[Elecraft] Another source for "Anderson PowerPole" type connectors

[Paul Christensen]

> Beware!  This came up early last summer.  Read this posting on the poor 
> quality & incompatibility of the Tyco copies.

The small PowerPole is already a marginal connector for high-current DC 
applications.  I cannot imagine using an "off-shored" type where the 
contacts may not seat perfectly.   The larger PowerPoles seat more 
effectively due to increased friction resulting from the connector's larger 
mating surface area.   But in trying to scale the original PowerPole down in 
size, it resulted in a connector that is prone to disconnects from lateral 
pressure.

Many people will place the blame for an inadequate design on improper 
connector installation -- and that is certainly an issue that contributes to 
the problem.  But the sensitivity to accidental pulls remains, even when the 
small PowerPole connector is properly installed.  The PowerPole could have 
been made significantly better had the designer used an integrated locking 
clip (with various sizes) that could accommodate cascaded poles.

I have been using PowerPoles for the past few years with mixed results. 
Clearly, when large gauge, stiff wire is used on the smaller PowerPoles, 
some other means of securing the cable and connector is necessary.

If my K3's PowerPole connector becomes accidentally unseated, I would hate 
to see it become welded together when nearly 20A of DC current is drawn 
during full-power TX.  This issue was touched upon in the QST Product 
Review.  Personally, I would have rather seen a more traditional AMP or 
Molex-style connector used with locking ears.

Paul, W9AC