Recommend me a high Ampage plug/socket

[gregcope]

Hi

What alternatives are there to an Anderson plug (SB50/SB175)? For example the dinghy inflator I have seems to pull quite allot of Amps judging from the temp the cables get to. It uses crock clips to the battery terminals, which is okay but not ideal. To access my batteries I have to clear stuff+Cushions+open locker. I am very careful not to short anything when connecting them and you end up with a cable through the boat. It is easy to pull it off the batteries when moving it.

12V car sockets have similar issues. Our tiny inverter which seems to warm up the 12V sockets quite a bit when running a vac in the past.

So I would like to wire in some suitable plugs. I am leaning towards an Anderson plug on a long flying lead I can drag out of a locker (more easily) or wire some in the forepeak and stb cockpit locker. Then add Anderson plugs to my high amperage things (like the inflator, crash pump, tiny inverter). The thing preventing me from doing that is that Anderson plugs not offer much protection from the elements and is there a better solution?

Any other suggestions? Or should I just go Anderson and be done with it?

 

[jwfrary]

Subconn connectors are great but expensive! Come in a variety of sizes and types and common in the offshore industry

 

[sarabande]

Andersons come in some pretty hefty amperages. More than enough for a dinghy pump .

If you look at "waterproof boxes" on Amazon,

Amazon.co.uk : plug box waterproof

you could put an Anderson socket in a box and leave it on a wander lead of heavy cables attached to a service battery, and then add an Anderson plug to the air pump, and join them up in the box when needed. With decent heavy cables, a long wander lead is practical.

 

[Gwylan]

+1 for Anderson. Use a decent size cable. I used 4mm left over from the solar panel installation.
You can get a sort of surface mount that acts as a panel socket

Just have to make it universal on your kit and make up a sort of flying adapter lead for the one item you forgot to change or that you borrow from a mate.

 

[gregcope]

Subconn connectors are great but expensive! Come in a variety of sizes and types and common in the offshore industry

Ah. Interesting. And reassuringly expensive! Thanks for the info.

 

[gregcope]

+1 for Anderson. Use a decent size cable. I used 4mm left over from the solar panel installation.
You can get a sort of surface mount that acts as a panel socket

Just have to make it universal on your kit and make up a sort of flying adapter lead for the one item you forgot to change or that you borrow from a mate.

Thanks!

You've given me an idea. I looked at surface mounts and there are all sorts that basically encapsulate a plug.

One idea is to bulkhead mount a plug to make a socket. Then a lose double ended fly lead as an extension (loads on ebay as tail lift extensions).

 

[gregcope]

And another idea (feel free to throw rocks) is to piggy back off the Anchor windlass cabling which has a breaker and then thick (25mm2?) cables to the bow. I could add a plug at the relay point and surface mount that as a socket near the bow (in the forepeak). Flying lead from there gives me power over the foredeck.

We would not use the Andserson plug and Windlass at the same time, either way the breaker would trip to protect the wiring. Which reminds me, need to check the cable and breakersize.

 

[gregcope]

Andersons come in some pretty hefty amperages. More than enough for a dinghy pump .

If you look at "waterproof boxes" on Amazon,

Amazon.co.uk : plug box waterproof

you could put an Anderson socket in a box and leave it on a wander lead of heavy cables attached to a service battery, and then add an Anderson plug to the air pump, and join them up in the box when needed. With decent heavy cables, a long wander lead is practical.

Thanks.

 

[alahol2]

I've just fitted one of these plus its corresponding plug to run my tiller pilot. Not super sturdy but does make a positive connection very easily. Plugs and sockets available separately.

 

[VicS]

Hi

What alternatives are there to an Anderson plug (SB50/SB175)? For example the dinghy inflator I have seems to pull quite allot of Amps judging from the temp the cables get to. It uses crock clips to the battery terminals, which is okay but not ideal. To access my batteries I have to clear stuff+Cushions+open locker. I am very careful not to short anything when connecting them and you end up with a cable through the boat. It is easy to pull it off the batteries when moving it.

Cannot help with the plug but if the cables get hot they are undersized for the current they are carrying and very undersized to avoid excessive volts drop

use one of the lookup tables or calculators for cable size to limit volts drop .

Upgrade the cables and you may well improve the performance of the inflator.

Croc clips insecurely clipped directly onto the battery terminals carrying a high current pose a risk of causing an explosion if any arcing occurs.
The chances of that happening may not be high but the consequences could be serious and expensive. For that reason it is not OK

 

[Refueler]

I've just fitted one of these plus its corresponding plug to run my tiller pilot. Not super sturdy but does make a positive connection very easily. Plugs and sockets available separately.

Yep ... sensible.

Lets be honest - most times you want to inflate dinghy is when alongside not sailing. So the Tillerpilot power socket is not in use. Fit a plug to dinghy pump and use that power socket. Why fit an extra socket ?

Many people have the two pin Tillerpilot ..... (Aldis Lamp Socket) ... power socket - so you can even lend pump to another boat !!

I have an extra addition to my inflators cables .... being an RC modeller and we can be using E-motors drawing anywhere up to 100A ....... we have various connectors capable of high amps .... Deans / T connectors .... XT30 (30A) ... XT60(60A) ... XT90(90A) ... Anderson PowerPoles etc.
I have XT60's in the cable allowing me to use my RC batterys if needed or plug in the extended cable to other plug for boat.

 

[Moodysailor]

Anderson socket + potting resin would be my choice. They are not weathertight sockets, I would assume you wouldn't be trying to use them when green water is coming over the bow, so add sufficient service length in the cables (use tinned copper) and assume replacement every couple of seasons. With careful use, i'd wager they will last a lot longer than that.

 

[Refueler]

My domestic cable has lasted over 15 years on my inflators .. I have two for dinghys ... two for car tyres ... all 4 had their cables extended by XT60 plugs / sockets by standard domestic cable.
My Tillerpilot socket has same domestic cable ... its well over 25yrs old that I know off and still good.

I've only had to replace one cable on my boat due ... 'black wire' ... and that was a 240V mains cable from breaker box to fwd cabin. That cable was also over 20yrs old ... in fact cleaning the ends and it shows zero resistance ... so is still serviceable.

 

[parbuckle]

Some of the high speed inflators are apparently rated at 33amps nicknamed the screamer .My 15 year old setup is a Belgin Buchaneer 2 pin bulkhead socket mounted below close to fward hatch , a 50 amp cable is wired to a dedicated fused battery switch ,the belgin plugs are sold as a separate items and have a screwed collar .A problem maybe that 50amp cable will require suitable size connector holes at the socket end . A bonus is that once you have it setup any other items can make use of it such as a pump or powerful light

 

[gregcope]

potting resin

Can you please expand @Moodysailor?

 

[Moodysailor]

Can you please expand @Moodysailor?

Sure thing.

Something like this ( Link ) to seal the back of each plug, in conjunction with a boot or amalgamating tape over the top to finish. Usually used to seal underground connectors in a watertight enclosure, so pretty robust.

 

[gregcope]

Thanks @Moodysailor. I have seen the boots. I would heatshrink the spade/crimp/cable interface so that should be water resistant/protected.

 

[gregcope]

I've just fitted one of these plus its corresponding plug to run my tiller pilot. Not super sturdy but does make a positive connection very easily. Plugs and sockets available separately.

Thanks for that - useful to know.

 

[gregcope]

Lets be honest - most times you want to inflate dinghy is when alongside not sailing. So the Tillerpilot power socket is not in use. Fit a plug to dinghy pump and use that power socket. Why fit an extra socket ?

@Refueler I do not have a tiller pilot socket. I think @alahol2 was suggesting their sockets from my op.

So the choice is @alahol2 or @jwfrary suggestions or stick with the Anderson connectors.

Probably going with Anderson plugs as they are more of standard. I can make fly leads and extensions. I intend to fit one plug come socket in both the port cockpit locker (high up) and the forepeak (piggy back off the anchor windlass wiring).

 

[Refueler]

@Refueler I do not have a tiller pilot socket. I think @alahol2 was suggesting their sockets from my op.

So the choice is @alahol2 or @jwfrary suggestions or stick with the Anderson connectors.

Probably going with Anderson plugs as they are more of standard. I can make fly leads and extensions. I intend to fit one plug come socket in both the port cockpit locker (high up) and the forepeak (piggy back off the anchor windlass wiring).

No worries ... but may assist those who have TP socket ...