[aprssig] APRS Standard Connectors?

[Tapio Sokura]

David Rush wrote:
> I have partially standardized with my own connections: all 12 VDC stuff 
> uses the Anderson PowerPoles.

Me too. All my 12 VDC stuff uses powerpoles and I've been quite happy 
with them. They don't really lock together, but that hasn't been a 
problem for me. You can always use a cable tie to secure a connection if 
necessary.

> For GPS data, I've been using 2.5 mm stereo plugs and jacks, where the 
> GPS is wired with a male plug, consistent with how the Kenwood D7 and 
> PocketTracker are wired.

I don't like the 2.5 and 3.5 mm plugs and jacks. The jacks loosen up far 
too easily and thus cause the whole connection to become unreliable. It 
works just fine if you don't need to touch the connections ever again 
and use light & flexible wires so they don't cause stress to the joints. 
But if the connection is stressed and/or frequently plugged/unplugged, 
it will go bad quite fast.

For now for each piece of equipment that has a serial port, I've made a 
cable that on one end contains the connector that specific piece of 
equipment requires and terminated the other end of the cable with a D9 
that follows the standard pin assignments for serial ports (unless the 
piece of equipment already contains a D9 with standard pin assignments 
and connector polarity). But this setup has its problems with figuring 
out the male/female polarity, extra locking nuts required for connecting 
two D9s on a cable together, etc. Those small gender benders and null 
modem adapters help though.

> How about a suggested standard for 5 volt power?  I've been using RCA 
> connectors lately, center positive, female on the power source side.

I think I saw a recommendation somewhere for a specific powerpole color 
for 5V use. I guess in practice that could be hazardous for equipment if 
color is the only differentiating feature between 12 and 5 volt 
connectors. And powerpoles are a bit big in dimensions for smaller stuff 
that typically uses only milliamps.

   Tapio