+1 for Anderson plug.

 

I also put in a 7 amp panel fuse, from Jaycar, mounted just behind the modified plug (red thing).

Also rewired the 1.1m of 16awg wire within the fridge with 12awg wire.

Reduced loses replacing all the 16awg rubbish cables. About 0.17 volts improvement.

 

Technically yes Possum, but he is actually very nice,knowlegable and doesnt charge me like a wounded bull.

Also, I have a dedicated double outlet socket, for merrit and cigarette style, so a major mission to change to Anderson, due to drawer and cage setup. (Someone with 6ft ourangatang arms could do it)

Mike Harding wrote:

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Ah ha! The  old 12V automotive cigar lighter connector.

Each and every one of them should be removed, taken outside, placed on a solid concrete block and then beaten severely with a 1kg to 2kg lump hammer.

 I don't have much more regard for Anderson connectors frankly although I do use them (Chinese versions from eBay) due to the sad lack of capable and reasonably priced low voltage, high current connectors.

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 I only use genuine, I get them from this place.

https://www.tools.com/?rf=kw&kw=Anderson+plugs

You both fail to understand:

It's not the quality of the connector manufacture which is at issue... but rather that the design of the thing is crap.

rgren2 wrote:

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 What do you recommend? 

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Nothing: I am not aware of any viable alternative which is why I use the Chinese Andersons connectors.

There are plenty of commercial, military and medical quality high current, low voltage connectors on the market but their price is far beyond amateur use (ie. $30+ for each gender and often lots more).

If anyone knows of an alternative I'd love to hear about it?

Mike Harding wrote:

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Ah ha! The  old 12V automotive cigar lighter connector.

Each and every one of them should be removed, taken outside, placed on a solid concrete block and then beaten severely with a 1kg to 2kg lump hammer.

 I don't have much more regard for Anderson connectors frankly although I do use them (Chinese versions from eBay) due to the sad lack of capable and reasonably priced low voltage, high current connectors.

---

I think you'll find the one pictured is actually a Merit plug, albeit a 90deg one. It goes by many other names such as Hella plug, BMW/Triumph motorcycle plug, Powerlet plug, and by it's official designation of ISO 4165.

It's far superior to the ubiquitous cigar lighter type because it was originally designed as a DC plug, by the Germans in WWII for their military vehicles, and not a modification of something never intended for that purpose!

Specifically, while the cigar plug is always trying to jettison itself from the socket due to the spring loaded central positive pin pushing it out, the positive pin on the Merit is fixed and indented, and is gripped firmly by a clasp inside the socket, like an audio jack plug. Another advantage is that the Merit plugs and sockets are about half the size of the cigar ones (comparative scale on the photos below is misleading), particularly useful when you are bulkhead mounting a 12v socket and the space behind where you're mounting it is an issue.

First thing I did when I bought my new camper was to replace all the cigar sockets with merit sockets!

Incidentally you can also get combi Merit/Cigar plugs that have a removeable red adapter which converts them from one to the other - but beware, it's one of those cases where by trying to do two things it does neither well. My advice is to stick to straight Merit plugs if you want a good connection.

Merit plug...

90deg Merit plug

Cigar plug...

Combi Merit/Cigar plug...

 Comparison of the sockets - Merit on left and Cigar on right...

 

-- Edited by Mamil on Thursday 6th of April 2023 08:31:44 PM

Thanks Mamil, I have the 90d plug with the combo outlet as pictured. It is now a positive engagement, much different to the "combo " plug also pictured.