[VAC] Re: Crimp Connectors

["Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer" <geraldj@xxxxxxxx>]

In military and aerospace, crimped connectors are the accepted standard.
NASA used to allow soldered connections but required the wires to the
held with heat sinking tweezers next to the joint to prevent the solder
from wicking into the stranded wire beyond the connector.

I can only suppose that the CNG industry has chosen to ignore the
collected reliability experience of the military and aerospace
industries. Perhaps the CNG industry feels a complete break is safer in
the presence of leaking NG from faulty plumbing, than a sliding
connection in a bad crimp. Might that hint that CNG vehicles are
considered to be inherently unsafe by the CNG standards makers?

The National Electrical Code stopped allowing soldered connections for
main service entrances about 1938 based on experience that showed a
significant portion of the electricians were not accomplishing decent
and safe soldered connections.

As for lamps, small lamps generally are available in several powers,
efficiencies and lifetimes with the same base and globe. Those with the
greatest efficiency ALWAYS have that shortest lifetime because they
operate the filament at the highest temperature. Its probably worth
searching (which may require acquiring a lamp catalog or two from the
lamp makers, and then buying lamps at a lamp distribution specialist
rather than 7-11 or Walmart) for the lower efficiency lamps with a much
greater expected lifetime. The discount stores are discount stores
because they have analyzed the sales record of every item, and stock
only those items that move fast. Lamps with short lifetimes should be
high on their charts, lamps with longer lifetimes don't make repeat
sales so often.

Gerald J.