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Author Topic: Reliable 12V connection?  (Read 1927 times)

paul_astrix

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Reliable 12V connection?
« on: April 02, 2019, 09:51:03 »
My board continued to track RA all night on my test bench, with minimal heating of the stepper. All good.

The problem I have is that the 12V connection is unreliable, a brief interruption in 12V will crash the CPU and lose connection with ASCOM.

Has anyone used a locking 12V connection? I think a locking power connector is essential in an outdoor environment. The common DC power plug can easily be pulled out accidentally - at exactly the wrong time!

One option is to solder wires to the 12V input on the PCB, about 6in long. Then fit a good quality RC power connector like the XT30.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a reliable power connection?

Paul

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jslight

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Re: Reliable 12V connection?
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2019, 05:29:11 »
I use XT-60 connectors made of Teflon, they work great and are somewhat hard to disconnect.

I personally use an XT-60 to barrel jack adapter; if you are going to solder one side directly to the AstroEQ, I recommend adding a knot in the cable before feeding it through the hole, in order to relieve stress on the solder joints.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2019, 05:31:37 by jslight »
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