[TowerTalk] Parallel Connections

[Stan Stockton]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond to my request.  The green colored "Phoenix type" pluggable terminal blocks like the ones used on  Green Heron bases and other products are what I would like to use. A circuit board with all the appropriate parallel connections is probably the best of all options I've heard.  Otherwise I'll probably just end up with a better hidden rats nest than what I have now.

Thank you all and Happy New Year.

Stan, K5GO

> On Jan 1, 2020, at 1:59 PM, jimlux <jimlux at earthlink.net> wrote:
> 
>> On 1/1/20 8:43 AM, Stan Stockton wrote:
>> I am looking for ideas on something off the shelf or easy to make that
>> would allow you to parallel multiple sets of up to eight wires using
>> plug in connectors.  Currently I am using a couple of Green Heron
>> bases to simultaneously switch three 2x6 position coax switches.
>> Everything works but is a little messy with 12 sets of four wires
>> twisted and taped together.
> 
> Do you want something like stacking banana plugs? You can get them in ones and twos, I don't recall seeing more. However, you can fabricate (an evil word, sometimes) a bracket or something to hold multiple sets in alignment.  Thinking of standard dual banana plugs, you could put a screw through the middle of the web between the plugs into a strip along side however many you wanted, which would hold them in a constant orientation.  A piece of plastic bar, with some notches machined every 3/4" would be perfect.  A 3d printer could make a very nice little fixture to hold them, and then it's a matter of epoxy.
> 
> Then just have a row of banana jacks in a panel that connects to your barrier strip.
> 
> You could also arrange banana plugs in some other pattern (square, circle, etc.).
> 
> 
> https://www.adafruit.com/product/3694 are the ones where you just stick the wire in, crank the screw down, and you're done. A little dab of thread locker on the screw might be useful.
> 
> 
> The other thing is to use something like 1/4" tab connectors, which are available in multi tab versions, some which are designed for barrier strip mounting.  I'm not wild about these because each mate/demate is individual.
> 
> 
> There are some nice multi tier screw clamp terminal strips (you've seen them, they're green, usually), and they make a plug/socket version.
> 
> this kind of thing:
> https://www.phoenixcontact.com/online/portal/us?uri=pxc-oc-itemdetail:pid=1757048&library=usen&pdfmode=direct&pdflanguage=en
> 
> 
> There might be a stackable version.
> 
> 
>> It would be great to have a box that had about six sets of eight
>> receptacles for the same type of terminal block connector as provided
>> by Green Heron that could be somehow be configured for what you
>> needed.
>> Other than an old style terminal strip with screwed down terminals
>> does anyone have any ideas on how to improve on having a bunch of
>> wires twisted or soldered together and taped up?
>> Thanks...Stan, K5GO/ZF9CW
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