Would ballast disconnects be workable reusable connector?

I'm working on my bike today and needing a resilient reusable connector (bike is stored outdoors, <30 climate, have to charge battery indoors), so I was about to order some XT60s when I decided to check Home Depot (there's one across the street, so it's quicker than Amazon) and I saw these:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ideal-PowerPlug-Orange-Ballast-Disconnect-Discs-5-Pack-30-1302S/202935637

Any reason these wouldn't work? (36v system, nothing fancy)

They're rated to 6A, aside from that I suppose they'd be ok. How well they stand up to repeated connections and potential sparking from being connected under load is for you to find out

EDIT:

I reread your post and noticed that you seem to want to use them for the main power connections from battery to controller, 6A is not likely to be enough for that unless you're running a very low powered setup. They'd be ok for charging though.

dustNbone said:

I reread your post and noticed that you seem to want to use them for the main power connections from battery to controller, 6A is not likely to be enough for that unless you're running a very low powered setup. They'd be ok for charging though.

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Right, but it's 6A at 120 volts (720w); these are for fluorescent lights. My max load is 20A at 36 volts - same wattage.

Or is that not how it works?

docrocket said:

Right, but it's 6A at 120 volts (720w); these are for fluorescent lights. My max load is 20A at 36 volts - same wattage.

Or is that not how it works?

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yes, I mean no, I mean that's not how it works.
Switches, wires, contacts and such have to carry current, not power (applicable note below 300V) Therefor it matters not so much the voltage the contact has to carry, it matters very much the current it can. In this case, size matters as in, the bigger it is the more current it can handle.
Another point to squirrel away in your book of trivia is: As the voltage rises, the possibilities of pitting, welding or otherwise ruining a contact increases.
bottom line: chose contacts for both current AND voltage, not power.

Take my word for it. Those HD connectors are not suitable . Go with the XT60's.

Thanks for the info, I will.

I use XT-90 for battery to controller. Anti spark XT-90 on the battery. If the controller has Anderson Power Poles, I use an adapter APP to XT-90, controller to battery.

Luna has the connectors and adapters.

XT-90s can be difficult to unplug, grease helps with this. Anderson Power Poles are easy to plug and unplug but don't have anti-spark.

Hope this helps.

MikeSSS said:

Anderson Power Poles are easy to plug and unplug but don't have anti-spark.

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Though they do have sacrificial tips that are not part of the contact surface, so the spark doesn't damage the connection itself. (design feature, useful).

You can also add antispark by any of a number of "precharge" methods, documented in many threads here on ES and elsewhere.




Regarding "easy" to plug/unplug, that depends on the PP size. PP45s are easy, especially with the low-detent-force version of the contacts (there are two types, one harder to unplug than the other). PP75s much less so, especially if setup in pairs rather than individual contacts. In threes, like with phase wires, they're fairly difficult to unplug. Put four together in the same connector, and... Then there are the SB series, which start with the SB50, using the PP75 contacts, going up in size until you might need two people to pull them apart, or a mechanical aid of some type. :lol:

i can't find any amp rating on that page so i don't know where that 6A number came from.
however it does say the connector can accommodate up 12 AWG wire so would expect the contacts to meet the same circa 30A capacity.

more of a concern for me would be that they aren't made for outdoor use.
but then those look no worse than XT & PP which aren't either.
yet the first gen of my ebike (36V/30A) came standard with andersons before the manufactuer switched to delphi weatherpack.
and yea, the PP bit me in the ass in the pouring rain (driving hailstorm actually) blowing out the FETs.

https://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/weatherproof-connectors

Toorbough ULL-Zeveigh said:

i can't find any amp rating on that page so i don't know where that 6A number came from.

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Keep scrolling down and you'll find the 6A rating on the photo/advert at the bottom.

I'll put my 2 cents in and advocate for the XT-90 with anti-spark. Sparking from the XT-60s I was using was annoying and was pitting the connectors. I still use XT-60s but only connect them when that won't initiate current flow. I like that XT-90s are large and easy to handle and, of course, don't spark. You can also get them with one-day shipping from Amazon if you are in a rush. I should add that the biggest negative is that you must solder your wires to them. There is no crimp, clamp, or screw down option.

wturber said:

Keep scrolling down and you'll find the 6A rating on the photo/advert at the bottom.

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Perhaps this rating is becuase of the slip-in type of connection it makes with the wires, or more likely the thickness (or thinness) of the metal of the contacts themselves.

(since similar slip-in contacts in switches and outlets can handle 15A typically).

Also the rating is for continuous duty in the most enclosed environment, rather than intermittent duty in free air.