Power pole connector problems

Patrick

The plastic housing is the item I suspect in that it may have a fairly low tolerance to high temperatures.  It would cause a catch 22 situation were as each time it gets heated up the looser the mechanical contact and up goes the contact resistance and on and on.  I am pretty sure that this was my situation.  

Stan VA7NF

Stayed out of this conversation (polite term) however:
There seem to be some manufacturing problems lately with the power poles be it the housing or the delivered bend / tension in that our club station could not be moved without the connector becoming a non-connector by falling out.
Flex: Because of the manufacturing or assembly problems:

1. Part of pre-delivery check the delivered 6xxx and the SHIPPED cable should be checked and any loose pin spacing should be adjusted by tightening the tension.  Not nice to have the connector fall out!
2. Include a mention, somewhere in the delivery notes, that user assembled cables may need tightening; and how to do it.

KY6LA_Howard

Bob Needleman

Yes - The root cause of the problem may have something to do with the fact that the original manufacturer's patent (Anderson) has expired and now inexpensive, generic connectors are probably being made by other  (Asian?) suppliers. I have several older powerpole cables that I got with a Flex (6500) and Elecraft radio and they fit very tightly - you really had to pull pretty hard to disconnect them . It never needed any adjustment and never came loose.  

Neal Pollack, N6YFM

It would be really fun to have a poll on a large site like eham.net and ask "Have you ever had a problem with,  or intermittant or failed PowerPole connection.    Personally, you can add me to the list.   I had a VHF that would not turn on and it turned out the be an out-of-tolerance power pole connector that was not making connection.   Then I had another loose one with too much voltage drop a year later.   Then recently, I had one that would cut in and out.  You did not want to sneeze on it.   To be fair, it's a small percentage of my total power poles in use.  But here is the point;  I have NEVER had an issue with a larger body locking connector like the molex used on Icom and Kenwood and Yaesu, or the **** on military connectors, or the back of a commercial motorola radio in a police or fire truck.     

Some Elmer here who has been viciously defending Power Poles as the official EmComm connector for emergency services?  Um, er, ah, get a life.   Police and Fire rigs do not use power poles.  The AMATEUR EmComm people use power poles.
And please don't get me started with the whole EmComm "thing".

Well, gee, let's see;   Tonight, with a world wide Covid Pandemic, riots and civil unrest and fire blazing all over the country, a friend called who had just listened to an EmComm Net in Los Angeles.   The Net operator asked if anyone had anything to report.    THE SILENCE WAS DEAFENING!

If Amateur EmComm has nothing to contribute given ALL of the above chaos, then what does it take for Amateur EmComm to have a purpose of existance?   The day after total global thermo-nuclear war?  :-)

OK, back on topic.    I am willing to bet a chocolate chip cookie, maybe even a ****,
that more people than just me have had a problematic power pole connector over time.   I am also willing to bet a second <insert-your-choice-here> that none of those same people have had a problem with the locking molex, or cinch jones, or military ****-on connectors.  But then again, also, I DON'T REALLY CARE :-)
(should we argue about the best power supply choice next?)  :-)

If you wanna' hug power poles, go right ahead.  But as an engineer who uses LOTS of different types of connectors in aero, space, and commercial, I am HIGHLY UNIMPRESSED by them.

73
Stay safe, and don't touch ANYTHING, unless of course it is a really good Whiskey!

Neal

Bob Needleman

Neal - couldn't agree with you more. After coming from Kenwood/Icom/Yaesu and even Ten-Tec - never had any issues with their Molex or Molex-style DC power connectors. EVER- and I'm going back to rigs I've owned and used that are over 30 years old. These are locking type and brother - one you insert and lock them - they will NOT come out (takes a very firm push, or pushing down on the latch to get them to disconnect). Not sure what this 'love affair' is with PowerPoles, but clearly are not a reliable design, especially when needed for emergency or commercial communications, which is why none of the police, fire, marine comm. gear use them. If it weren't for amateurs, PowerPoles would have died a quick death a long time ago. 

Bob Needleman

Wonder if anyone on here remembers the wonderful Cinch Jones AC power connector used by Kenwood and Yaesu back in the 70's and 80s for their hybrid transceivers (eg. TS-820, FT-101E, ZD, etc)?  They were big, rectangular  heavy duty connectors with about 12 slotted contacts, with  metal shells. Some, like the one for the TS-820,  had 2 metal prongs on either end that fit into slots on  the rear panel jack and locked in. It would not budge unless you pushed the prongs in and pulled  - you could have probably swung the rig by the AC cord like a rodeo lasso and it wouldn't have come out. Very expensive connector I would bet,  but that's how amateur gear was made 'back in the day' -like the proverbial 'battle ship', and almost on par with commercial comm gear. 

Patrick

Gee, Howard, you and I have very similar experience in the electronics industry.  We are just on the opposite sides of a coin...  by the way, I agree, with all your points, without exception.  Everything that we can imagine and build will eventually fail.  Just a matter of time.  

Patrick

The only thing that holds Powerpoles together is spring tension and friction.  Yes there is a double pin tab that one can buy, and they are cheap, to hold it together. Not a particularly elegant solution, but simple.  In my case, spring tension and friction failed in my particular connector.  By the way I only found those tabs recently.  You some times don’t see things unless you actually need it.  

Craig Williams

I completely agree power poles are ****. If a product isn’t used in emergency service vehicles it shouldn’t be used on your Ham radios.

Norm - W7CK

Powerpole connectors are junk.  If you need to run your gear at a facility that requires the use of Powerpole connectors, make a pigtail.  Use a good connector on the rig with a short pigtail to a Powerpole.  How often will I ever need this - NEVER.  If I ever sell my rig to an emergency communications facility?  I really doubt it but the pigtail adapter cable will take care of it.   Once again I have seen more problems with **** Powerpole connectors than any other type.

I drank the Coolaid many years ago and paid the price.  Never again. 

Come on Flex, use a connector that is more dependable.

Norm - W7CK

Isn't this the same connector that Motorola uses on their mobile gear?   If it's good enough for them, why in the world did Ham Radio ECOMM select the darn Powerpole?

Craig Williams

15 years installing and servicing public service radios. Never saw a power pole.

Norm - W7CK

Bob Needleman

Bob Needleman

Paul - and let's hope for everyone's sake (and for all the first responders), we never do!
Bob K3AC

Patrick

I hope you do. Did some research on XT-60, and had a good look at the mechanical drawings and detailed pictures.  I am impressed with the amount of surface Contact area, much better then the Powerpoles.  Gold platting is great also.  Also there is a **** attachable receptacle, could be the one I use in the future.  

Steve K9ZW

Ted VE3TRQ

Just ordered some of these also - we'll see how they solder :-)

Ted VE3TRQ

XT-60’s seem a good fit for #10 wire. Nice firm fit of connectors, nice deep wire well for soldering - and the cap over the soldered wires provides a solid place to grip the connector to separate them.

After I got the XT-60’s, I bought some XT-90’s. Very solid fit for the connectors, not quite as deep a wire well for soldering. Fits #8 wire perfectly. I think I have found a connector to replace the 75A PP connectors I have been using for semi-permanent connections. XT-90’s are rated at 90A, so should be safe to run at 75A.