Powerpole police here....

[Jan Ditzian]

I agree with Knut--I hope he will not kill this thread.
I disagree with Knut--I have never had a 3.5 mm phone connector pull out of my K3. I have had the Powerpole connector disconnect numerous times, simply by sliding the K3 forward or back on the desk.  I bought myself a bunch of Powerpole connectors and a crimper, and began using them in the shack and in the car.  I wish that I had not done this.

I will also agree with an earlier poster that #12 audio wires are more flexible than the red/black married pairs we normally see.  In my town, no one had the red/black wires, and I bumped into the audio type by serendipity (right next to the car wash).

73,

Jan, KX2A

Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 12:21:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: ab2tc<[hidden email]>
To:[hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Powerpole police here....
Message-ID:<[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Hi,

I kind of hope he will not kill this thread. I really have no problem with
APP. I assemble my own, I solder them, I know how to click them together and
I have no problem with them separating from their mate or falling apart. By
far the worst connector to pull out or make connection problems on the back
of the K3 is the awful 3.5mm phone connectors. I do not know why they are in
such widespread use other than the fact that headset manufacturers put them
on their sets. If I pull my K3 forward on my desk (which I try to avoid)
these connectors are the only ones to come undone,*never*  the APP power
connector.

If I were to rate the connectors on the rear of the K3, this would be how I
would do it:

1. BNC - the most perfect connector in the world.
2. UHF - properly tightened, it's perfect.
3. RCA phono - with a good quality male, it's problem free.
4. APP - properly assembled, it has sufficient separating force.
5. Did I miss something here?
6. 3.5mm phone (mono and stereo) - never come across a pair that is not
intermittent when wiggled. Junk!

AB2TC - Knut

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[Jim Brown-10]

On 3/13/2014 1:40 PM, Jan wrote:
> I will also agree with an earlier poster that #12 audio wires are more
> flexible than the red/black married pairs we normally see.

It is really quite unfortunate that red/black glorified zip cord has
become the defacto standard for power and speaker wiring. It is a really
poor choice for both uses because it is very poor at rejecting RF
interference. A FAR better choice would be twisted pair of suitable
conductor diameter, because it strongly rejects all sorts of
interference -- audio hum, buzz, and RFI.

We tend to forget that although we CALL those cables "DC power" or
"speaker" cables, Mother Nature knows the laws of physics, so she calls
them "antennas," and they behave as antennas. I have solved MANY serious
RFI problems by replacing zip cord with twisted pair. BTW -- have ever
noticed that the red/black zip cord sold at flea markets is several wire
gauges smaller than it is marked, and that the insulation is thicker to
conceal that fact?

Yes, I know that everyone uses zip cord for these uses, but as my mother
taught me when I was but a wee lad (sometimes with the assistance of a
good whipping), "just because everyone does it doesn't make it right."

73, Jim K9YC
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