Anderson SB vs PP

Anomaly

1 mW
Joined
Jun 6, 2018
Messages
11
Looking at a quick disconnect plug for my S4P36 18650 battery packs. Right now I don't have the charger to charge at the amperage I want, but I'm looking at a 100A charger for each battery pack. Is there a benefit in the Anderson PP connector vs the SB connector. The PP just looks like a 2-piece version of the SB connector. The original SB connector is several times more expensive so I'm just tryin' to see if there is a real benefit.
 
I think they use the same exact contacts so there would be no advantage from an electrical standpoint. They have a larger area to grip onto so are probably easier to unplug.
 
I think the SP has the contacts more anchored down, so that wire twisting doesn't rotate the contacts, which the PPs can do with stiff wire.
 
Looks to me as though the SB is a one piece and the PP is your choice of single piece or not.

Lets go to the source, I marked the differences in bold/italics/underline/green.
https://www.andersonpower.com

http://www.andersonpower.com/us/en/products/sb-sb-boots/index.aspx
SB® Connectors - up to 500 Amps

Genderless Housings
Low Resistance Connection
Hot Plugging AC or DC
Keyed & Color Coded Housings
Self Securing Design

http://www.andersonpower.com/us/en/products/powerpole/index.aspx
Powerpole® Connectors - up to 350 Amps

Genderless Housings
Stackable Modular Housings
Connection Versatility
Low Resistance Connection
Color Coded Housings
Self Securing Design

Official Youtube channel for Andersonpower
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-ZE3mVmcS1ur0TjgJ0nF7w
Not many video's from Andersonpower.

There are countless other video's from other YT'ers showing installations.
The few video's I saw, I could not see how the conductor blade was attached inside the housing... for obvious reasons.

A final note, the one piece SB's do have an optional component of a cover when not in use, not sure if PP's have a cover.
Also to my eye there seems to be a different locking mechanism between the SB and PP. [strike]The SB looks to me, as though you could mechanically fasten both connectors together.[/strike] It has been confirmed here
http://www.andersonpower.com/_global-assets/downloads/pdf/ds-sb175.pdf
that for the SB's there is another option, a handle can be bolted to each connector.
945G3
(not included).
"A" Frame Handle

- 77 -
All Data Subject To Change Without Notice
www.andersonpower.com
| SB
®
175 ORDERING INFORMATION |
SB
®
175 Connectors
- up to 280 Amps
SB
®
175 Standard Housings
The second to largest SB
®
housings work with wire contacts up to 1/0
AWG [50 mm²] as well as busbar contacts. Genderless design mates with
itself. Mechanical keys are color coded. N

Cable Clamps
Durable metal cable clamps securely hold cables to prevent accidental strain or pulls from dislodging
wire or contacts from the housing. Only Bolt On type clamps can be used with the handles. Cable
clamps are recommended for solder terminated wires. Not for use with 3 pole housing.

Handles
Handles are made out of durable PC plastic. Hardware to
attach to connector body included in kits. Not for use with
3 pole housing.

Dust Cover
Prevents dust and dirt from entering the mating interface
of the connector when unmated. NOTE: Not a Hermetic Seal.
Not for use with 3 pole housing.
 
Anderson PP's

http://www.andersonpower.com/_global-assets/downloads/pdf/ds-pp120.pdf
PP120 Housings
The second to largest Powerpole housing c

Mounting Clamp
Mounting clamps can be used for fastening a block of Powerpole
®
120 series housings to a
panel. Connector blocks must be a complete square for the clamps to work properly. Fastening
hardware not included


Retaining Pins
Retaining pins are used to keep stacked Powerpole
®
120 series housings from
separating. Retaining pins are inserted in the circular opening between two
housings stacked side by side. Dimension B is +/- 0.015 in or 0.38 mm.

Reducing Bushings
Use with contact part number 1319-BK to allow a smaller wire to be used with the connector.
Electrical capability is derated with smaller wire

For environmentally sealed connector shells to hold Powerpole
®
15-180 connectors, see SPEC Pak
®
product series on our
website,
www.andersonpower.co
 
Anomaly said:
The original SB connector is several times more expensive so I'm just tryin' to see if there is a real benefit.

"several times more expensive" - Price is a concern for anyone.

"a real benefit" - Application is also a concern, so size matters.
Only you would know what the benefits are, for your needs for each product.
 
The biggest differences between them are keying and mounting:

PPs can be stacked into any configuration or keying you want, by locking the housings into each other, in rows or columns, and rotated from 0 to 90 to 180 to 270 degrees from each other.

SBs don't have that option, but you can create a four pin connector by screwing two SBs together back to back. You can "key" this connector in four ways depending on the rotation of each of the two. You could probably use really long screws and make a huge stack of housings, but it's generally not practical.

PPs don't directly have a way to screw the housings to things, but there are hardware pieces avalable to lock them together, and to mount them to surfaces. If you have at least three housings in a row, you can put screws thru the retaining pin holes to mount it to a surface.

SBs have mounting holes built in. These can be used to mount to a surface, or to mount to a T-handle for easier disconnection
 
Yea, sounds like there aren't a lot of advantages of the PP over the SB if you're only using 1 connector and 2 poles. Looks like the majority of the benefits come from 4, or even 6 poles. (At least at 120A) Well, that was kinda what I had seen, but didn't know If I was missing something obvious. Thanks.
 
Also, it's my understanding that there is more to the contact shape than meets the eye. The tips that initially touch are where any spark and arc-damage (however small) can accumulate over time, however...once they have been fully inserted, the actual current flows through an undamaged section.

Authentic Andersons are copper contacts, with a thin plating of silver. And counterfeits have sometimes been found to use low-temp plastic housings with zinc-plated aluminum contacts.

Edit:...I was just pointing out that authentic Andersons use real copper with real silver-plating, inside heat-resistant plastic housings, so they are worth a little more. For the cost of the battery to controller connection and the battery to charger connection for just ONE ebike, it is well worth the small extra cost.
 
Yea, I'm only looking at authentic Anderson plugs. Too high of current to skimp with a cheap imitation

Powerwerx sells the PP kits at a marginal increase over the SB kits (in comparison to some other companies selling the PP kits for 3-4x the price of the SB kits). Though there are less option for the PP kits as far as strain relief and handles, the dual color is bigger benefit to me. The + & - markings on the SB are smaller and more difficult to read, and I may eventually use my battery packs for other uses.
 
You can fill in hte + and - with nail polish if it helps (they also make glow in the dark nail polish, conveniently common this time of year for halloween costumes). Also, you can use different color heatshrink over a short section of each wire before it gets to teh contact/housing, if you're using the same color wire itself.
 
What I do on my yellow housing XT90's is just use a Sharpie marker, red for positive and black for negative. cant always visually tell with gloves on where the flat part is, or the roof shape is. Heck I've been wrong with no gloves on trying to shove the two together, stayed safe.

Thats kewl, glow in the dark, kewl idea!
amberwolf said:
You can fill in hte + and - with nail polish if it helps (they also make glow in the dark nail polish, conveniently common this time of year for halloween costumes). Also, you can use different color heatshrink over a short section of each wire before it gets to teh contact/housing, if you're using the same color wire itself.
 
You can get red nail polish any time of the year at the "dollar store". Just after Halloween everyone should grab a couple cheap bottles of black nail polish.

The "glow in the dark" nail polish idea is brilliant, Amberwolf!
 
spinningmagnets said:
"dollar store"

AKA CrapoRama and their slogan "Where nothing lasts"
Black and Red Nail Polish
Food and Drinks
Celebration Cards
Toys
Paper, Pens, Rulers, Calculators 'n such
Holiday Ambience - Doubt their items are very durable. Two uses and the customer would be smiling.
Tupperware - Iffy, not sure if you'd want $1.00 unknown plastics in contact with food.


Tools Department
Can Openers
Duct Tape
Electrical - Like $1.00 extension cord, trust it not


OK OK Back on topic
Yes some great advice
Glow in the dark and nail polish by Amberwolf
Where to buy cheap nail polish and perhaps glowy by Spinningmagnets
Additional non substantive info on dollarstores by yours truly. 8)

However I can add one, yes ONE!.... good piece of info, to this post.
1) Using colored wires helps distinguish between which side of the connector is black.
2) However the connector should be able to go in only one way, for obvious safety reasons.

OK so it was two good pieces of info, yes I edit a lot, I am working on it.
 
spinningmagnets said:
The "glow in the dark" nail polish idea is brilliant, Amberwolf!
Oh, I dunno, it's not really all that bright. ;)
 
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