I just purchased some Canare 4S11 cable and am looking to terminate them properly. I'd like to connect the speaker end of the cable with spades (biwire), and so far I've read that WBT make the best spades.
However, it was not clear to me whether I can insert wires directly into the WBT spades or whether I need to insert a sleeve onto the wires before adding on the spades.
I have no crimping tools and am not looking forward to have to purchase any, so any help is appreciated.
I have had the WBT bananas, which use the same attachment process. It’s not required, but it sure does help. However you can get the sleeves cheap at Parts Connexion and a number of < $20 electrician’s crimpers like this one will do the job just as well as the WBT tool. Try to leave as little exposed wire between the cable insulator and the sleeve to minimize the possibility of shorting after installation.
Also, be careful not to loose the wrench that comes with the plugs as the nuts are easy to strip with the wrong tool.
While you might be able to get by without the tool, what Tvad suggests could strip your screws/screwholes if you're using smaller wire and end up extending the set screw toward the end of its adjustable length.
The screws and the body of the connector are copper, which is a very soft metal. If you end up putting strain on the last thread or two of the screw, the threads on the screw or the screwhole _will_ give way. Trust me. I've done it.
You've gotten lots of good advice regarding the need for crimp sleeves when installing the WBT spades. However, it's not necessary to use the "special" WBT crimp tool. I've installed these spades myself using a standard wire stripper/cutter that also has a crimp die, which is much cheaper than the WBT pliers, and just as effective. You can find crimp tools at Home Depot, Radioshack, or anywhere that sells electrical hardware. Also, Parts Express has a great instructions for proper crimping technique here:
I'd recommend that you use the WBT-0436 sleeve (10 AWG), for the Canare 4S11. This is almost the perfect size if you're going to insert 2 runs (2 x 14AWG = 11AWG) into each spade, with a little bit of extra room to spare.
Mwilson - You are right about the convenience of the crimp sleeve, one can always change connectors as one upgrades the system. 1/4 spade to 5/16 spade, spade to banana, straight banana to angle banana, etc. I have been using Kimber 8-TC, so far I have changed the amp end twice. Happy listening.
Hepl - very good explanation. One thing I can add is that you can buy different size screws. Parts Express sells at least one upsized WBT screw (7mm?) for working with smaller cables. Rich Moore can also get you other sizes - and I agree, he's a very nice and helpful fellow.
At least one store I came across (can't remember which one) will mail you the WBT crimping tool at no charge as a short-term loaner - that's a nice service, since the tool is $50 or so. I ended up buying the tool and a whole bunch of crimp sleeves, and I have been VERY happy, given the number of self-terminated cables I have. I've switched ends around to tailor to different situations, and I really love the convenience the crimp-sleeve WBT connectors offer.
You can check the whole procedure of wire preparation, for use with the WBT connectors, at www.partsexpress.com . They show step by step how to install the connectors. please be advised that you will need to buy the correct crimp sleeve and special crimping tool.
The connector has two Torx screws, one is a strain relief for the cable and the other one holds the crimp sleeve against the connector. Please be advised that the crimping has to be done using the special tool that WBT sells, you won't be able to get the special shape needed to insert the crimp sleeve/wire assembly into the connector.
The screws used are very small so if you use bare wire inside the connector you won't get a good connection. Good luck.
I would not at all say that WBT are the best spades that can be had. However, if you like them then by all means use them.
I feel that maleable gold over copper spades form a better contact when crimped down by the binding post than the stiff, non-maleable spades. Also, soldering bare wire into a spade with quad-eutectic solder makes for the best "non-jointed" connection possible.
The WBT spades are locked on with 2 set screws. I am not sure how well the set screws will hold on bare wire. One thing that you can try, I've never done this, is to buy some brass compression ferrules from the harware store and crimp them down with a pair a pliers. The compression ferrules could be found in the plumbing department. Like I said, I have never tried this and am not sure how ell it would work.
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