Yesterday I was trying to tidy up my wiring using the hard plastic, white couplers from Mike's. I really had a hard time. Ruined a lot of the female connectors. Very frustrating.
In the end I couldn't figure out how to get the female ones installed in the housing and still have any sheathing on the wires. I worked with them for a couple of hours really and finally had to ditch the effort.
I got the male ones in ok, I think. The male spades go in the small side, correct? Managed to get them sort of snapped in place. But the OTHER side....I just couldn't figure out how to get those female connectors in place. First, they didn't seem to fit the slots. Even with no wiring attached I couldn't get one to pop in. Then I tried it with wire, and finally figured out you have to pull the wire with no connector on it, through the hole first, then crimp, then back it up into its hole. But I think these connectors must be intended for use with very small diameter wire. I was trying with 18 gauge, and with the plastic sheathing still on the wires, there was just no way it was going through that hole.
So I had to strip the wire to get it skinny enough to thread through the hole. And then crimp, and then when I'd try to back it into place, in the slot, it wouldn't fit! PLus then I had all this bare wire!
If anyone has had the patience to read all this, does anything I've typed so far throw up a red flag for you, like "oh that's wrong"?
I really tried to think it through, but was unable to make it work. The female side just defeated me.
There was cursing in my carport. Objects were hurled. In failure, for now, I used Posilocks. Big old refrigerator like connectors.
I guess I will order more of the Mikes male and female bullet style connectors with the plastic sleeves. I like those best, but ran out. And I figured to avoid "bulk" I'd love to use the couplers.
But it was not to be.
In the end I couldn't figure out how to get the female ones installed in the housing and still have any sheathing on the wires. I worked with them for a couple of hours really and finally had to ditch the effort.
I got the male ones in ok, I think. The male spades go in the small side, correct? Managed to get them sort of snapped in place. But the OTHER side....I just couldn't figure out how to get those female connectors in place. First, they didn't seem to fit the slots. Even with no wiring attached I couldn't get one to pop in. Then I tried it with wire, and finally figured out you have to pull the wire with no connector on it, through the hole first, then crimp, then back it up into its hole. But I think these connectors must be intended for use with very small diameter wire. I was trying with 18 gauge, and with the plastic sheathing still on the wires, there was just no way it was going through that hole.
So I had to strip the wire to get it skinny enough to thread through the hole. And then crimp, and then when I'd try to back it into place, in the slot, it wouldn't fit! PLus then I had all this bare wire!
If anyone has had the patience to read all this, does anything I've typed so far throw up a red flag for you, like "oh that's wrong"?
I really tried to think it through, but was unable to make it work. The female side just defeated me.
There was cursing in my carport. Objects were hurled. In failure, for now, I used Posilocks. Big old refrigerator like connectors.
I guess I will order more of the Mikes male and female bullet style connectors with the plastic sleeves. I like those best, but ran out. And I figured to avoid "bulk" I'd love to use the couplers.
But it was not to be.