[Elecraft] PowerPoles

[Art Bross]

If they are coming apart easily then you are not building them right. I have done thousands and learned a few things in the process. (I make and sell cables at hamfests.) They should take at least 10 pounds of pressure to pull them apart. It should take enough pressure to connect them that you should hear a 'snap' when putting them together. Take a look at the front end of the pins. You should see at east 1/16 to 1/8 of pin sticking up above the plastic shell when assembled right. If not, take a screwdriver and put it under the pin and pry it up until the pin just rests on the spring. Ideally the pin should just rest on the top of the spring, not push down on it. Crimping them tends to bend the spring down so they should be bent straight before inserting them into the housings. You may also have to do this adjustment if the connector gets used a lot. People think that assembling these things is a simple process but there are some nuances to getting them right. Worst case, if you don' t want them coming apart use the plastic clips or make a U clip out of a piece of 12 gauge wire. I've also used 1/2 inch staples from the hardware store.

What really torques my jaws is people who put PowerPoles down who can't put them together right.

Art

KC7GF