Powerpole crimper

[KC9ECI]

I'm not a big fan of soldering. I can do it, and adequately at that, I just don't care for it. So, with all love of powerpole connectors amongst my peer group, I succumbed and started using them a couple of years ago. The first ones I soldered. Later, I found a crimping tool from Gardner Bender that did a passable job. http://www.powerpolehq.com/PowerPole-Tools/PowerPole-Crimping-Tool-GS-388/prod_33.html

Cut to a couple weeks ago and I needed to use a couple ring connectors on a battery so I broke out the handy Harbor Freight crimper that I picked up one day in Eau Claire a few years ago. http://www.harborfreight.com/ratcheting-crimping-tool-97420.html As I was making my crimps, I once again thought about how nice it would be to have that Tricrimp tool as I had some new gear to put powerpoles on. I eventually got around to checking various places, including ebay where I found this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/150867531044 So I took the die out of the Harbor Freight crimper, compared it to what was on my screen and decided to give it a shot. The die arrived today, and fit perfectly. So, I now have a ratcheting crimper for powerpoles for the miserly sum of $19. Mind you if I had to buy the tool and the die, I might as well go ahead and just buy the Tricrimp, but for being able to just add the die to an existing tool in my box...not a bad deal.

[K7SGJ]

Well, I've always said, don't let anything crimp your style. Well, I haven't always said it.

The truth is, I've never said it. Never mind.

Carry on.

As you were.

[N8YX]

I picked up one at Dayton for $40. This unit - a WestMountain Radio version - has removable jaws. Will be interesting to see if any Amp or similar crimp-tool jaws could be used with it.

[K7SGJ]

I picked up one at Dayton for $40. This unit - a WestMountain Radio version - has removable jaws. Will be interesting to see if any Amp or similar crimp-tool jaws could be used with it.

I have one of those, Fred, and it will accept other "standard" jaws. Over the years, I've picked up just about every crimper jaw and ratchet handle known to mankind. In the majority of cases, I prefer a crimped connector because they are quick, and the good ones provide some strain relief in the design, at least the good ones do. I particularly like to use crimp BNC connectors. Of course, for some applications, solder is still the only way to go.

[WØTKX]

I've done so many crimp N connectors in the past few years, I can do them in my sleep.

[K7SGJ]

I've done so many crimp N connectors in the past few years, I can do them in my sleep.


I always do mine that way, in my sleep, that is.

[NQ6U]

Crimps is for wimps. Real men solder, and not with any of this hippie tree-hugger lead-free shit, either.