Bench Talk

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You need durability, reliability, and safety when it comes to power connectors, particularly in wet outdoor locations. Ask any harried concert roadie who has pulled and torn off an IP65 cap with their gloved hand in a rush to unplug a power cable to either switch audio components between musical sets or tear down the setup to get to the next city.

Oops. Now, the equipment must be taken out of service to restore its IP65 watertight rating before it’s used outside again. The roadie is left to either find backup equipment to replace the now-damaged one, or, in an even more complicated scenario—dismantle the panel mount receptacle, unwire it to get the torn base gasket/hinge off, replace it with the new one, then rewire and reassemble the panel mount receptacle. Who has time for all that?

This week's New Tech Tuesdays takes a look at Amphenol Sine's connectors and why today's design engineers and everyday users will find them as solutions to their power needs.

In this concert-gone-wrong example, Entertainment@Amphenol connectors would have been the answer because they are designed to be durable, reliable, and easier to repair. These connectors feature a stainless steel-bead chain lanyard-cap design that Amphenol says has higher tensile strength than the one-piece molded hinge design currently on the market.

Simply remove one screw from the corner of the panel mount receptacle, leaving the old base gasket in place, slide the eyelet at the end of the bead chain lanyard under the same corner of the receptacle and replace the screw. Entertainment@Amphenol’s third-party test results show the cap, even on a competitor’s receptacle, still maintains both IP65 and UL 50E Type 4 enclosure rating compliance.

Entertainment@Amphenol HPT Series^™ Power Connectors from Amphenol-Sine (Figure 1) are fully plug-compatible with the original and latest industry-standard competitive products. The connectors are also VDE-Approved to IEC 61984 to 5,000 circuit-breaking mating cycles. Amphenol says maintenance, repair, and operation supplies (MRO) costs will dramatically decrease with Entertainment@Amphenol’s design.

Figure 1: Amphenol Sine's HPT Series™ Power Connectors hit all the sweet spots of an efficient connector. They're reliable, durable, safe, and have diverse uses. (Source: Amphenol)

Entertainment@Amphenol’s Other Design Enhancements

More good news for inexperienced roadies: HPT Series connectors also feature an easy-to-use cable clamp locking safety feature and protect even the most-inexperienced roadies from accidentally unscrewing the back cable clamp nut when trying to disconnect the plug from the equipment.

With a small screwdriver or Entertainment@Amphenol’s patented release tool in the hands of trained and experienced roadies, this cable-clamping nut can be easily removed with one hand if access to the terminal area of the plug is necessary. No more fumbling to push the nut release in one direction while trying to turn the nut in a different direction.

The series also includes stainless steel spring-loaded covers that fit all three-panel mount connector sizes (inlet, outlet, and dual). They automatically snap shut when the mating cable is removed, maintaining the IP65 ingress protection and UL50e Type 4 enclosure rating.

Entertainment@Amphenol’s HPT cable connectors can accommodate 12/3 "SO" 600V cordage as required in Extra Hard Usage applications by Article 400 of the NEC. Stage portable power is considered an Extra Hard Usage application by the NEC. HPT Series inline connectors are among the few cable connectors on the market designed to accommodate the larger ODs of these 600V Type SO cordages. The series is rated at 20A at 250V (16A at 250V EU) and, again, is circuit-breaking (can be connected or disconnected under load) to 5,000 mating cycles.

Entertainment@Amphenol's HPT Series Power Connectors from Amphenol-Sine hit all the high notes for safe, reliable, and durable power connectors. They're a good fit for entertainment and broadcast lighting, LED video walls, stage power distribution boxes, and powered loudspeakers. Best of all, they're roadie-proof.