Beware! This came up early last summer. Read this posting on the poor
quality & incompatibility of the Tyco copies.
The small PowerPole is already a marginal connector for high-current DC
applications. I cannot imagine using an "off-shored" type where the
contacts may not seat perfectly. The larger PowerPoles seat more
effectively due to increased friction resulting from the connector's larger
mating surface area. But in trying to scale the original PowerPole down in
size, it resulted in a connector that is prone to disconnects from lateral
pressure.
Many people will place the blame for an inadequate design on improper
connector installation -- and that is certainly an issue that contributes to
the problem. But the sensitivity to accidental pulls remains, even when the
small PowerPole connector is properly installed. The PowerPole could have
been made significantly better had the designer used an integrated locking
clip (with various sizes) that could accommodate cascaded poles.
I have been using PowerPoles for the past few years with mixed results.
Clearly, when large gauge, stiff wire is used on the smaller PowerPoles,
some other means of securing the cable and connector is necessary.
If my K3's PowerPole connector becomes accidentally unseated, I would hate
to see it become welded together when nearly 20A of DC current is drawn
during full-power TX. This issue was touched upon in the QST Product
Review. Personally, I would have rather seen a more traditional AMP or
Molex-style connector used with locking ears.
Paul, W9AC
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