[aprssig] APRS Standard Connectors?

[David Rush]

Mark:

I had considered Molex connectors, but they're rather large and clunky.  I 
like having separate connectors for each function, as it provides the most 
flexibility "in the field".  Multiple Molex connectors would get kinda ugly.

Your point about having the connectors lock in some sort of way is good 
one, though (had a GPS connector come loose the other day after a wicked 
bump in a construction zone).  And being available at Radio Shack is a 
plus, here in the US anyway (at least the store closest to me still has them).

If I could find something that supports 3 conductors for the mic audio 
(ground, audio, PTT) that's not plug compatible with anything else in the 
system, and is readily available, I think I'd have a pretty good 
system.  Maybe 3.5mm stereo, with opposite gender with respect to speaker 
audio?  I'd still rather have something "more different" from the speaker 
audio.

David, KY7DR

At 02:15 PM 11/29/2005, Mark Earle wrote:
>At 02:07 PM 11/29/2005 -0500, David Rush wrote:
>>Have there been any recent efforts at developing a "standard" for APRS 
>>connections?  Seems every time I have something new to wire up, I look 
>>for a better way to do it than custom wiring widget A to widget B.
>
>My thoughts would be connectors that have some form of "locking". 3.5MM, 
>RCA, coaxial power, for instance, all cannot be locked to prevent 
>disconnection. I normally use plastic MOLEX connectors, with a row of pins 
>missing. When extra security/ locking is needed, a ty-wrap around the 
>whole thing keeps it together. (Ty-wrap goes where the pins are missing., 
>for instance on a 9 pin 3 rows x 3 rows, middle row is empty)
>
>>I have partially standardized with my own connections: all 12 VDC stuff 
>>uses the Anderson PowerPoles.
>>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.
>>
>>How about a suggested standard for 5 volt power?  I've been using RCA 
>>connectors lately, center positive, female on the power source side.
>>
>>How about audio connections between radio and TNC (or TinyTrak, or 
>>OpenTracker, or ....)?  For audio from the radio, 3.5mm mono makes sense, 
>>as most radios have that jack for speaker output.  How about a connector 
>>for audio and PTT to the radio?  I've not come up with a good idea for 
>>that one, that's (a) readily available, and (b) not confusable (is that a 
>>word) with any of the other connectors.  Being fairly compact is a big 
>>plus, too.
>>
>>David, KY7DR
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>aprssig mailing list
>>aprssig at lists.tapr.org
>>https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig
>
>       ) )    de WA2MCT Mark
>      ( (     Echolink 99190      Grid Square EL17HQ
>       ) )    You will be assimilated... oooh, coffee!!
>    _|****|   http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?wa2mct-7 Home
>   ( |    |   http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=wa2mct-9 Mobile
>    `|____|   wa2mct at mearle.com  wa2mct at juno.com  wa2mct at arrl.net
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>aprssig mailing list
>aprssig at lists.tapr.org
>https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig