XT30 connectors...

[Ralph Mowery]

I have been using the Anderson Power Poles and this thread is the first
I have seen of the XT type connectors.

From looking at them on Youtube it looks to me that the wire end is just
open and if you want that to be insulated you have to use heat srink
tubing or some other method.

Is that correct ?

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Wed, 9 Dec 2020 10:31:00 -0500, Ralph Mowery
<rmowery28146@earthlink.net> wrote:

I have been using the Anderson Power Poles and this thread is the first
I have seen of the XT type connectors.

Anderson Power Poles are standard for ham radio applications.
XT30/60/90/120 connectors are commonly used for RC (radio control) and
anything powered by a LiIon battery bank.

From looking at them on Youtube it looks to me that the wire end is just
open and if you want that to be insulated you have to use heat srink
tubing or some other method.

Is that correct ?

90% correct. The usual method is to insulate the exposed cable to
connector area with heat shrink tubing. However, you can buy XT60
connectors that have a plastic hood that will also work.
<https://www.amazon.com/XT60-Connectors-Female-Male-Functional/dp/B07CWF8CRX>
I\'m not thrilled with the idea of hiding a crappy soldering job under
an opaque cover and prefer to use clear shrink tubing. If I forget to
install the shrink tubing, a blob of RTV (silicone caulk), between the
pins, and maybe some electrical tape will suffice if desperate.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[Ralph Mowery]

In article <um02tfldd7imun1rh7g937r6d9v6e65foe@4ax.com>,
jeffl@cruzio.com says...

From looking at them on Youtube it looks to me that the wire end is just
open and if you want that to be insulated you have to use heat srink
tubing or some other method.

Is that correct ?

90% correct. The usual method is to insulate the exposed cable to
connector area with heat shrink tubing. However, you can buy XT60
connectors that have a plastic hood that will also work.
https://www.amazon.com/XT60-Connectors-Female-Male-Functional/dp/B07CWF8CRX
I\'m not thrilled with the idea of hiding a crappy soldering job under
an opaque cover and prefer to use clear shrink tubing. If I forget to
install the shrink tubing, a blob of RTV (silicone caulk), between the
pins, and maybe some electrical tape will suffice if desperate.

Thanks. It looks like the XT may make a more secure connection, but I
do not like not having a good looking cover over the exposed connections
other than on the XT60 that you show. I know tape could be used, but
looks crappy and even the heat shrink not too good looking. I think I
would try a larges size of heat shrink and cover the plug and wires at
the same time. Maybe the shrink will not shrink enough. Then the RTV
has to be carefully selected as lots of it will eat up the wires and if
it does not, still looks crappy.

As a ham I switched to the Power Poles a few years ago. I used to use
some molex plugs for the mobile transceivers (VHF/UHF) however they have
gone up in power and exceed the current for the ones I was using. Also
needed to handle more current for the low band rigs in the shack so
switched everything over to match.

I guess they do have 2 advantages for me, Crimp and one size good to 45
amps. Just need seperate contact inserts for the different current
ranges, but all will fit. I know there are several other sizes of PPs
that will not fit the smaller more common size.

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Wed, 9 Dec 2020 12:56:15 -0500, Ralph Mowery
<rmowery28146@earthlink.net> wrote:

In article <um02tfldd7imun1rh7g937r6d9v6e65foe@4ax.com>,
jeffl@cruzio.com says...
From looking at them on Youtube it looks to me that the wire end is just
open and if you want that to be insulated you have to use heat srink
tubing or some other method.

Is that correct ?

90% correct. The usual method is to insulate the exposed cable to
connector area with heat shrink tubing. However, you can buy XT60
connectors that have a plastic hood that will also work.
https://www.amazon.com/XT60-Connectors-Female-Male-Functional/dp/B07CWF8CRX
I\'m not thrilled with the idea of hiding a crappy soldering job under
an opaque cover and prefer to use clear shrink tubing. If I forget to
install the shrink tubing, a blob of RTV (silicone caulk), between the
pins, and maybe some electrical tape will suffice if desperate.

It looks like the XT may make a more secure connection,

I have a few pairs of not quite matched XT60 connectors on a drone
that require considerable force to disconnect. Lube with Vaseline or
some kind of grease seems to help.

but I
do not like not having a good looking cover over the exposed connections
other than on the XT60 that you show.

<https://cdn.sparkfun.com//assets/parts/4/9/7/1/10474-01.jpg>
Notice the groove (moat?) around each gold pin. You slide the shrink
tube into the groove to avoid having any exposed conductors.

I know tape could be used, but
looks crappy and even the heat shrink not too good looking.

Shrink tube is good enough. However, if you want elegance, wrap a few
layers of masking tape around the connector base to product a mold
form. Fill the mold with whatever potting compound you prefer. I
tried or seen tried RTV, silicone caulk, epoxy, Bondo, Liquid Vinyl,
and Awesome Goo. They all worked. For the softer potting compounds,
use a knife for cleanup. For the hard stuff, a file or sandpaper.

I think I
would try a larges size of heat shrink and cover the plug and wires at
the same time.

That will bend the wires and pins toward each other. Besides the
potential danger of a short, it also makes mating connectors difficult
to connect and disconnect. The amount of bending will vary with
connector manufacturing tolerances. If you do a decent job of
soldering, it might be ok to bend the wires together. However, if you
slop solder all over the outside of the gold pins, you might have a
problem.

>Maybe the shrink will not shrink enough.

2:1 is the width shrink ratio for commodity shrink tube. Much more
entertaining is the change in length of shrink tube (typically about
10%).
<https://www.lapptannehill.com/resources/technical-information/what-is-longitudinal-change-in-heat-shrink-tubing>

Then the RTV
has to be carefully selected as lots of it will eat up the wires and if
it does not, still looks crappy.

Just look for \"no acetic acid\" or \"neutral cure\" products. They\'re
common enough at the hardware store.

As a ham I switched to the Power Poles a few years ago. I used to use
some molex plugs for the mobile transceivers (VHF/UHF) however they have
gone up in power and exceed the current for the ones I was using. Also
needed to handle more current for the low band rigs in the shack so
switched everything over to match.

I guess they do have 2 advantages for me, Crimp and one size good to 45
amps. Just need seperate contact inserts for the different current
ranges, but all will fit. I know there are several other sizes of PPs
that will not fit the smaller more common size.

I\'ve had a few problems with Power Pole connectors. They\'re good, but
in my never humble opinion, there are better connectors. I need to
run away right now but can elaborate if you want.



--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[Ralph Mowery]

In article <7g62tftukkt89916kiojn48d2ai3blmg7t@4ax.com>,
jeffl@cruzio.com says...

I\'ve had a few problems with Power Pole connectors. They\'re good, but
in my never humble opinion, there are better connectors. I need to
run away right now but can elaborate if you want.

I have not used them , but I think there are some clips out now for the
PPs to hold them together. I don\'t use them in any critical or high
viberation situation, so they are good enough for me. I do not want to
change now as I have a lot of equipment set up to use the PPs.


If I was worried about the PPs comming apart , I would tape or do
something to secure the connections.

The PPs did not really impress me , but several ham friends use them and
sometimes we swap or work on othes equipment, so trying to stay
\'standard\'.

Whoever started the PPs for hams must have had a family member in the
company.