Ed Tanton wrote:
> I discovered a great connector at a hamfest several years ago, researched
> it, and made up my own kit of pins, packages and tooling. This series is
> the Anderson Power Products PowerPole connector line. The are
> rated-depending on which size-at 15/30/45 amps or even 75 amps per pin, and
> will do every bit of it. They are impossible-as far as I can see-to reverse
> connect, and they are available both in small quantities at hamfests, and
> from Allied Electronics-right from the catalog. They have multiple colored
> bodies, silver-plated pins, and can be panel mounted-or floated mid-cable.
> They are also modular, and hence may be physically combined into multi-pin
I tried using Anderson connectors for a year or two
and discovered that with all the gear I had for portable
operation (6M to 10 GHz SSB/CW/FM) that they just weren't
reliable enough. The modular connectors would come apart,
and if you aren't careful you could reassemble them for
cross polarity... You know, those times when the Milky Way
is really bright.
The biggest problem was the occasional open circuit--the
connector would visually look OK but wouldn't pass current.
This is important when putting together a complex station
for a weekend contest--you don't want to miss the rush of
activity at the beginning. I've already started setting
up Friday, so starting earlier isn't an option.
However, I didn't try investing in the expensive
crimping tool to see it that would help. I did find a
look-alike connector that actually locked together
at a flea market, but couldn't figure out who made it.
I've since replaced them all with Molex connectors
which have done a fine job, since they only need to
handle a few amps max. Much of the gear is designed
to withstand a dropping battery voltage, so I don't
need the ultimate in low loss contacts.
--Zack Lau W1VT zlau@arrl.org
> power connectors. They're also relatively small, with approx. 0.3" x 0.3" x
> 1.6" for one connected pair (1 wire.) The pins cost from $0.15 ea to $1.43
> (75A) in onesies. The bodies are equally cheap at $0.31 each for the
> 15/30/45 amp size!
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