There is a third potential problem with APP connectors; they aren’t completely “reverse polarity” protected. Several years ago, I stupidly plugged the APP cable into the back of my K3 “by feel” rather than by looking. I offset the alignment, and plugged the red plug from the cable (hot) into the black APP connector on the rig. Since I had grounded the K3 like a good boy. that created a reverse-polarity power situation that fried several components and resulted in a trip to Aptos for my K3.
There are two ways to resolve this problem. One is to never, ever plug an APP set into a piece of equipment without visually checking to make sure you are aligned “red to red, black to black.” It’s also possible to mate the APP connectors so that you can’t plug red into black (by rotating the red plug 90° on both the rig and the power cable. I’ve come to rely on the former solution, but have seriously contemplated equipment modifications to do the latter. All that said, I am a steadfast supporter of APP connector technology. For all the reasons cited in other posts, I think it’s superior to every other power connector on the market. And contrary to some posts, it doesn’t require an “expensive special tool” to crimp the pins. onto wires. There are several low-cost “pliers-like” crimpers on the market, including the Gardner-Bender GS-88 ($10) that do a good job at a modest price. And speaking of crimping tools, for those who prefer crimped lugs to solder, Harbor Freight’s hydraulic crimping tool (Item 66150) is a real gem for crimping lugs onto large wires (AWG 8 and bigger.) It isn’t cheap, but it makes a perfectly formed (and very secure) crimp in copper and other lugs typically used on large-gauge wires. It does a good job on smaller sizes, too, although it’s somewhat cumbersome to use compared with other crimpers that work well on AWG 12 and smaller wire sizes. Lew Phelps N6LEW Pasadena, CA DM04wd Elecraft K3-10 / KXV144 / XV432 Yaesu FT-7800 l...@n6lew.us www.n6lew.us Sent from my Mac Pro 256-Array Supercomputer (9.42 teraflops) > On Feb 17, 2015, at 2:28 PM, Don Wilhelm <w3...@embarqmail.com> wrote: > > As was pointed out in a prior posts, there are 2 forms of "problems" with the > APP connector. > One is the retention force of the connector pair - in other words, "it comes > unplugged" > That problem is usually due to incorrect assembly where the connector blades > are not fully seated in the housings. This is the condition that I first > responded to. > > The 2nd "problem" is that the red and black housings become separated, and > seems to be the condition that is currently being discussed. This has to do > with the roll-pin or toothpick or cotton swab shaft being placed in the hole. > I use Super Glue between the red and black housings and have never had a > problem. I on occasion use the roll-pin in addition, but I put a drop of > super glue on the pin itself before sliding it 'home'. I have never had an > APP connector where the 2 housings separate, and the glued roll-pins do not > fall out. > > 73, > Don W3FPR > > On 2/17/2015 5:08 PM, Terry Schieler wrote: >> Similar to Phil's approach, rather than using the metal roll pin, I break >> off a wooden toothpick in the retention hole and put a drop of super glue on >> the toothpick. >> >> Terry W0FM >> > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to l...@n6lew.us > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
