Should i solder banana plugs

Fantastically solid connection and an easy one to boot. Don't know that Nak makes that kind, though. Tin the wires well before insertion, so the screws don't sever the threads and have a nice bite. Ilusndweller likes this. Location: Malaysia. Ilusndweller and toddrhodes like this. Location: Ottawa. Location: PA. I 'tin' them with silver solder. The ferrule sounds good but in some cases as others have said getting the set screw s flush might be difficult. Ingenieur , Oct 27, Location: York, Maine.

If you're talking about these: With a double screw configuration like this, those screws should be enough. I have to add that I think you will have a tough time getting that hunk of metal to heat up uniformly so the solder flows down to the bottom, particularly if you use a heavy gauge wire.

Ilusndweller , Ingenieur , timind and 1 other person like this. Location: Singapore. I use these and do not solder as well No problems occurred - but tinning them with silver solder sounds good.

Bananajack , Oct 27, Ilusndweller and Ingenieur like this. Location: Appleton. Soldering Do not tin wires that will be crimped or get a mechanical type of fastening made like a screw. I have personally used those types of banana plugs in the pic for over 10 years, no issues. VU Master , Ilusndweller , Chilli and 2 others like this.

Location: UK. I'd advise against tinning the ends. It's not generally good practice with crimp connectors and I can't see why it would be different with a screw down connector. It's harder for the crimp to get a good oxygen free bond and introduced a mechanical stress point.

Chilli , Oct 27, I was not able to locate the Audiogon forum but there is a bit written about them. How do people feel about set screws in bananas or spades? Initially fine, then degradation sets in over time. EG, neutrik speak-on connectors are supplied this way, parts wise Users of speak-ons will do many times do this Just another way of doing it.

Not by themselves, again, in a gold plated copper crimp sleeve is ideal. However, again the issue is that in the cheapest types the threads are too coarse and the material is too hard to set properly. I've seen lots of cheap examples that come loose very quickly. As a challenged audiophile, if solder is not good then why when I had to replace a tweeter on my old Infinity Kappa 8's the connecting wires were attached with solder? Curious as what the high end speakers use to make the connection.

Crimp, solder and Geoffkaits suggestion painting with Graphene. A few thoughts: As alluded to above solder comes in many alloy formulations. The good old wire looped into a screw down terminal alleviates one connection point. Silver and silver oxides conduct better than gold. As to what everyone prefers As alluded to above solder comes in many alloy formulations. And none of it is as good as a cold weld for current. At any rate once a connector is attached it still goes through another pressure fit connection of some 'modest' pressure.

As an aside looking at construction techniques employed in vintage analog test equipment tektronix etc. Thanks Hasan. Crimped hard and soldered with enough heat to make the solder suck into the joint. No problems doing it this way for almost 50 years. Set screws have no place on my banana plugs. I use one of those big irons that have enough mass to pretty much instantly heat the plug to the point it needs to be.

I've had some bad outcomes with plugs that can't be soldered. It takes a while, but eventually it seems to happen, so I do the right thing and don't have to worry about it.

That appears to be what you are suggesting? If this is what you are suggesting, then please, No One Do This. This is about the worst thing you can do. Solder is soft, and not only compresses, but flows under pressure. It is virtually a given that you connection will loosen. This is why you never tin wires before putting them into screw terminals, or why those terminals often seem to loosen for some people.

It forms a metal to metal bond and evacuates the contact areas of air preventing oxydation. The crimper has the match the terminal design as well. Silver solder, the stuff we use that melts near typical soldering temperatures, is not pure silver, it is not even mostly silver. Before you get started, you will need a soldering iron.

I use a Weller watt iron that comes supplied with a stand and a sponge. For a soldering tip, I prefer a flat screwdriver shape, such as the one that comes with the Weller.

You will also need either a heat gun or a high-wattage hair dryer to apply the shrink tubing. You can find these all over the internet:.

First, strip just a couple of millimeters of insulation from the wire. Twist the strands several times to create a tight bundle and prevent stray wires from splaying outward during soldering. Clip the wire into the alligator clip and wick some solder into the exposed wire. Wires with pre-tinned ends fuse more quickly with the pre-tinned banana plugs when re-melted.

The best way to do this is to touch the iron tip to the wire to pre-heat it just a second or two , and while doing so, touch the solder to it.

It should melt and wick almost instantly. Next, tin the banana plug. This is a little trickier than tinning bare wire. I love this shot because it illustrates a few things. First, note the flat end of the iron tip contacting the side of the barrel. This maximizes heat transfer, which would be less efficient if not impossible with a pencil-tip. You want at least half of it sticking out the end to minimize heat transfer to the clip. If the clip acts as a heat sink this is a phenomenon well known by frame builders , you might not conduct enough heat to melt the solder.

Lastly, you can see the solder already beginning to melt and fill the cup. You only need the cup partially filled, but all the way is okay, too. This should take just a few seconds. Note the photo below is not of the same female plug shown above, but the male plug, but the process is identical :. The soldering is done. Now apply the shrink tubing.