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Why did this AMP crimp on connection get singed and fail?

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ceengland7(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:51 pm Post subject: Why did this AMP crimp on connection get singed and fail?

On 09/20/2012 03:52 PM, Bill Watson wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 <Mauledriver(at)nc.rr.com>



 My strobes suddenly stopped flashing.



 Stumbling through some basic problem determination, I checked that 

 power was getting to Avi-Pak 60W Strobe power supply.  Per the Avi-Pak 

 documentation I unplugged all 3 of the strobe connectors and plugged 

 one in at a time to check for a defective strobe unit.



 Everything check out okay except that sometimes I was getting 12+ 

 volts to the power supply and other times I seemed to be getting about 

 8 volts.  Thinking that I may have had a loose connection somewhere, I 

 checked the circuit's voltage while wriggling various connection 

 points.  The voltage sometimes change from 12+ to 8 volts but I 

 couldn't correlate the change with any of my wriggling.  In addition, 

 I would occasionally get a flash or two from the strobes. But again, 

 no correlation with my wriggling.



 I replaced the Avi-Pak unit with a general purpose, almost plug 

 compatible unit from the manufacturer, Nova.  It failed to work as 

 well.  However, it has some diagnostic lights on it which indicated 

 that the unit was getting less than 10 volts.  At times, the unit 

 would flash the strobes for a few seconds, then go back into 

 under-voltage mode.



 I finally found the culprit while examining my fuse panel.  The AMP 

 slide on connector for the strobe circuit was singed or burned a bit.  

 I replaced it and now everything works fine.



 Here are some pics of the connector after I had slit the insulation:

 https://dl.dropbox.com/u/60509998/Burned%20crimp%201.JPG

 https://dl.dropbox.com/u/60509998/Burned%20crimp%202.JPG

 https://dl.dropbox.com/u/60509998/Burned%20crimp%203.JPG



 Everything about the crimp appears fine to me.  I used a band saw to 

 cut half way thru it but it looks solid.



 Any thoughts about what would cause the singeing and the variable 

 voltage?  I'd like to understand what went wrong with this crimp.



 Thanks,

 Bill "owner of 2 working strobe power supplies" Watson

It's hard to tell from a photo, but the 3rd pic (with the sawed cut into 
	


the crimp) looks like there is orange insulation inside the crimp at the 

cut. Is that the case?



Charlie

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mauledriver(at)nc.rr.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 8:29 pm Post subject: Why did this AMP crimp on connection get singed and fail?

Yes, I've been looking closely at the cut too.  I can't see any thing that looks like insulation imbedded in the crimp.  It looks like 100% metal.



But, it looks like the center of the crimp is brass (where it should be copper wire).  And the perimeter of the splice looks like copper (which is consistent with the tin plated copper construction of the AMP PIDG Fast-on connector.  



Anyway, I was examining the cut connector very closely to see if it had been in adequately stripped.  I can't clearly see any sign of that but it is a possibility.



Bill 'baffled' Watson



Sent from my iPad



On Sep 20, 2012, at 8:50 PM, Charlie England <ceengland7(at)gmail.com> wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 

 On 09/20/2012 03:52 PM, Bill Watson wrote:

> 

> 

> My strobes suddenly stopped flashing.

> 

> Stumbling through some basic problem determination, I checked that power was getting to Avi-Pak 60W Strobe power supply.  Per the Avi-Pak documentation I unplugged all 3 of the strobe connectors and plugged one in at a time to check for a defective strobe unit.

> 

> Everything check out okay except that sometimes I was getting 12+ volts to the power supply and other times I seemed to be getting about 8 volts.  Thinking that I may have had a loose connection somewhere, I checked the circuit's voltage while wriggling various connection points.  The voltage sometimes change from 12+ to 8 volts but I couldn't correlate the change with any of my wriggling.  In addition, I would occasionally get a flash or two from the strobes. But again, no correlation with my wriggling.

> 

> I replaced the Avi-Pak unit with a general purpose, almost plug compatible unit from the manufacturer, Nova.  It failed to work as well.  However, it has some diagnostic lights on it which indicated that the unit was getting less than 10 volts.  At times, the unit would flash the strobes for a few seconds, then go back into under-voltage mode.

> 

> I finally found the culprit while examining my fuse panel.  The AMP slide on connector for the strobe circuit was singed or burned a bit.  I replaced it and now everything works fine.

> 

> Here are some pics of the connector after I had slit the insulation:

> https://dl.dropbox.com/u/60509998/Burned%20crimp%201.JPG

> https://dl.dropbox.com/u/60509998/Burned%20crimp%202.JPG

> https://dl.dropbox.com/u/60509998/Burned%20crimp%203.JPG

> 

> Everything about the crimp appears fine to me.  I used a band saw to cut half way thru it but it looks solid.

> 

> Any thoughts about what would cause the singeing and the variable voltage?  I'd like to understand what went wrong with this crimp.

> 

> Thanks,

> Bill "owner of 2 working strobe power supplies" Watson

 It's hard to tell from a photo, but the 3rd pic (with the sawed cut into the crimp) looks like there is orange insulation inside the crimp at the cut. Is that the case?

 

 Charlie

- The Matronics AeroElectric-List Email Forum -

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raymondj(at)frontiernet.n
Guest

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 1:09 pm Post subject: Why did this AMP crimp on connection get singed and fail?

Bill,



Search "switches with faston tabs" in the AeroElectric archives. They 

discuss the discoloration of the faston insulation as the result of 

switch failure.  Time frame of sept 08.



Raymond Julian

Kettle River, MN.



"And you know that I could have me a million more friends,

and all I'd have to lose is my point of view." - John Prine



On 09/20/2012 03:52 PM, Bill Watson wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 <Mauledriver(at)nc.rr.com>



 My strobes suddenly stopped flashing.



 Stumbling through some basic problem determination, I checked that 

 power was getting to Avi-Pak 60W Strobe power supply.  Per the Avi-Pak 

 documentation I unplugged all 3 of the strobe connectors and plugged 

 one in at a time to check for a defective strobe unit.



 Everything check out okay except that sometimes I was getting 12+ 

 volts to the power supply and other times I seemed to be getting about 

 8 volts.  Thinking that I may have had a loose connection somewhere, I 

 checked the circuit's voltage while wriggling various connection 

 points.  The voltage sometimes change from 12+ to 8 volts but I 

 couldn't correlate the change with any of my wriggling.  In addition, 

 I would occasionally get a flash or two from the strobes. But again, 

 no correlation with my wriggling.



 I replaced the Avi-Pak unit with a general purpose, almost plug 

 compatible unit from the manufacturer, Nova.  It failed to work as 

 well.  However, it has some diagnostic lights on it which indicated 

 that the unit was getting less than 10 volts.  At times, the unit 

 would flash the strobes for a few seconds, then go back into 

 under-voltage mode.



 I finally found the culprit while examining my fuse panel.  The AMP 

 slide on connector for the strobe circuit was singed or burned a bit.  

 I replaced it and now everything works fine.



 Here are some pics of the connector after I had slit the insulation:

 https://dl.dropbox.com/u/60509998/Burned%20crimp%201.JPG

 https://dl.dropbox.com/u/60509998/Burned%20crimp%202.JPG

 https://dl.dropbox.com/u/60509998/Burned%20crimp%203.JPG



 Everything about the crimp appears fine to me.  I used a band saw to 

 cut half way thru it but it looks solid.



 Any thoughts about what would cause the singeing and the variable 

 voltage?  I'd like to understand what went wrong with this crimp.



 Thanks,

 Bill "owner of 2 working strobe power supplies" Watson

- The Matronics AeroElectric-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?AeroElectric-List

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