TO: ALL WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
ALL NON-WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED
WV ARES BULLETIN NR 09.25 DATE: June 21, 2009
SUBJECT: UNIFORM POWER CONNECTORS - PART 2 OF 2
Special adaptors could be made up with "Red & Black Polarized" connector on one end, and another type of connector, or plug on the other end. The other end could have a Male cigarette lighter plug, a Female cigarette lighter socket, alligator clips, or a fusible link, for those pieces of equipment not wired with a fuse.
Another adaptor would be a splitter that would have several plugs to allow multiply connections when only one power source is available.
Now that you've wired up every battery, radio, computer, extension cable, spot light, and heaven knows what else, with the old "Red and Black Polarized" connectors, it's time to change to another type connector. The connector I'm talking about is called the Anderson PowerPole connector, and it's about as fool proof as you can get. They come in various power ratings, but the most universal is the 30 Amp plug.
If the connectors are assembled properly you'll no longer have to worry about the "Power Source" end of the plug being protected, or reversing the plugs and, either ruining a radio or causing lots of sparks by plugging two power sources together.
The connecters are designed so they will only plug together one way, and that is Positive to Positive and Negative to Negative. These connectors should be used on all new equipment, and power sources, and your old plugs and connectors changed out.
The cost of the Anderson PowerPole plugs are about the same as the 12 inch polarized connector pig tails, but are much more universal and you don’t have to splice them to your other wiring. You can still make adaptor connections and splitters for those unusual situations that will arise.
For emergency use these connectors will make it easier and faster to connect up temporary equipment, and will be around for a long time.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
Wood County WV
WV ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
WV ARES District 3 Emergency Coordinator