Battery plugs, etc.

On Thursday, November 29, 2012 10:51:39 PM UTC-8, wrote:
I'm well aware of the fact that phantom power doesn't involve much current. Next time I'll put a bunch of emoticons after I write something like that to make it more obvious I'm not being serious As for the possibility of poorly insulated terminals or wiring being shorted out goes that just emphasizes that it's a good idea to design the battery arrangement to eliminate that possibility. I know of someone who a few years back lost a glider and trailer due to something falling across the battery terminals when he had it stored in the trailer during transit. It wore through the insulation as he was driving and shorted the battery, setting the whole works on fire.



XLR's wouldn't be my FIRST choice but they were already standardized on when I joined the club and they haven't caused any problems. My first choice would be MIL spec connectors (since we're talking about installing things on aircraft it would make sense to me to use aircraft hardware) if I were to do things from scratch.



By the way, if you want to see a really interesting mismatch in the audio world facilitated by the use of identical connectors for very different applications you should see how well it works out when someone connects a 1/4" speaker out from a Hiwatt custom 100 to a 1/4" input on a P.A. mixer!

I keep the positive terminal of the battery isolated by applying a thick coat of hot-glue around the connected terminal and part of the wire. It avoids the possibility of shorting across the terminals and provides a bit of strain relief at the wire. It's easy to peel off when servicing is required.

I'm partial to the XT60 style RC connectors. Not as bulky as the powerpoles and great current capacity.

Craig

On Nov 30, 8:10*am, Craig Funston
wrote:
On Thursday, November 29, 2012 10:51:39 PM UTC-8, wrote:
I'm well aware of the fact that phantom power doesn't involve much current. Next time I'll put a bunch of emoticons after I write something like that to make it more obvious I'm not being serious As for the possibility of poorly insulated terminals or wiring being shorted out goes that just emphasizes that it's a good idea to design the battery arrangement to eliminate that possibility. I know of someone who a few years back lost a glider and trailer due to something falling across the battery terminals when he had it stored in the trailer during transit. It wore through the insulation as he was driving and shorted the battery, setting the whole works on fire.

XLR's wouldn't be my FIRST choice but they were already standardized on when I joined the club and they haven't caused any problems. My first choice would be MIL spec connectors (since we're talking about installing things on aircraft it would make sense to me to use aircraft hardware) if I were to do things from scratch.

By the way, if you want to see a really interesting mismatch in the audio world facilitated by the use of identical connectors for very different applications *you should see how well it works out when someone connects a 1/4" speaker out from a Hiwatt custom 100 to a 1/4" input on a P.A. mixer!

I keep the positive terminal of the battery isolated by applying a thick coat of hot-glue around the connected terminal and part of the wire. It avoids the possibility of shorting across the terminals and provides a bit of strain relief at the wire. *It's easy to peel off when servicing is required.

I'm partial to the XT60 style RC connectors. *Not as bulky as the powerpoles and great current capacity.

Craig

Another vote for Anderson Powerpoles. Cheap, lightweight, no exposed
conductive surfaces*, more current carrying capability than I'll ever
need, and readily available.

* on EITHER the battery or glider side.

Hi folks, I'm only an occasional visitor to R.A.S., so sorry if this turns into a drive-by posting.

Outside of the glider (chargers and such), I've standardized on Power Pole, but in the glider I use Philmore L602C connectors:
http://www.onlinecomponents.com/phil...tml?p=12175723

IMO, these are pretty much the ideal solution, as they're lighter than XLR connectors and they screw together for a tight connection.

They're not cheap, but then in the glider world what is?

On Thursday, November 29, 2012 10:51:39 PM UTC-8, wrote:
/snip/
By the way, if you want to see a really interesting mismatch in the audio world facilitated by the use of identical connectors for very different applications you should see how well it works out when someone connects a 1/4" speaker out from a Hiwatt custom 100 to a 1/4" input on a P.A. mixer!

There sadly is something correlated between most musicians and basic electrical knowledge. And yes I've seen guitar amps run into mixing boards, 4x12 guitar cabs trying be run through (low power) instrument cables and folks getting zapped by faulty guitar and mic amp circuits/grounding (and blaming the "phantom power" for that). The last fun was a vintage valve amp catching fire in a friends band...

Darryl