High current connectors - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

GMB · 24th Jan 2018, 6:56 pm

I am looking for suggestions for low voltage (12V) power connectors that will drop hardly any voltage at about 150A.

Anyone know a good solution (that is not entirely expensive)?

mole42uk · 24th Jan 2018, 7:19 pm

Anderson Powerpoles are used on electric vehicles and aren’t unusually expensive. Not sure about 150A though, you’d have to check. PP120 seems to fit the spec.

pmmunro · 24th Jan 2018, 9:01 pm

This sort of thing?

https://www.durite.co.uk/s/c/wiring-...bonate-housing

https://www.autoelectricsupplies.co....34/category/29

PMM

Radio Wrangler · 24th Jan 2018, 9:05 pm

There are also Dinse connectors at welding suppliers.

David

Ed_Dinning · 25th Jan 2018, 4:50 am

Hi Anderson power poles and similar types for FLT applications should do well. I believe they are rated up to 100V and a 200A unit will withstand 1000A for a minute or so.
They are normally crimp connectable onto 16/25/35/50 mm^2 cables, some have solder buckets.
A nice scraping action and an arc tip on the higher current types.

Ed

cmjones01 · 25th Jan 2018, 12:20 pm

I'd recommend the Anderson SB series - they're like Powerpoles, but have two contacts in one housing. They're very popular for charging fork lift trucks and the like, and I use them for battery connections up to 350A with no problem. They're intended to be crimped but if you have a suitably beefy soldering iron they solder easily because they're silver plated.

Chris

GMB · 29th Jan 2018, 5:14 pm

Thanks for that everyone. Some interesting suggestions.

I hadn't heard of some of those.
I was worried that I would have a problem with this.

McMurdo · 29th Jan 2018, 6:11 pm

Anderson connectors are great, those Durite ones from the auto electrics shops look just the same.
For the very biggest ones I use a blowtorch and solder them in. Lots of solder in the terminals and lots of flux on the cables, and in they go.

The terminals come out of the shell first so no need to worry about melting it.

linescan87 · 29th Jan 2018, 7:07 pm

Anderson plugs are also used by many bus companies for jump starting where access to the batteries is limited.

They are very rugged devices.

Cheers,
John Joe.

Herald1360 · 30th Jan 2018, 9:49 am

They're also used on the ramp leads / power supply output connections on Siemens MRI magnets.......

24th Jan 2018, 6:56 pm	#1
GMB Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: near Reading (and sometimes Torquay) Posts: 3,094	High current connectors I am looking for suggestions for low voltage (12V) power connectors that will drop hardly any voltage at about 150A. Anyone know a good solution (that is not entirely expensive)?

24th Jan 2018, 7:19 pm	#2
mole42uk Nonode Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Resolven, Wales; and Bristol, England Posts: 2,608	Re: High current connectors Anderson Powerpoles are used on electric vehicles and aren’t unusually expensive. Not sure about 150A though, you’d have to check. PP120 seems to fit the spec. __________________ Richard Index: recursive loop: see recursive loop

24th Jan 2018, 9:01 pm	#3
pmmunro Octode Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dundee, UK. Posts: 1,813	Re: High current connectors This sort of thing? https://www.durite.co.uk/s/c/wiring-...bonate-housing https://www.autoelectricsupplies.co....34/category/29 PMM

24th Jan 2018, 9:05 pm	#4
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,869	Re: High current connectors There are also Dinse connectors at welding suppliers. David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done

25th Jan 2018, 4:50 am	#5
Ed_Dinning Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK. Posts: 8,194	Re: High current connectors Hi Anderson power poles and similar types for FLT applications should do well. I believe they are rated up to 100V and a 200A unit will withstand 1000A for a minute or so. They are normally crimp connectable onto 16/25/35/50 mm^2 cables, some have solder buckets. A nice scraping action and an arc tip on the higher current types. Ed

25th Jan 2018, 12:20 pm	#6
cmjones01 Nonode Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Warsaw, Poland and Cambridge, UK Posts: 2,677	Re: High current connectors I'd recommend the Anderson SB series - they're like Powerpoles, but have two contacts in one housing. They're very popular for charging fork lift trucks and the like, and I use them for battery connections up to 350A with no problem. They're intended to be crimped but if you have a suitably beefy soldering iron they solder easily because they're silver plated. Chris __________________ What's going on in the workshop? http://martin-jones.com/

29th Jan 2018, 5:14 pm	#7
GMB Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: near Reading (and sometimes Torquay) Posts: 3,094	Re: High current connectors Thanks for that everyone. Some interesting suggestions. I hadn't heard of some of those. I was worried that I would have a problem with this.

29th Jan 2018, 6:11 pm	#8
McMurdo Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 5,271	Re: High current connectors Anderson connectors are great, those Durite ones from the auto electrics shops look just the same. For the very biggest ones I use a blowtorch and solder them in. Lots of solder in the terminals and lots of flux on the cables, and in they go. The terminals come out of the shell first so no need to worry about melting it. __________________ Kevin

29th Jan 2018, 7:07 pm	#9
linescan87 Heptode Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Meath, Ireland Posts: 551	Re: High current connectors Anderson plugs are also used by many bus companies for jump starting where access to the batteries is limited. They are very rugged devices. Cheers, John Joe.

30th Jan 2018, 9:49 am	#10
Herald1360 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 16,535	Re: High current connectors They're also used on the ramp leads / power supply output connections on Siemens MRI magnets....... __________________ ....__________ ....\|____\|\|__\|__\_____ .=.\| _---\__\|__\|_---_\|. .........O..Chris....O