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 freema22
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Posted: 8/2/2012 10:24:07 PM
THE IMAGE ABOVE IS A PAID ADVERTISEMENT That is all.
Mike F
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Posted: 8/2/2012 10:55:34 PM
I crimp mine with a standard solderless terminal crimp tool, and sometimes just have to bend the contact just a little to be inline with the wire attachment barrel. I just compare after crimping to an uncrimped terminal and bend a little as needed.
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stanprophet09
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Posted: 8/2/2012 11:02:02 PM
[Last Edit: 8/2/2012 11:03:20 PM by stanprophet09]
Originally Posted By freema22:
I've given up trying to crimp them. They just distort, and then they get jammed halfway in. Then when you try to pull them out, the tip rips off and you are fudged. I have decided that from now on, I will only be soldering them. Much less drama there. That is all. Mike F You have to crimp them as far down as you can, also the ridge needs to be opposite of the seam. Not all crimpers work well, Klein crimpers work great for power poles. 
Pay no attention to the bad grammar on the MSpaint, I whipped it up in like 10 seconds to post it! |
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Posted: 8/2/2012 11:06:05 PM
That might be part of the problem. I was crimping the full length of the barrel. I forget what kind of crimpers I am using, but they are pretty decent, like Channel Lock brand. I'll try again. However, soldering seems to work pretty well. They are definitely locked in!
Thanks,
Mike
Originally Posted By stanprophet09: Originally Posted By freema22: I've given up trying to crimp them. They just distort, and then they get jammed halfway in. Then when you try to pull them out, the tip rips off and you are fudged. I have decided that from now on, I will only be soldering them. Much less drama there. That is all.
Mike F You have to crimp them as far down as you can, also the ridge needs to be opposite of the seam. Not all crimpers work well, Klein crimpers work great for power poles. http://i938.photobucket.com/albums/ad224/stanprophet/PPmap.jpg Pay no attention to the bad grammar on the MSpaint, I whipped it up in like 10 seconds to post it! |
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stanprophet09
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Posted: 8/2/2012 11:10:17 PM
Channel lock brand with the blue handles do not work worth a damn on APP's. The jaws need to look like the picture. I have a set of channel locks at work, bought them for home, they sucked on PP's so I took my Kleins home.
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Posted: 8/2/2012 11:22:53 PM
Originally Posted By stanprophet09: Channel lock brand with the blue handles do not work worth a damn on APP's. The jaws need to look like the picture. I have a set of channel locks at work, bought them for home, they sucked on PP's so I took my Kleins home. The jaws on mine look like the picture. Here is what I have. I think my technique may have been bad. I will give it another shot over the weekend.  |
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stanprophet09
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Posted: 8/2/2012 11:38:46 PM
Originally Posted By freema22:
Originally Posted By stanprophet09:
Channel lock brand with the blue handles do not work worth a damn on APP's. The jaws need to look like the picture. I have a set of channel locks at work, bought them for home, they sucked on PP's so I took my Kleins home. The jaws on mine look like the picture. Here is what I have. I think my technique may have been bad. I will give it another shot over the weekend. Yep they will distort the power poles, the reciving part is not round, it has a hump in the middle. They work great for uninsulated connectors but not good on power poles. |
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CJan_NH
Blissfully ignorant Colt KoolAid drinker...
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Joined: Jul 2003 NH, USA
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Posted: 8/3/2012 1:34:21 AM
Am I the only freak ham here who solders and crimps them?
I use the "official" PowerPole crimp tool with the three different jaw sizes, but I also flow some solder into the channel where the tabs bite in. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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mcooper
Rifleman
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Posted: 8/3/2012 10:07:42 AM
I don't have any problems when I use the powerwerx crimper.
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Posted: 8/3/2012 10:24:48 AM
I've been using the my Channel Lock crimper and it definitely needs some finesse to get it right. This article claims that the Harbor Freight crimpers do a fine job on the Powerpoles. For $7 it might be worth getting just to use on PP's.
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BigDaddy0004
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Posted: 8/3/2012 10:32:34 AM
[Last Edit: 8/3/2012 10:42:20 AM by BigDaddy0004]
Originally Posted By mcooper:
I don't have any problems when I use the powerwerx crimper. +1 That's the one I use with no problems. 
Originally Posted By CJan_NH:
Am I the only freak ham here who solders and crimps them? CJan_NH, your OCD is showing again! Freak! 
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wildearp
Get off my lawn!
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Joined: Jun 2003 AZ, USA
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Posted: 8/3/2012 10:54:35 AM
Anytime I don't have the exact crimper recommended by the manufacturer, I do a light crimp, and then solder them.
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ar-jedi
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Posted: 8/3/2012 12:15:50 PM
[Last Edit: 8/3/2012 1:14:11 PM by ar-jedi]
Originally Posted By freema22:
I've given up trying to crimp them. They just distort, and then they get jammed halfway in. Then when you try to pull them out, the tip rips off and you are fudged. I have decided that from now on, I will only be soldering them. Much less drama there. sounds like crimp tool user error. 
any of the three tools shown below will work 100%. though –– crimping is electrically, mechanically, and galvanically superior.
ar-jedi 
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joemama74
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Posted: 8/3/2012 1:09:32 PM
Originally Posted By ar-jedi:
Originally Posted By freema22:
I've given up trying to crimp them. They just distort, and then they get jammed halfway in. Then when you try to pull them out, the tip rips off and you are fudged. I have decided that from now on, I will only be soldering them. Much less drama there. sounds like crimp tool user error.
any of the three tools shown below will work 100%. though –– crimping is electrical, mechanically, and galvanically superior.
ar-jedi http://losdos.dyndns.org/public/ham/powerpole/DSCN3269.JPG I just got the red handled pair like in the picture from Power Werx. You have to pay attention and finesse it a bit, but it works. I used them on my kids power wheels so I could tap in a Battery Tender Jr instead of paying the ridiculous money Walmart wanted for a new power wheel charger. |
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km
Intelligent Donkey
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Joined: Dec 2004 IN, USA
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Posted: 8/3/2012 1:35:06 PM
Originally Posted By mcooper: I don't have any problems when I use the powerwerx crimper. +1 I have used others but like this one best. |
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Posted: 8/3/2012 2:13:44 PM
I must have gotten a bad powerwerx crimper, because mine sucks badly,
I routinely have the pretty crimped terminals slide right off. As advised, a regular crimp tool used "backwards" (crimping the back side of the terminal) works pretty well, and that's what I do now. Not as pretty as the powerwerx tool crimp, but I also don't end up with bare-ended wires laying on the floor after an accidental tug. |
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glazer1972
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Joined: Mar 2001 TX, USA
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Posted: 8/3/2012 2:48:33 PM
[Last Edit: 8/3/2012 2:48:49 PM by glazer1972]
Originally Posted By ar-jedi:
Originally Posted By freema22:
I've given up trying to crimp them. They just distort, and then they get jammed halfway in. Then when you try to pull them out, the tip rips off and you are fudged. I have decided that from now on, I will only be soldering them. Much less drama there. sounds like crimp tool user error.
any of the three tools shown below will work 100%. though –– crimping is electrically, mechanically, and galvanically superior.
ar-jedi http://losdos.dyndns.org/public/ham/powerpole/DSCN3269.JPG I use the one on the bottom right. |
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wildearp
Get off my lawn!
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Joined: Jun 2003 AZ, USA
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Posted: 8/3/2012 3:12:43 PM
Originally Posted By joemama74: Originally Posted By ar-jedi: Originally Posted By freema22: I've given up trying to crimp them. They just distort, and then they get jammed halfway in. Then when you try to pull them out, the tip rips off and you are fudged. I have decided that from now on, I will only be soldering them. Much less drama there. sounds like crimp tool user error. any of the three tools shown below will work 100%. though –– crimping is electrical, mechanically, and galvanically superior. ar-jedi http://losdos.dyndns.org/public/ham/powerpole/DSCN3269.JPG I just got the red handled pair like in the picture from Power Werx. You have to pay attention and finesse it a bit, but it works. I used them on my kids power wheels so I could tap in a Battery Tender Jr instead of paying the ridiculous money Walmart wanted for a new power wheel charger. Klein Tools makes one like that. I have three of them. |
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ar-jedi
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Posted: 8/3/2012 3:15:25 PM
[Last Edit: 8/3/2012 3:16:56 PM by ar-jedi]
Originally Posted By seek2:
I must have gotten a bad powerwerx crimper, because mine sucks badly, I routinely have the pretty crimped terminals slide right off. ok, i *really* don't mean to have this come off sounding like a Dell support person asking you if your PC is plugged in, ... but
you do know there are different size powerpole terminals suited for different gauge wire and accordingly may use different areas of the crimping jaws, correct? just making sure we are on the same page here because the powerpole crimping operation should "just work". ar-jedi click for BIG 
click for BIG 
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BroncoGlenn
The bullshit stops when the hammer drops
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Posted: 8/3/2012 3:20:14 PM
Originally Posted By CJan_NH: Am I the only freak ham here who solders and crimps them? I use the "official" PowerPole crimp tool with the three different jaw sizes, but I also flow some solder into the channel where the tabs bite in. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Got around to setting some up the other night for the first time. I ended up crimping and soldering as well. I was using the Powerwerx crimp tool AES sells. I found out real quick that you got to pay some attention to what you are doing. If the wire extends too far into the connector (past the end of the crimp tab) it will not allow you to push it into the plastic housing. I tried filing the extra off, as it wasn't much, but then punted and simply cut those off and re-did it. The primary reason for soldering, however, was that I was trying to use some 12 or 14 gauge wire I had on hand with 45A connectors, so the solder helps to hold it all together. |
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Posted: 8/3/2012 4:10:04 PM
I love Anderson Powerpoles. Best invention since amplitude modulation.
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Posted: 8/3/2012 4:16:33 PM
Originally Posted By ar-jedi:
Originally Posted By seek2:
I must have gotten a bad powerwerx crimper, because mine sucks badly, I routinely have the pretty crimped terminals slide right off. ok, i *really* don't mean to have this come off sounding like a Dell support person asking you if your PC is plugged in, ... but
you do know there are different size powerpole terminals suited for different gauge wire and accordingly may use different areas of the crimping jaws, correct? just making sure we are on the same page here because the powerpole crimping operation should "just work". ar-jedi <snipped pics> 
Yep, I got hundreds of 15, 30, and 45A powerpoles, and I used the appropriate slot in the die for each terminal and the right terminal for the wire gauge in use. Honestly I think it's just a defective die on my powerwerx tool, I bought one of the first ones they offered (labeled tricrimp, but it's from powerwerx and obviously the same tool) and in spite of multiple attempts to adjust the die in the tool, there's always a noticable ~1mm gap on the outside lip. I suspect the die was ground incorrectly, but it took me probably 50-75 crimps before I gave up on the tool, and it looked pretty used by then so I never attempted a return. I'm perfectly happy with my Klein/GB crimps. Maybe not as sexy but I my confidence is a lot higher. I definitely agree that a crimp is far better than soldering. |
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ar-jedi
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Posted: 8/3/2012 4:20:26 PM
Originally Posted By seek2:
Honestly I think it's just a defective die on my powerwerx tool sounds like it. ar-jedi |
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Posted: 8/3/2012 5:06:57 PM
Originally Posted By mcooper:
I don't have any problems when I use the powerwerx crimper. I once was a frustrated generic crimper user. Not so anymore. I saw that light. Hallelujah life is good now! |
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joemama74
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Posted: 8/3/2012 5:44:20 PM
[Last Edit: 8/3/2012 5:44:50 PM by joemama74]
Power werx also sells a sleeve for crimping smaller wires into the higher rated connectors, say if you were putting an 18 ga wire in a 45 amp connector.
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stanprophet09
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Posted: 8/3/2012 6:00:39 PM
Originally Posted By joemama74:
Power werx also sells a sleeve for crimping smaller wires into the higher rated connectors, say if you were putting an 18 ga wire in a 45 amp connector. Even with the 15a PP's small gauge wire can cause some problems. The trick is the strip the wire 2x longer than needed and fold the wire over. There is a reason I do not solder them, and it is the same reason equipment and car manufactures do not, they also crimp them. A crimp connection is mechanically stronger than a solder connection, the solder gets down in the strands of the wire causing it to be stiff and brittle. It is also the reason most wire is stranded, vibration and movement can cause the wire not only to break, it can cause individual strands to break. It still maintains continuity, but under increased load heating causes increased resistance, and an obvious voltage drop. Of course that is a worst case scenario, but it does happen. |
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