Andersen PowerPoles for Harneses

[spareparts]

At times I need to be able to remove an entire subsystem, without disconnecting everything from the vehicle harness. Has anyone used Andersen Powerpoles for other then low current DC, IE signal, control, etc to set up a subsystem removal point?

BTW, I normally use AMP CPC conenctors with a heat shrink boot in this application. Was doing a UPS job yesterday & set to wondering about the PP connector.

Martin

[N1CTF]

Whelen uses the Anderson connector with thier B-Link serial control light bars. The factory connector consists of 2 heavy duty contacts for the power and 2 light duty contacts for the RS-422 serial lines.

N1CTF

[tvsjr]

Sure... they're nothing more than good-quality, self-wiping connectors.

One suggestion - +12 on a data line tends to be fatal to the device. Consider buying some different-color shells for your non +12 needs.

[kb0nly]

Anderson powerpoles have their place, but i won't use them as a permanent connection that doesn't get changed much. I also wouldn't use them for critical emergency installs, not a chance..

Why? Because i have had some go intermittent. I have had a few Maxtrac's and various other mobiles in here for programming that had powerpoles used inline with the power cable, it was annoying having to wiggle and push on them to get a solid connection so i could power up and program the darn radio.

They are good for temporary use, and for ham use ok, but i won't use them for much else. I don't have any powerpoles in my shack, although i do keep a powerpole adapter cable to power up radios that use the dumb things.

Flame away about how good they are, but i have seen some real world problems with powerpoles that have been in daily use, and these are not cheap knockoffs but actual Anderson ones that were properly crimped with the manufacturers install tool.

[aaknitt]

I've been a little disappointed in the mating friction of the Powerpoles. I just redid my whole shack and mobile installation with Powerpoles because that's the ARES standard around here, but I'm not all that impressed. They're cheap and easy to install and mate easily, but they also come apart very easily. I would have preferred a connector with some sort of locking mechanism. If the radio and wiring is all mounted firmly with strain relief then the powerpoles should be fine, but if there is a chance that the wiring might get tugged on, there is also a chance that the powepoles will unmate.

My two cents.

Andy

[kb0nly]

I've been a little disappointed in the mating friction of the Powerpoles. I just redid my whole shack and mobile installation with Powerpoles because that's the ARES standard around here, but I'm not all that impressed. They're cheap and easy to install and mate easily, but they also come apart very easily. I would have preferred a connector with some sort of locking mechanism. If the radio and wiring is all mounted firmly with strain relief then the powerpoles should be fine, but if there is a chance that the wiring might get tugged on, there is also a chance that the powepoles will unmate.

My two cents.

Andy

Yep, i agree with that 100%..

I realize that the ARES guys wanted a way to standardize, but the powerpoles are not something i would trust in a life threatening emergency, no way in heck.

99.9% of the VHF, UHF, or Dual Band mobiles on the ham market today have the good old locking T connector on them, those who don't can have them added in a minute. And the fact that they lock together is the key to me. There is some products out there now to lock powerpoles in place, a few of them look like a power strip, and the powercord with powerpoles plugs into them and then a rod slides through the hole between the joined powerpoles and holds it on the power strip. Ok, that would work i guess, but it's a bigger pain to connect and disconnect than other methods.

I'll stick with what i got. Keep some basic tools with you and anything is possible in an emergency, cause when it's an emergency i can strip wires and connect to the first battery i see.

[K4RXR]

I've been a little disappointed in the mating friction of the Powerpoles.

At Dayton, I couldn't help but notice that one of the Powerpole dealers had kinda solved the lack of pull-apart resistance. You know how when you slide two connector shells together, there's a small hole on the split line of the shells? Some folks put a small roll pin in that hole to hold the shells together. But what this dealer had done is slipped a small tie-wrap through that hole, then looped the tie-wrap through the hole in the mating connector, and then they did up the tie wrap. You'd have to cut the tie-wrap to unplug the connectors, but it looked like a quick and dirty solution to the problem.

Bob...

[K4RXR]

On second thought, and after doing some Googling, maybe I didn't see what I thought I saw.

Take a look at this photo http://home.comcast.net/~buck0/app_asb3.jpg. Maybe that's what I saw, because I can't recall ever seeing a tie-wrap small enough to go through the "roll-pin" holes.

Bob...

[akardam]

[evangalism mode="on"]

I'm with the metal man on this one. My first gen install used a rigrunner powerpole bar, and the thing was just incredibly bulky for a mobile install. Plus, there was no builtin strain relief for the connectors coming up out of the rigrunner at right angles.

I've said it before - having powerpoles on a temporary/gokit rig is great, but for mobile installs, you better hope that the crap never hits the fan enough for you to have to be pulling rigs out of your vehicle. Besides, I use remote mount Astro Spectras... it would take about 4 hours to get 'em out :P

By far and away the best fuse/distro blocks I've found are these ones from blue sea systems:

http://www.bluesea.com/dept.asp?d_id=7463&l1=7463

It's got everything: +/- busses, covered connectors (so if you bump up against it you don't make sparky-spark), and actual screw-down terminals (none of these spade type connectors). You do it right, ain't nothin' goin' nowheres.

[evangalism mode="off"]

Carry on, citizens.

[Wowbagger]

I use Powerpoles in my car for things like my 12V stove, my 12V fridge, my inverter, and for temporary connection for things like my HF rig when I want it in the car.

They work MUCH BETTER than the lighter socket - hell, my 12V fridge, which pulls 4A running, would heat the lighter socket hot enough to burn you - on the Powerpoles there is no measurable temperature rise.

Now, I will agree - for anything approaching permanent they are not the best choice - but then again, what part of "quick disconnect" did you have problems understanding?

What I have found that will GREATLY improve the pull force is, after assembling the connection, reach in with your knife, and bend the metal spring that the contact itself hooks onto up. This will increase the normal force between the contacts and greatly increase the pull force needed to pull the connector out.