Anderson connectors

[Burgerman]

For those that dont quite grasp how useful they are...

I fit them to everything. The reason being it gives enormous flexibility. For e.g. theres one inside my van hidden inside the centre console. It allows my to start the van from my chair. And once started it allows the van to charge me chair very fast as I drive home. It also means I can conect a lithium charger and charge my van from the chair, or the chair from the van at high power. It also means I can charge my hobby stuff, planes, helis, etc from chair or van. And it means that if the van lights were left on while you were at a cinema or something, you can just plug in the chair. And start it. Theres another anderson under the front wheelarch... Why? Because I might want to charge my hobby stuff, and plug in the charger. Or use it to leave a maintainance charger connected over winter. And I do. It also means that if theres a power cut, my van is a generator. How? A 12v to 240V AC inverter. I have one in the luggage compartment just in case. That with an extention lead can run my house lights, freezer, electric bed, wheelchair chargers, etc.

Or allow me to use the AC vacuum cleaner outdoors in my van. Or run anything AC.

I Have Andersons on every wheelchair. Every power supply (4). My mower, my strimmer, my electric bed, several inverters, all my chargers and thats around 10 inc 2 hyperions, 4 PL8s, and various 12 and 24V marine, and 30A ones. And many other things besides. For e.g all my solar system, at each panel and as a higher voltage serial set, and battery backup. I have plenty of long cables too. Inc 12V and 24V series parallel adapter connectors and Y junctions.

Even a cordless drill. No more dead battery as you work. In fact no dead battery! It amazes me that theres so many things that can be connected, powered, charged, or run from vans, wheelchairs, etc.

[rickystyx]

Having a stupid Skoda that once the battery dies on you you can only open the drivers door all the others being electrically locked and you can't open the bonnet without opening the passenger door so you have to start stripping the bonnet catch apart to operate the cable, just what you need when you are not physically able - having a set of Anderson connectors inside the car that I can connect the chair to also allows me to connect the Shirley charger to the battery in emergencies - it is an absolute savior

[Burgerman]

You can start it directly from your chair or open it too. You just need one under the wheel arch as well. As long as your chair is wired with 2 12V parallel/series connectors.
http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/gopro/starter.mp4

[ex-Gooserider]

I have both the PP-75 Andersons (which I prefer to the SB-50's for chair connections) and a PP-15/30/45 connector on my chair, as I find the smaller power-poles less cumbersome than the SB-50 or PP-75 for lower power things. (IMHO the plug shouldn't be bigger than the thing it's powering....)

I have SB-50 plugs on both the inside and outside of my van...

I have also made a set of jumper cables that I keep in the back of the van.... It is fun when someone has a dead battery in their car and you help by giving them a jump with your wheelchair....

ex-Gooserider

[hobie1dog]

I ran into a problem with my Anderson connectors recently as many ham radio operators use them in their shacks, but there has been a problem with many of them reporting that the connectors are melting because of the design of the metal spades inside and the design of the hook they use, which can cause a poor connection which leads to the melting of the connectors. This happened to my connectors recently.

I called the company and talked to a representative and sent them the pictures, and they responded back saying that it happens quite a bit with their connectors and left it at that. I'm completely baffled that they know they have a problem with the design of the connectors but act if it's no problem at all to them. A couple of the ham radio buddies I've been talking to, they usually buy them in a kit with many different sizes and they usually buy the accompanying crimper that they sell for these, but that we were talking that with the failures that people are experiencing and telling about on the ham forum, they are losing popularity.

[steves1977uk]

...they usually buy them in a kit with many different sizes and they usually buy the accompanying crimper...

I guess they are not soldering the wires too? Crimping alone isn't ideal as the wires can still move about and cause arcing which in turn creates heat. Then you get the problem as shown in your picture.

Always solder wires to the barrels for high current devices.

Steve

[shirley_hkg]

Soldering is not the issue.


I see they are not fully pushed in the way rather .

[woodygb]

I see they are not fully pushed in the way rather .

[Burgerman]

iF crimped PROPERLY and with correct tools, in a production line style way correct sizing, cable type, technique with testing etc then crimping might be reliable. But I still dont trust it. But that isnt the case with most DIY crimps. So solder them, assemble correctly, and plug in completely and they can do at least double the claimed amps all day long.

An anderson 50 starts to hot to the touch but not uncomfortably so, but nowhere near the point where they will melt at around 100A continuous. IF assembled correctly.

[LROBBINS]

Anderson recommends lubricating the contacts, so a shot of contact cleaner/lubricant (as well as crimp + solder) is probably a good idea. It may also be useful to insert the wire fully in the connector and mark a ring around the wire where it enters - I have had a few instances where a pin slipped back past the spring leaving a bad contact. I don't know if that was because the spring was not good, or if the relatively stiff wire's I've used might have been at an angle that pulled the tab off the spring, so I've taken to use a bit of nail lacquer to have a go-no go mark. Clearly, the two connectors must e pushed fully together or trouble is bound to happen. BTW, I've also used some Chinese Anderson copies, and so far they seem just as robust as the real McCoy.

[rickystyx]

BM out of interest do you use the 12v parallel system still with your Lifepo4 cells or do you use the PL8 to make connections to or from the van?

[Burgerman]

Seldom bother with lithium. But its set up so that I could charge via PL8. Mostly because I use the pl8 in there to charge my RC helis/quads/planes.

[hobie1dog]

Soldering is not the issue.


I see they are not fully pushed in the way rather .

I had my ham radio buddies put them on and push them together as I don't have the hand strength necessary to do it.