[TowerTalk] APP issues

[Richard Solomon]

I use a piece of plastic Q-Tip to hold them together.

73, Dick, W1KSZ

On Mon, Nov 17, 2014 at 5:21 PM, K0DAN <k0dan at comcast.net> wrote:

> It should be mentioned that you can put a 0.1" plastic cable tie
> longitudinally (where the roll pins go) to tie two Power Poles together.
> This makes a secure and not-temporary connection (unless you have a pair of
> dykes in your pocket). Personally, I am not crazy about PowerPoles, but
> accept the fact that they have become the standard, and most of my
> shack/mobile applications now use them.
>
> 73
> dan
> k0dan
>
> -----Original Message----- From: W3YY
> Sent: November 17, 2014 17:25
> To: 'Howard Hoyt' ; towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] APP issues
>
> Thanks for mentioning that locking device.  I didn't know they existed.  I
> always thought the APP did not have enough retention force when mated and I
> assume these locking devices should solve that problem.
>
> 73, Bob - W3YY
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of
> Howard Hoyt
> Sent: Monday, November 17, 2014 3:39 PM
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: [TowerTalk] APP issues
>
> Hi all,
>
> I too use APPs for 12V amateur equipment, however I do have reservations
> about them and some work-arounds:
>
> 1) Retention force:  When assembled in a pair, the retention force is not
> high enough for all uses, lateral forces on the plug are translated by
> flexibility of the housing into a rotational moment at the center of the
> mated pair, encouraging dismating.  Indeed pushing cables around behind my
> K3 I have inadvertently unplugged the DC input.
> Anderson makes a locking device:
> (http://www.andersonpower.com/files.php?file=02628.pdf)
> Powerwerks also makes a retention clip:
> (http://www.powerwerx.com/powerpole-accessories/
> powerpole-retention-clips.ht
> ml)
> Both of these are very inexpensive, but manufacturers of devices with APPs
> must leave the part of the mated pair with the roll-pin hole outside the
> rig, and not have installed a roll pin for the locking device to be used.
>
> 2) Accidental reverse polarity engagement.  The most common arrangement for
> amateur use is a black/red pair side-by-side.  If you are fumbling around
> behind a rig with the plug out of sight, there is the possibility of
> accidentally plugging the plug one module over, i.e. just the red plug
> engages the black jack with the black plug hanging in the air.  If this
> plug
> is coming from your power supply which also has other cables powering
> associated equipment, you have just created a short circuit through the
> ground circuit of the rig, then through interconnecting cables to other
> equipment, potentially burning PCB traces or causing other damage. This
> problem argues for recessing the APPs far enough inside a rig panel so that
> they can only mate correctly.  Of course then the retainer is unusable.
>
> All of this being said, in general the retention force and reliability of a
> 15/30/45 pair assemblies is adequate for non-critical use, and they are in
> wide use here and elsewhere.  They have exceptionally low contact
> resistance
> and small size for their contact rating and price.  These kinds of
> considerations will affect your choice of a connector when manufacturing a
> supply: we had considered them for our PAE-Kx33 Power Supply, but decided
> on
> the more direct to KX3 route of a DC Power Plug which, while having higher
> contact resistance, is more generic to QRP rigs and also eliminated these
> issues.  Of course then we had to offer an adapter for those who needed APP
> compatibility!
>
> Cheers & 73,
>
> Howie - WA4PSC
> http://www.proaudioeng.com
>
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