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Reviews For: Anderson Powerpoles

Category: DC Power Supply Distribution

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Review Summary For : Anderson Powerpoles
Reviews: 195MSRP: varies
Description:
Anderson PowerPoles are the ultimate wiring connectors you can use in your ham shack. Once you try them, you'll never use anything else for everything from battery connectivity to removable master power links.
PowerPole Features:
Flat wiping contact system
Interchangeable Genderless design
Colored, Modular housings
Polarized housings
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.powerwerx.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
1041953.7
AD5X Rating: 2014-05-08
All PPs here! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Maybe I'm lucky. I've completely converted to Powerpoles, and I know I've crimped over 100 pairs so far - 15, 30, and 45 amp connectors (I use the West Mountain Radio crimper). The connector-to-connector connections have always been good, and the connectors don't pull apart unless I want them to. Just my personal experience.
W2HP Rating: 2014-05-07
Anderson Power Poles Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have the Anderson power pole pliers. I also have 4 other jaws for the pliers. Coax connectors, molex connectors and etc.

I noticed my Icom 7600 at full output on 40 m CW was 81 watts. That's Bird 43 wattmeter watts. Why so low? I took my very old Simpson 260 out and checked voltage drops in the supply line. OH BOY! My Astron SS-30M has amp and voltmeters. No variation from 20 amp draw to nothing. Found key down at IC-7600 voltage was about 11 volts. I traced thru the fuses and Anderson Power Poles. YEPPER! Voltage drop thru Power Poles. Voltage drop at Icom fuse too. I exercised the Anderson and the fuse on Icom and voltage came way up to about 13.4 VDC at radio and about 13.8 at supply. Now 7600 puts out about 109 watts out.

It seems these highly touted Power Poles have an inherent flaw. Surface corrosion. Also thru time the connection get resistive thru heat and it just gets worse over time. My old binding post power distribution box never exhibited any voltage drop. The Anderson Power Poles are touted as being a super way to get connectivity for power in the shack. Well, I just threw some water on this fact! Possibly a fluke? Flounder? or a real issue?

Pete W2HP
WALTERB Rating: 2013-06-21
I only solder them! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I know, I know you can buy the crimping tool, which I have.. But I have had the best luck just taking the time to solder them. you don't destroy the shape of the pin when you do this, and they work every time.
WB3BD Rating: 2013-05-04
Not bad, but not great Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Anderson PP's work as described but are a bit flimsy. o.k. for a consumer-grade DC connector, although I haven't "field-tested" them yet (I'm currenly running all my shack gear into a PowerGate/Rigrunner combo). Crimps hold well, but ONLY IF properly applied. I use the Tri-crimp tool designed for them which took a little practice to properly use. I also find that the crimped terminals may sometimes be difficult to "snap" into the plastic housings. Overall, a nice way to quickly standardize DC power management in the shack ... despite being a little pricey.
N0DSQ Rating: 2013-01-31
Not for me Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Great idea, However, I could never get the male or female couplers to stay together without one or the other sliding apart. there seems to be no real lock/bite between the two. I'm missing the rage on this one.
KK8ZZ Rating: 2012-10-29
Very best power connectors! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
40 years in ham radio and I have never found a better power connector. I've changed all the shack power connectors to PowerPole leads and everything is quickly and easily changed when a new rig comes into the shack, or when I move one around. All the power for station accessories like SWR meters, etc are also done with PowerPoles. Get one of the new cheaper power blocks and avoid the high prices from the old vendors. Google it and find best prices. Cheers... Bob KK8ZZ

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KK8ZZ on 2012-07-12

Ok.. been a ham for 40 years...been through T-connectors, 6-pin, 4-pin and whatever Heathkit had... don't even start me on Collins...., BUT... I've been standardizing all my power supplies and radios, HF, VHF, UHF to Powerpoles for the past six or seven years, and when you want to make the connection, just match the colors and plug it in. I have PowerPoles connecting an IC-7000 to the auto power port in the car, and in five years, it has NEVER wiggled out! I once asked a tech about my concerns about that, and he said "....just use an old bread wrapper tie, or a zip cable tie... don't pay more for special extras that bind the PowerPoles together... " I bought the special crimping tool at Dayton years ago, and I've NEVER had a PowerPole connector fall out or fail... Cheers... Bob KK8ZZ

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KK8ZZ on 2012-05-05

Rewired all my power cords and power supplies to powerpoles... now everything connects to everything else, first time, every time...
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Earlier 5-star review posted by KK8ZZ on 2011-06-17

Yes, yes they are... if you ever think that you are or might be involved in emergency comms (aren't we all?) just plunk these guys on the end of your power connectors and get over it.... so many of us have converted ALL of our power connectors to PowerPoles.. get with the flow, gang !!
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Earlier 5-star review posted by KK8ZZ on 2011-06-17

Like many hams, I've converted every one of my power connectors to PowerPoles.. if everything goes South, this is the standardized connector to work with. If your PowerPoles slip apart, use (1) a plastic zip tie; or (2) a wire tie that is wrapped around any of the zillions of cables that come to you factory fresh; or (3) one of those goofy wire wraps that come with any of a number of things we unwrap every day; or (4) the Home Depot wire wraps that hold tomato plants and others to the garden stakes... de KK8ZZ
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Earlier 5-star review posted by KK8ZZ on 2008-07-21

I've used these exclusively for 4 years since I bought the "official crimper" at Dayton... $49 seems a lot to spend for one tool, but it works well, and I've never had a connector fail after crimping with the ratchet climper -- from #22 through #10 stranded wire. I've converted the entire shack and never had one pull out of the power strip I have mounted vertically on the side of the radio desk. Makes connecting and reconnecting WAY easy. Highly recommended.

de KK8ZZ

AD5TD Rating: 2012-10-29
Solution looking for a problem Time Owned: more than 12 months.
In the VERY large sizes (400amps and up), they work fine. However I must echo KE5JPP's assessment, they are junk. I won't tarnish the reputation of Tinker Toys by calling them that.

Any connector that MUST BE PINNED to keep it from falling apart from vibration, has no business in a mobile environment.

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Earlier 2-star review posted by AD5TD on 2008-09-05

I'm glad that I'm not the only one that thinks these things aren't the "end all/be all" for electrical connections. I have had the same experiences that AE5EH did and I have never been in avionics or anything like that.

They just don't hold in any kind of mobile/portable situation. Let's face it, if you must tape or roll pin them together so they don't come apart, you might as well use something else.

They are fine for the shack, but I would never use them in the field.
KE5JPP Rating: 2012-10-29
Awful Tinker Toys Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The Anderson Powerpoles should never have gotten this much popularity in the Ham community. I attribute it to the appliance operator mentality that pervades Ham radio today. No one that wants a reliable and durable connection should consider these tinker-toy connectors!

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Earlier 1-star review posted by KE5JPP on 2012-05-05

I have never had any problems with crimping the connectors because I use the ratcheting tool. However, I have had problems with the connectors (not the wires) pulling out easily in portable or mobile installations. These connectors are way over-rated and over priced for something that only marginally works. It seems that there are too many lemmings following others to the sea with this one!
KI4GTJ Rating: 2012-10-28
THE BEST Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
nothing but the best way to hook up your gear
WT3O Rating: 2012-09-19
Used for nearly a decade now Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I was first licensed in 2004 when these connectors were new and somewhat controversial. I put these connectors on my first 2M radio and have been using them ever since.

What's great about PowerPoles:
1. They are genderless. Need an extension cord? No problem because it will fit and you won't have to get adapters to make it work.
2. It is impossible to reverse polarity IF you wire all of your connectors the same way. These connectors only fit one-way. If you try to insert them reversed they won't fit.
3. They are standard. No problem if I want to take my FT-857 out of my car and use it in the shack - just plug it in and go. Want to use my FT-817 in the car or portable? No problem, just plug it in and go. Want to charge my HT from the car or shack? You get the idea.
4. They don't fall apart or pull apart if they are assembled correctly. I have my West Mountain Radio RigRunners mounted under my ham desk (I wanted to keep the top of the desk clutter free). These connectors are installed upside down and have not pulled apart or come apart. Granted, it you yank the power cable it will come out, but with the force of gravity alone they will maintain their connection.
5. In the grand scheme of things they are relatively cheap. Banana plugs range from $3.49 to $6.49 per set of two at Radio Shack. You can get 10 sets of PowerPoles for $9.99 at PowerWerx.

What's not so great about PowerPoles:
1. You need to keep a lot on hand because you'll use them for everything. I try to pick up a pack at each hamfest so I never run out.