Wiring Anderson Plugs

Submitted: Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 15:02
ThreadID: 67184 Views:6315 Replies:9 FollowUps:8
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Hi All,

Can someone please direct me to assembly instructions for the 50A Anderson Plugs. I've read some very informative archived threads here, but I just don't get it!!


Thank you

John
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Reply By: Gone Bush (WA) - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 15:12

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 15:12
The red wire goes into the positive half, black into negative.
Some people crimp the wires into the blades but you need the proper crimper. I hold the blade upside down in a pair of pliers, heat it up with a little gas torch then fill it up with solder and push the wire into it before the solder hardens.

Then push the blade, with the wire, into the plastic housing. It must go in so that the blade is "hooked" by the flat piece of steel in the housing. If you can pull the blade out again it's in the wrong way.

When you push 2 Anderson plugs together one is "upside down" so the 2 positives meet and the 2 negatives meet.

If all this is hard to visualise try to see some completed ones and all will be revealed.

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AnswerID: 356110

Reply By: Gone Bush (WA) - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 15:35

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 15:35
See if this helps....

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Follow Up By: Member - John and Val W (ACT) - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 15:47

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 15:47
Thank you. I must be exceptionally thick!! I've now got a couple together and I can see why people are so wrapped in them. A really nice piece of elegantly simple engineering.

Many thanks

John
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Follow Up By: austastar - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 15:47

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 15:47
I wish I had seen that illustration before I wired mine all wrong and had to re-do them all.
I could not get my head around how they went together until I did the last one.
cheers
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Follow Up By: Gone Bush (WA) - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 15:59

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 15:59
Make sure the blades are pushed thru really hard til they click into place.

My first ones weren't all the way thru and arced and melted the plastic !!
I'm glad I ain't too scared to be lazy
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Follow Up By: Member - Warfer (VIC) - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 16:06

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 16:06
Your not THICK at all John,I just rewired my fridge and tub in Hilux and you get all the parts (anderson) and think,how the hell am i supposed to put all this together properly hence your post...

But now you know you wont forget lol


Goodluck
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FollowupID: 624129

Reply By: Member - bungarra (WA) - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 16:11

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 16:11
Extra tip for crimping the wires into the lugs

Use a ball bearing and place it against the lug side on and squash in a vice...you will get a very nicely rounded indent that will grip the wire just as securely as any crimpers

just make sure you do it on the top / bottom of the flat part of the lug as if you distort the lug on the side it may not fit nicely when you slide it into the connector

cheers
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Follow Up By: Member - Warfer (VIC) - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 16:58

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 16:58
**Use a ball bearing and place it against the lug side on and squash in a vice...you will get a very nicely rounded indent that will grip the wire just as securely as any crimpers ***

Always a smarty pants in the group,good one..


Cheers
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Reply By: Member - Mike DID - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 16:21

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 16:21
One reason that Anderson Connectors are so much better than most other high-current connectors is that they are silver-plated - the metal with the lowest resistance and fairly immune to corrosion.

Be very careful not to damage this plating at the contact points - don't let solder flow there, you'll never get it off - if flame heating, don't overheat and damage the plating.
AnswerID: 356120

Reply By: Gone Bush (WA) - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 16:38

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 16:38
Just in case anybody doesn't know how to keep a copy of that picture:

Click on it to get the large version, then right click on that and select "Save As" and then put it somewhere in your pooter.

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AnswerID: 356121

Reply By: Time - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 17:07

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 17:07
Have a look here on the Anderson site for instructions.
AnswerID: 356127

Follow Up By: Member - John and Val W (ACT) - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 17:13

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 17:13
Thank you Time. I searched all over the Australian site and found only sales type info. Didn't think to try the US site.

Cheers

John
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Reply By: Wizard1 - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 19:17

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 19:17
Red wire goes to the postive side, black to the negative. Doesn't get much simpler than that.

Anything harder than that you might want to seek the assistance of an auto electrician.
AnswerID: 356148

Follow Up By: Member - John and Val W (ACT) - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 19:39

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 19:39
Thanks Wizard. Yes, understood - been an electrical engineer for 40 odd years now so know about the red and black!! Just couldn't figure how the bits went together and how they could get permanently stuck together if assembled wrongly. Actually sorted it out before the replies built up. Interesting to see just how many others have had trouble with this very simple little bit of gear.

Thanks for your input.

John
J and V
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Reply By: Ballfyboy - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 22:34

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 22:34
Another hint is not to "dummy fit" it together to see how it works before crimping the wires in. I did this and it too hours of playing with all sort of tools to get the dam thing apart again!!!!!! The up side was I had a really, really good idea of how they worked.
AnswerID: 356213

Follow Up By: V8 Troopie - Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 23:45

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2009 at 23:45
Just in case anybody is wondering what "all sorts of tools" are, just one is required. A small flat bladed screwdriver to unhook the stainless retaining strip in the plug from the contact tip.
The contact may have to be pushed hard into the housing from the wire side to get the screwdriver blade behind it at the connecting end. Use minimum screwdriver blade depth behind the contact to lift it off the stainless strip - you do not want to move both.
As soon as you see the contact unhooking pull back on the wire to extract it.
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FollowupID: 624227

Reply By: glids - Thursday, Mar 26, 2009 at 10:23

Thursday, Mar 26, 2009 at 10:23
And for those who don't want to spend $12 to $15 per plug that some places want to charge, and can wait for delivery, check out the following site:
http://www.traxide.com.au/anderson_7.html

cheers
glids
AnswerID: 356289

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