Small Pigtail Crimp Connectors For Inside Engines

Pretty neat. Can you open them up to make changes, or do you have to cut the wires off?

Wireus Cutticus.

The crimping mechanism is a one-way affair.

They're also known as "B-connectors" in telco parlance. Generally frowned upon unless there's no other way to get a given wire to its destination other than splicing it with another.

---PCJ

"B" connectors are the white connectors that are also called chicklets.  They do come in blue which have sealant in them. Used mostly in low voltage alarm systems. The white connectors I have never seen used at a telephone panel in twenty plus years.   Those red crimp connectors are a uy connector I believe.  I'm sure a tele tech can chime in.

I much prefer soldering the wires with a little bit of heatshrink.  If you have any number of internal connections those splices can really get to be a problem space-wise.

These aren't very large at all.  Not much bigger than a soldered pigtail with heat shrink tubing unless you are working in very tight places, have a lot of splices to do,  or are using them for HO or N Gauge.

Length is 15mm,  narrow part is 6mm wide, round part diameter is 10mm.  Suitable for 19 - 26 Gauge wire.  Encased in silicone the connection should be just as good as a soldered one in heat shrink tubing.

Yes you have to cut it off if you need to remove the wire just like a soldered one.  They are not a lever connector like a Wago, but they aren't nearly as big as those either.  When I used it I used a temporary wire nut to test it before crimping this on.

John

@Craftech posted:

These aren't very large at all.  Not much bigger than a soldered pigtail with heat shrink tubing unless you are working in very tight places, have a lot of splices to do,  or are using them for HO or N Gauge.

No offense John, but that's baloney!   They're MUCH larger than a two-wire splice!  I'm not saying you can't use them, but they certainly aren't nearly as small as any two-wire splice I've ever done!

This is #24 wire, the maximum size wire that these splices are rated for.  I'm pretty sure they're really rated for solid wire as well, not stranded wire.

10mm is knocking on the door to half an inch wide, I can put a dozen heatshrink splices in that space!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

No offense John, but that's baloney!   They're MUCH larger than a two-wire splice!  I'm not saying you can't use them, but they certainly aren't nearly as small as any two-wire splice I've ever done!

This is #24 wire, the maximum size wire that these splices are rated for.  I'm pretty sure they're really rated for solid wire as well, not stranded wire.

10mm is knocking on the door to half an inch wide, I can put a dozen heatshrink splices in that space!

Looks larger than mine in that photo for some reason. ?  "Pigtail" splice is what I was comparing it to by the way.  " Not much bigger than a soldered pigtail with heat shrink tubing "

I used it for a DC motor replacement in a 2-motor O Gauge diesel.  There was plenty of room for lots of these.

Of course I solder and heat shrink lots of connections as well.  Mostly do that of course.  I used them for #22 stranded copper wire.   I am only suggesting it as an alternative to stripping, tinning, soldering, and wrapping a simple two wire joint.

John

@Craftech posted:

Looks larger than mine in that photo for some reason. ?

I don't think so.

@Craftech posted:

Length is 15mm,  narrow part is 6mm wide, round part diameter is 10mm.

Exactly the same dimensions as you quoted.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I don't think so.

Exactly the same dimensions as you quoted.

OK then.  For a lot of the repairs, etc on this forum that others have posted photos of this sounded like a suggestion worth sharing.  Example:  Wiring two motors in series.

Sounds like you shouldn't use these John

John

Yep, not sure why I have a bag of them, don't remember when I got them.   My use for something like this might be under the layout, but probably not wiring inside of locomotives or rolling stock.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Yep, not sure why I have a bag of them, don't remember when I got them.   My use for something like this might be under the layout, but probably not wiring inside of locomotives or rolling stock.

I love those lever connectors you and Steve suggested.  I now use them in electrical boxes as well because they meet code.

John

All my track power wiring was with lever nuts.  In point of fact, there is almost no soldering under my layout.

So maybe a little clarity on the TelCom IDC (Insulation Displacing Connector) splicers:

They are typically for 19ga to 26ga and come in two styles-

"B" - white, indoor only, if you strip the wire they can do mixed stranded and solid.  Not very reliable as a piercing connector, really need the parallel jaw tool to be reliable.

Button - red, blue or other, gel filled for indoor or out, they are meant for solid wire that is not stripped.  They have a limited wire size range, so check the manufacturer's specs. The 2 styles are UR allows 3 wires to be connected together while the UY is designed for only 2 wires.  Need to carefully press in the 'button', if you don't have the tool, I find adjustable pliers are better at squeezing it in straight vs plain pliers.