Although modelers use the smaller housings shown, Anderson makes Powerpoles in several different sizes. Save many hours a year and organize your electric workbench
Using Anderson Powerpole Connectors

There are several good connectors on the market and probably more than a few poor ones. Like Anderson, Deans, Astro Flight and Hobby Lobby offer excellent connectors (see The Connectors Connection article by Jef Raskin for more on the variety of available quality connectors). Note that the white plastic connectors that come with toy- grade models are not nearly as reliable or efficient as the higher end connectors are.

People tend to become attached to specific connector brands: some will only use Astro Zero Loss in their higher end sailplanes and F5B aircraft, and others strongly prefer the “gold bullet” style connectors offered by Hobby Lobby or the time-tested Deans Ultra Plugs and smaller polarized connectors. A sizeable contingent prefers Anderson Powerpoles, the subject of this article. Anderson Powerpoles are sold under a variety of brand names and can be found at most hobby shops. My intention here is not to criticize the other brands of connectors but simply to offer some little known background information on Powerpoles and tips and tricks for using them.

	Powerpole housings can be joined with contacts rotated in different directions to ensure plug incompatibility. They are available in different colors, which also helps differentiate intended use.

POWERPOLE BASICS

Good connectors can actually have less loss than the wire they are connecting! The Powerpoles used by RC modelers have a contact resistance as low as 100 micro ohms, or 0.0001 ohms! This is the same resistance caused by only 0.6 inches of 12-gauge wire.

Standardizing on one type of connector for all of your models, battery packs and chargers makes things much more convenient. Consider Powerpoles because they are relatively inexpensive, offer high performance and are well suited for any model from a park flyer to a 100+ amp limited-motor-run F5B competition ship.

There’s a lot to consider when selecting what type of connectors you use. Can they be disconnected without damaging your airplane? Can they be taken apart with one hand while holding your airplane in the other? My son, when he was 12, could not get apart the connectors that came with an electric flying wing. Switching to Powerpoles allowed me to keep flying while he changed his own batteries.

Powerpole and Astro Zero Loss connectors are insulated and have no exposed metal prongs that can potentially cause a short—a safety plus for both brands.

Unlike other connectors, Powerpoles may be assembled in several different configurations, making it impossible to plug the wrong things together (e.g., preventing you from accidentally connecting a Li-Poly battery to a NiCd/NiMH charger). Not only can you use different color housings, you can rotate or align the contact pins in incompatible ways.

GOOD FOR 10,000 CONNECTS/DISCONNECTS

	The contact in the foreground has been crimped. The “spoon” component of the contact extends in a straight line; this angle must be maintained for proper mounting in the housing.

A good connector should not lose contact tension with use. Powerpoles use a stainless steel spring to hold the silver-plated copper contacts firmly together. Some toy-grade connectors depend upon soft copper that eventually spreads apart and becomes loose.

This cutaway view of two connected Powerpoles shows the steel springs holding the contacts in place.

Powerpoles have curved contact pins that snap into place and hold the connectors together. When two pairs are snapped together, it takes approximately three pounds of tension to pull them apart. Anderson rates these at up to 10,000 no-load connect/disconnect cycles!

Note that Anderson connector contact pins are designed to have a tiny amount of “float” in them. A properly soldered or crimped contact pin will move around slightly within the case—this float guarantees the proper “lock” when two connectors are connected.

A steel spring sits in inside the housing and applies tension to the spoon portion of the contact.

Although some have speculated that connectors that don’t seem to lock together robustly may have a slight bend in the little stainless steel spring over which the contact pin floats, this is usually not the culprit. If the contact is bent where the flat part of the pin joins to the solder pocket (tube part) then it won’t lock in place properly. Also, any excess solder on the exterior of the contact can jam the contact in the housing, eliminating the float, again preventing an ideal connection.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT CONTACT SIZE

Anderson Power Products, the manufacturer of Powerpoles, makes hundreds of different connectors with ratings of up to 1000 amps.

The Powerpoles that most RC modelers use are Anderson #1327 PP15/45 housings with #1331 30-amp contacts. Many modelers don’t know that these housings accept three contact sizes that are rated as follows:

UNDERSTANDING AMP RATINGS

	THE RIGHT SIZE FOR THE RIGHT WIRE GAUGE:
	• 15 amps: for 16-20 gauge wire (contact #1332) • 30 amps: for 12-16 gauge wire (contact #1331) (most commonly used) • 45 amps: for 10-14 gauge wire (contact #261G2)
	Three contact sizes are available for standard   Anderson Powerpole housings used by  modelers. They are intended for use with  different wire gauges.

The 30-amp size contact, often used by competition F5B and 3D electric pilots, are often flown at well over 75 amps. These aircraft fly with limited full-throttle motor runs and therefore limited heating. Powerpole-insulated housings use a high temperature plastic, UL94 V-0, and the floating contact connector design allows air to flow through the connector housing, which assists in cooling.
An Anderson engineer told me that 30-amp connectors would not fail in sustained use until over 200 amps—I believe it. The actual rating for a 30-amp Powerpole is for a 30° Celsius (54° Fahrenheit) temperature rise at 30 amps (and 110 volts) using 12-gauge wire. This temperature rise spec is published in the National Electrical Code for building wiring and is more of a wire gauge rating than it is a connector rating. The power level noted in that standard is 3,300 watts. There should be no problem flying an F5B airplane at 150 amps with limited motor runs of only a few seconds, or a giant scale 3D airplane at a continuous 60 amps.

ASSEMBLING POWERPOLES

Now let’s look at how to use Powerpoles.

Choose the size contact that fits the wire you plan to use. E-flight models generally use 12 to 18-gauge wire (the lower number is the heavier wire). While we are on the subject of wire, it seems that some modelers use lighter gauge wire than is appropriate for the current being drawn. Although this may be in an effort to save weight, a heavier wire might actually provide improved performance. The popular 30-amp (12 to 16-gauge) size of Powerpole contacts fit in the same housings as the 15 and 45, and the assembled connectors mate regardless of which contacts are used. The only real difference between the contacts is the size of wire that they accept. The 15-amp contacts are made for 16 to 20-gauge, but I often use the smaller wire in these larger contacts by doubling the wire over two or three times. If you are going for a really big motor using 10-gauge wire, you must use the 45-amp contacts, which cannot easily be soldered.

CRIMPING BENEFITS

Most RC connectors must be soldered together. Powerpoles may be soldered or crimped. Crimping takes only a fraction of the time and, if done well, provides an electrical connection that is superior to what can be achieved by the vast majority of modelers using solder. This one advantage could save an electric modeler many hours of time over a year. Another advantage: Shrink tubing is not needed with Powerpoles or Zero Loss connectors. To prevent shorts, several of the other brands require heat shrink tubing insulation to cover the solder joints on the backs of the connectors.