colonel Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Anyone see this type of connector?I have 30 2-d tree props that I need to splice lengths of 18ga wire into an existing string of led lights. They are 10' trees and I am adding lights as garland and don't want to see "x's" but just lines on one side. Found all kinds of Butt or barrel connectors but that is a lot of wire stripping. A vampire or something fast and easy would help. Also will this work adding (doubling) more wire to an led string?Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Young Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 A vampire male/female connection will join 2 wires without splicing/cutting. Of course that is not the cheapest solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 (edited) Col.Are you really saying you want to make a "T" type of connection? Where you tap into a run and go off somewhere else with the new wires? Only thing I can think of is a crimp on that would make you separate lets say a zip cord. Then split the end of the new wire. Slip the connector over one wire of the main run and slip the end into the other slot. Take pliers and press down on the metal tab and snap over a piece of plastic to shield you from touching the metal tab that is now flush with the splice. Repeat for the other wire. I'll see if I can find an example.http://www.dpciwholesale.com/50-pc.-Quick-Wire-Splice-T-Taps.html Edited August 20, 2012 by Max-Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heystew Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 (edited) Do you mean the in-line vampire plugs? if so i've found them here http://www.creatived...-ZIP-CORD-WIRE/I know i've purchased them elsewhere but can't find it.(items A, B & C are inline) Edited August 21, 2012 by heystew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colonel Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 (edited) Good ideas but I have 30 16' led strings. I want to splice bare wire in 3 places in the string vs. using 3', 5' and 8' strings or using a 33' string and covering the lights I don't want. If it were a few and I didn't have arthritis I would just strip the wire and use a butt connector: http://crimpsupply.c...CFadDMgodIx4AHgBut with 6 connectors on 3 wires on 30 props that's 540 connectors and 1080 crimps! Just looking for an easy (cheap) way and wondering if adding wire will even work? Edited August 21, 2012 by colonel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Well Col.Sounds like one ell of a mess. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colonel Posted August 22, 2012 Author Share Posted August 22, 2012 Sounds like one ell of a mess. Good luckYes! Once I added all the parts up and time, I'm just going with longer strings and tape off what I want not to see. A barrel-butt connector with a couple of fangs in it would be a nice method tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godney Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 the item you are looking for is T-taps most car stereo shops carry them ,they tap into a single wire and then use a male spade which plugs into the tap , but remember these style of connectors are not water proof so you will need to put tape over them , but also scotch locks will do the same thing , and also remember these style of connections are wire gauge sensitive ,red connectors fit wire 22ga to 18ga ,blue connectors 18ga to 16ga hope this info helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Just looking for an easy (cheap) way and wondering if adding wire will even work?Cheapest will be cut, strip, solder, and heat-shrink. You can buy white heat-shrink tubing, which will make the splice practically invisible. Since you have 540 connections, you can make an assembly line where cutting, stripping, inserting the heat-shrink tubing, twisting, soldering, and heat-shrinking could be done by different people at the same time. With enough people, you could get it done in a half hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Who ever said that this was plug and play? I have pulled alot of icans and installed LEDs then cut off the plug and installed a bridge rectifier and resistor. Then there are the lolly pops that I converted with a C9 LED. Built a form to bend PVC pipe to make bells, installed rope light to the PVC pipe. Made supper strings, for lining the roof, gutters and mega tree. Converted 3' candy canes to use LED, made 8 3' sticks for a pin wheel. Wired it with individual LEDs, 128 of them. And from what I have seen of some other displays. There has been a lot more work building their displays. This hobby takes a lot of hours doing. So, when I see someone whine about how much work it is going to be to make an item for their display. Can you hear my mini violin playing? Maybe you need to find another hobby that does not take so much time to do this or that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Fischer Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 (edited) If it were a few and I didn't have arthritis I would just strip the wire and use a butt connector: http://crimpsupply.c...CFadDMgodIx4AHgHave you tried a better crimping tool? The one I have is a cheapo which is painful to use like you say, but I was at a show last weekend and they had a really nice ratcheting one - took hardly any hand grip to use and you could squeeze it several times and it would keep tightening. I almost picked it up (it was $18) but my cheap side won out I use a lot of the red "butt splice" connectors, mostly for field repairs, but sometimes when doing harnesses, etc...Here's an example that looks like the same sort of thing I saw:http://www.amazon.com/Ratcheting-Crimp-Tool-Insulated-Terminals/dp/B0002KR9GQ Edited August 24, 2012 by Tim Fischer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ Hvasta Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 The only thing Plug-n-Play about this hobby, is to plug in the computer, turn it on and play some music! Everything else, is burn fingers on soldering pencil, pinch fingers in pliers, slam fingers in controller case, shock fingers on controllers tabs, wrap fingers in many bandaids and gauze.. hmmm, common thing seems to be fingers.. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travis p Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 lokl tj your a nut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travis p Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 i know this will not fill your needs but if filled with silicon to weather proof it it will fill the bill its called a scotch lock its used in the auto repair business h ttp://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/product.do?part=154405&SHOPPING and if your using leds you might look into the voltages adding strings to other might give a problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travis p Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 let me try this aGAINhttp://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/product.do?part=154405&SHOPPING 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 let me try this aGAINhttp://www.jamestown...154405Looks alot like the ones I suggested in post #3 of this thread. Slow poke! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travis p Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 oh well i tryed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Hey T,I just trying to catch up to you. Dont know how many times you have scooped me. Heck I didn't check, your source might even be cheaper.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ Hvasta Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 (edited) nm... Edited September 3, 2012 by TJ Hvasta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 nm... TJ I said scooped, not spooned. Yer scurvy salt dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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