KC8AON's QRP PROJECTS

HOMEBREW DC DISTRIBUTION BOX WITH ANDERSON POWER POLES

RUN YOUR ENTIRE SHACK FROM ONE POWER SOURCE

DIMENSIONS OF THE BOARD SHOWING TRACE CUTS TO SEPERATE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE BUSS AND FUSE CONNECTIONS

HERE YOU CAN SEE TRACE CUTS THAT SEPERATE THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE BUSSES AND THE CONNECTIONS FOR THE FUSE HOLDER. YOU CAN ELIMINATE THE TRACE CUT FOR THE FUSE AND USE AN INLINE FUSE IN THE POWER CABLE'S POSITIVE LEAD. THE BIG RED AND BLACK DOTS NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE BOARD SHOWS WHERE THE INPUT CABLE SOLDERS TO THE BOARD.

REMOVE TOP OF ALTOIDS TIN AS SHOWN - BOARD MOUNTS AS SHOWN HERE. NOTICE POWER POLES ARE FLUSH MOUNTED - THIS GIVES BETTER SUPPORT.

CUT 1/8" BRASS ROD INTO 3/4" LENGTHS, INSERT INTO POWER POLE TERMINALS, CRIMP AND SOLDER PINS AND TERMINALS TOGETHER. ASSEMBLE TERMINALS TO POWER POLE SHELLS AND LOCK SHELLS TOGETHER IN STANDARD A.R.E.S. CONFIGURATION. INSERT BRASS PINS THROUGH HOLES DRILLED IN CIRCUIT BOARD AND SOLDER THE PINS TO THE COPPER ON THE BOARD. ABOVE IS HOW TERMINALS SHOULD LOOK BEFORE INSERTING INTO POWER POLES.

THIS IS THE STANDARD A.R.E.S. POWER CONNECTOR CONFIGURATION USING ANDERSON POWER POLE CONNECTORS. MY DC BOX AND ALL MY RADIOS ARE FITTED WITH THIS CONFIGURATION AND I HAVE THE SAME CONFIGURATION IN MY CAR FOR MOBILE OPERATION. THIS WAY THERE IS NO CHANCE OF REVERSE POLARITY AND ALL MY RADIOS WILL WORK WITH MY DC DISTRIBUTION BOX, PLUS THEY ARE VERY QUICK TO CONNECT AND DISCONNECT WHEN NEEDED.

THIS IS MY FINISHED DC DISTRIBUTION BOX READY TO BE CONNECTED TO MY 20 AMP 13.8 VOLT REGULATED POWER SUPPLY. IT HAS 6 PAIRS OF ANDERSON POWER POLES FOR OUTPUT AND A 20 AMP MINI AUTOMOTIVE TYPE FUSE FOR PROTECTION, AND DIDN'T COST AS MUCH AS THE ONES COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE. IT'S NOT FANCY, BUT IT WORKS WELL AND SERVES MY PURPOSE ! FOR CONNECTION TO POWER SOURCE, I USED A SHORT LENGTH OF #12 RED AND BLACK ZIP CORD WITH RING TERMINALS CRIMPED AND SOLDERED ON THE ENDS FOR CONNECTION TO THE BINDING POSTS ON MY POWER SUPPLY. MAKE THIS CABLE NO LONGER THAN ACTUALLY NEEDED TO KEEP VOLTAGE DROP AS LOW AS POSSIBLE. I MOUNTED MY DC BOX ON THE BACK OF THE DESK RIGHT BEHIND THE POWER UPPLY SO MY CABLE ONLY NEEDED TO BE ABOUT 12" LONG - YOU MAY NEED ONE SHORTER OR LONGER. ALSO NOTICE THAT I RAN THE CABLE THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE ALTOIDS TIN. TO DO THIS, I USED A SHARP KNIFE TO CUT A "X" MARK IN THE TIN AND THEN FOLDED THE METAL INWARD TO MAKE A ROLLED EDGE O THERE WOULD BE NO SHARP EDGES TO CUT THROUGH THE INSULATION ON THE CABLE. YOU MAY WANT TO INSTALL A RUBBER GROMMET IN YOURS, BUT I USE HOT MELT GLUE ON THE INSIDE OF THE BOX TO PROTECT THE CABLE. THE CABLE BY THE WAY SOLDERS DIRECT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE BOARD. THE RED POSITIVE LEAD SOLDERS TO THE PAD NEXT TO THE FIRST FUSE CONNECTION, AND THE BLACK NEGATIVE LEAD SOLDERS ANYWHRE ON THE NEGATIVE BUSS. IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHAT THE RCA CONNECTOR IS FOR, THAT WAS AN AFTERTHOUGHT - I ADDED IT BECAUSE I HAVE A DIGITAL SWR/POWER METER THAT HAS AN RCA PLUG ON THE END OF ITS POWER CABLE AND I DIDN'T WANT TO WASTE A SET OF POWER POLE CONNECTORS FOR THE METER CABLE, SO I ADDED THE RCA JACK TO MY DC BOX. I SHOULD ALSO STATE THAT I LINED THE INSIDE BOTTOM OF THE ALTOIDS BOX WITH A THIN SHEET OF PLASTIC JUST AS A PRECAUTION AGAINST SHORTS IN CASE THE TIN GETS DENTED - I MOUNTED THE PLASTIC SHEET WITH DOUBLE STICK TAPE TO KEEP IT IN PLACE.

73 & GOOD LUCK !