[Elecraft] Alternatives to PowerPoles?

[n2ey at aol.com]

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike S <w8ur at flatsurface.com>

At 11:07 PM 4/6/2008, N2EY at aol.com wrote...

>>What would you use instead? Particularly given the desire for a
>>genderless
>>connector that can carry considerable current (20+ Amps)?

>Considering these are used for carrying polarized power signals, why 
do
>you want/require that they be "genderless?"

Convenience and flexibility.

>There's a very good reason
>that wall outlets aren't hermaphroditic.

That's because they are much higher voltage, and always a source. 
They're also meant to be used by people who know almost nothing about 
electricity. As radio amateurs, I'd hope we'd know a little about what 
we are doing. We use the same RF connectors (although gendered) for 
everything from the legal limit of power down to receiver inputs; make 
a mistake and the results can be very unpleasant. Is 12 volts somehow 
more dangerous?

>The only reasonable argument I've seen is that it allows charging
>batteries without "adapters." But, given that improper charging of 
many
>modern battery technologies can be dangerous if a specialized charger
>isn't used, making it easy to connect a 13.4V, 20A regulated supply to
>a 12V lithium pack doesn't seem wise.

The problem is that with adapters it's just as easy to make such 
mistakes. If you adopt gendered connectors, you'll get in the habit of 
having adapters everywhere, and there goes the advantage.
.
There's also the advantage of a universal standard - all cable ends the 
same; you never have the wrong end, multioutlet systems are all the 
same.

---

And there's still the original question: what would you use instead? If 
there were a gendered PowerPole configuration, would that solve the 
problem?

73 de Jim, N2EY