The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

The New Hotness

  • Anderson Powerpoles: Stress Relief

    This is quick & easy. When you’re making a Powerpole connector, shrink a length of small heatshrink tubing over the end of the terminal after crimping.

    Heatshrink tubing stress relief for Anderson Powerpole terminals
    Heatshrink tubing stress relief for Anderson Powerpole terminals

    You can’t cover the entire crimped region, lest the terminal not snap into the housing, but halfway seems to work fine.

    The goal is to keep the wires from flexing right at the end of the terminal, which is exactly where they’ll break.

    I’ve also wrapped a length of self-vulcanizing rubber tape around the entire connector housing and the wire, which is appropriate for high-stress applications. Looks hideous, though, not that that matters much.