hot-glue is often used inside electronics to hold delicate bits like thin wires so it should be fine.

Cheers.

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PostPosted: August 1, 2016, 2:59 pm 
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Joined: November 16, 2015, 2:38 pm
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I use the through and wrap method for soldering smaller wire to big wire. do you have auto strippers? Or 'chickers' as theyre known round these parts? strip a section not at the end and use a small pick to create a lead hole through the windings. Slip the smaller wire through the hole, and wrap it around the larger wire a few times. then solder that way. You can tape the excess length of the thicker wire to the existing smaller wire if it is an end connection and not a joint midway down the line. I create bus lines this way.

I can make some pictures if my words are confusing.

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PostPosted: August 1, 2016, 3:22 pm 
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Heat shrink over the connection should help to add some strength

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PostPosted: August 1, 2016, 4:29 pm 
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I think the real key is to not have the little wire moving. So bring the big wire all the way to the LED and fasten it directly to the light module, however you like -- clamp, glue, etc. Then connect the wires however you like, and the little wire should never flex at all.

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PostPosted: August 1, 2016, 6:40 pm 
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C10CoryM wrote:
For the actual connection you can strip the thin wire further and double it back to give you more wire to solder/crimp to.


Do this. Use strippers to figure out what gauge you're dealing with and find the CAU: http://www.pinsandsockets.nl/circular_area_units.htm

Fold it over the number of times it takes to get it in the 12-19 range (if its 24 gauge, you'd need to fold it over three times to get 15) and you can use terminals for 20-18 gauge wires.

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