Suggestions for exterior connector

[GMB]

I am struggling to find a good solution to the problem of exterior low-voltage connectors.

So has anyone got any suggestions? Something like the yellow site power connectors - only smaller. Needs to be easy to plug/unplug. Needs to be OK with rain with plug in or out. Ideally should be cheap.

Clarification: by "low voltage" I mean 12V, not what a power engineer calls low voltage!

[Radio Wrangler]

Bulgin Buccaneer series?

David

[turretslug]

Hirschmann CA series?

[Cobaltblue]

We use thousands of the Buccaneer connectors as suggested by David.

Cheap and robust many have been outside for 20+ years.

Chears Mike T

[Ed_Dinning]

The standard outdoor mains connectors come in a range of colours, red for 440, blue for 240 and yellow for 110. There is also I believe a violet for under 50v (SELV). Colours are not interchangeable and there are various current ratings

Ed

[Joe_Lorenz]

Hello,
my favourites are Amphenol MIL-Spec connectors, i.e. the ...3106... series have proven to be almost bullet proof. And the dark green colour does not disturb the eye too much when used in the garden.

Regards, Joe

[Glowing Bits!]

Originally Posted by Ed_Dinning

The standard outdoor mains connectors come in a range of colours, red for 440, blue for 240 and yellow for 110. There is also I believe a violet for under 50v (SELV). Colours are not interchangeable and there are various current ratings

Ed

Indeed there are different types, the red plugs are easy to mix up by accident, they come in either 16A or 32A with either 4 or 5 pins, 3 live feeds plus earth & 3 live feeds with neutral plus earth respectively.
The only time I've ever come across a 32A 5 pin jobbie is when doing stage crew duties, it's usually plugged into a distro box giving out three sets of bog standard 13A sockets, numbered 1, 2, 3 (phases) respectfully.

[Cobaltblue]

Originally Posted by GMB

Clarification: by "low voltage" I mean 12V, not what a power engineer calls low voltage!

How much current

Cheers

Mike T

[emeritus]

Another vote for the Bulgin Bucaneer for light curent use. I installed some on my late brother-in-law's yacht a couple of decades ago. Certified by Bureau Veritas for several metres' immersion in sea water so should give satsfactory service on land.

[Ed_Dinning]

There are also the caravan 12N & S (7 pin connectors and the modern 13 pin Euro version. These should be cheap and easily available

Ed

[GMB]

How much current

Not much. Maybe 1A max.

[GMB]

Originally Posted by Cobaltblue

We use thousands of the Buccaneer connectors as suggested by David.

Cheap and robust many have been outside for 20+ years.

But which series did you use? There seem to be so many! (Not sure why I missed seeing these)

[McMurdo]

Another vote for the Hirschmann CA series (also made by Amphenol).

Rated IP67 so are waterproof, unlike the BS4343 (CEE) connectors that are only IP44.

The Ca come in cable plug, cable socket, panel plug and panel socket. Dust caps for both ends if required. Solder bucket or screw, choice is yours. 16A 400V in a range of pin counts.
In industry they're used on industrial steam irons.

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/indus...ctors/3594384/

[trh01uk]

Originally Posted by Ed_Dinning

There are also the caravan 12N & S (7 pin connectors and the modern 13 pin Euro version. These should be cheap and easily available

Ed

And I would second these as being cheap and available. The key to the "exterior" bit came up in an earlier thread when I was asking how to keep moisture (and rust) out of these very basic connectors. The answer was vaseline - which is clearly about how the connectors are used - rather than the choice of type of connector.


Richard

[Lucien Nunes]

Standard Buccaneer I would rate as very reliable, although a bit big for 1A. The mini version is ideal for 1A but I have had some issues with moisture ingress; they are not particularly strong mechanically and if the body / gland distorts at all the sealing is lost. The Hischmann CA is much more durable and gets my vote.

[llama]

Would a car cigar-lighter socket in a weatherproof housing suit? Certainly cheap and compact, easy insertion with clear polarity and the added bonus that any of the items that would be plugged in can also be used out on the road.
Graham

[Cobaltblue]

Originally Posted by GMB

But which series did you use? There seem to be so many! (Not sure why I missed seeing these)

We use the Standard Series it was a Highways Agency standard adopted in the traffic industry for connecting Above Ground Detection.

Connector size isn't much of an issue for us but we the 9 pin version although for most detectors only 6 pins are used.

Cheers

Mike T

[G6Tanuki]

Have a look at https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/in-vehicle-power.html

I've had a couple of the "Hella" type sockets (ISO4165)mounted on the exterior of my Land-Rover for something like 15 years - they're used to attach hand-held spot/work-lamps/feed small inverters as needed - and they have never let me down.

I am always wary of using mains connectors for low voltage, someone in the future could plug in an uninsulated low voltage thing into a mains socket.

[Glowing Bits!]

I can vouch for 12 volt planet being a good company, they don't sell junk.
I have used them in recent times for bits needed for a motorhome conversion, they are highly recommended.