With intermediate soldering skills, soldering your cables with the Baromax Connector is a straightforward process.

Here are a few tips and things to keep in mind to make it even easier.

Tip #1: Choose the right soldering iron

Since there are so many options on the market, it is important to know what to look for when buying a soldering iron. For soldering the Baromax connectors, we recommend the Weller WE1010 Soldering Station for basic use. With a temperature range from 200 to 850°F (100 to 450°C) and an affordable price, the WE1010 gives you the power you need to effectively solder our connectors without hurting your wallet. 

Tip #2: Apply flux to the wires

Flux prepares the metal surfaces for soldering by cleaning and removing any oxides and impurities, promoting a cleaner and more effective solder joint. We recommend using a flux pen to apply flux to the wires and connector solder cups. You can buy the Kester 951 Soldering Flux Pen on Amazon.

Tip #3: Tin the ends of the wires

Tinning the end of each wire with solder is effective at preventing fraying during soldering. Frayed wires during soldering increase the chances of an electrical short and can compromise your connector before you even get to use it.

Tip #4: Give yourself space while soldering

To allow yourself more room to solder, take the cable and press it into the cable alignment clamps. You’ll also want to slide the backshell up the cable away from the soldering location so that it is out of the way.

Tip #5: Solder the correct wires to their corresponding solder cups

The connector pins are numbered on the bottom side of the connector. For increased compatibility across multiple devices, we recommend using a connector standard like the Blue Robotics Connector Standard in the ‘Tether > Subsea and topside bulkhead connections’ section.

Tip #6: Solder from Pin #1 to Pin #8

Begin with Pin #1 in the middle so that you don’t work yourself into a corner while soldering.

Tip #7: High temperature, short time

We recommend soldering with 63/37 solder at 700°F (370°C) for less than 10 seconds. It’s critical that you don’t heat the connector pins for too long or else the connector neoprene will be damaged.

Tip #8: Fill the solder cups completely with solder

By filling the solder cups completely with solder, you create a strong solder joint and a large contact area between the wire and the solder cups. The bigger the contact area, the more current can flow through the connector pins.

Tip #9: Clean your solder joints

Clean up any excess solder with a solder wick. A clean solder joint is very important in mitigating the risk of electrical shorts between wires or between a wire and the backshell.

Tip #10: Clean off the flux

Use a brush soaked in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to clean the flux off of the connector. An additional rinse with IPA is useful and gets rid of any excess flux or debris.