[Elecraft] K3 and Power Poles

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I believe the "click" Detrick refers to is when you insert the contacts into
the connector housing. There's a nice document on-line showing the proper
way to assemble them if you are "rolling your own" or need to check what you
have. Notice the cutaway view on page 3. It shows the spring contact in the
proper position in the housing. When inserting it in the housing you'll hear
a "click" as the spring drops into place to hold the contact. Looking at the
end of the assembled connector, you should see the contact in place covering
the spring. If it isn't in that position, the contact will slide back
reducing the surface area (and so increasing the heating and voltage drop)
until it fails to make contact at all. Also, those connectors come apart
with little or no force. 

http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/TrainingModules/Technical/An
derson%20powerpole.pdf


I did a quick pull test on a sample of 1 (Elecraft assembled) power cord and
my K3 rear panel pp connector using a spring gage. It requires about 4 lb
(roughly 1.8 kg) to of pull straight back on the connector to separate them.
This is a power cord and K3 that have seen lots of use. It's tight enough I
can slide the K3/100 around on the desk top by the cable if I don't jerk on
it. 

73, Ron AC7AC



-----Original Message-----
From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bill
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2016 12:59 PM
To: 'Detrick Merz'; elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 and Power Poles

If there isn't a solid click which putting the wire connectors into the
holder, the mating plugs won't stay together, at least in my experience.
Also, soldering can interfere with proper mating to the shell and both
connectors as well.

Bill
K9YEQ

-----Original Message-----
From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
Detrick Merz
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2016 8:29 AM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 and Power Poles

I have the same experience as Ken (dragging gear around by the power cords),
but I know of others who seem to have trouble getting PP connectors to stay
stuck. It would be interesting to find out why they seem so solid for some
people, and so unreliable for others.

For reference, I tend to crimp my PP connectors (although I've soldered a
few, too), and I never bother with roll pins, super glue, or anything other
than the natural friction to hold the black/red housings in a pair, or
anything other than friction to keep them plugged in. I plug them in
end-to-end as well as into a homebrew PP distribution block. Sometimes
they're near impossible to get out of the distribution block!

-detrick
KI4STU

On Tue, Sep 13, 2016 at 9:20 AM, Ken G Kopp <kengkopp at gmail.com> wrote:

> Perhaps something is wrong in the assembly of your Power Poles?
>
> Mine are secure enough to pull the K3 across the desk using the power 
> cable and have never been an issue.
>
> 73
>
> Ken - K0PP
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