Anyone using aviation connectors for e-bike wiring?

[eweichat]

I’ve been upgrading some wiring on my commuter e-bike and started looking at more durable connectors than the stock plastic ones.

After a few wet rides I noticed some oxidation on a couple of connectors near the controller, so I’m considering switching to aviation connectors. The threaded aviation plug design looks much more secure than the typical push connectors, and some versions claim to be waterproof.

Thinking about using them for smaller wiring like:

• display cable
• lighting wires
• accessory connections

Not for the main battery lead, just signal and low-power lines.

Has anyone here tried aviation connectors on an e-bike build?
Do they hold up well with vibration and outdoor riding?

 

[DingusMcGee]

I’ve been upgrading some wiring on my commuter e-bike and started looking at more durable connectors than the stock plastic ones.

After a few wet rides I noticed some oxidation on a couple of connectors near the controller, so I’m considering switching to aviation connectors. The threaded aviation plug design looks much more secure than the typical push connectors, and some versions claim to be waterproof.

Thinking about using them for smaller wiring like:

• display cable
• lighting wires
• accessory connections

Not for the main battery lead, just signal and low-power lines.

Has anyone here tried aviation connectors on an e-bike build?
Do they hold up well with vibration and outdoor riding?

Better yet: forget any multiple wire connections using plugs. Tin the wire ends and then join them. Use waterproof heat shrink tubing over the solder joint.

 

[AussieRider]

Or just put a bit of heat shrink over the existing connectors. If you need to disconnect, just slice it off. Almost as reliable as Dingus' suggestion. How bulky are aviation connectors?

AussieRider

 

[jkrienert]

They can be bulky... With some proportion of durability too. About the balance of your build I'd suppose, no one size fits all.

Not sure these are exactly like the OP reference, some amphenol connectors I scored from surplus seem like they will serve okay (wip). One nice thing about some of these aviation connectors is their purchase at surplus being less than 10% OEM cost. A couple of these I scored for 15 - 35 USD and they were otherwise (1990s) valued at close to 300$ per. That's also caveat of a gross markup of material costs, though I'll stop myself before I get started on that tangent
...

 

[RunForTheHills]

I just use Julet / HiGo connectors. They are low profile, waterproof, cheap, and easy to source. It is easy to bend a pin on them, but I don't disconnect them very often. If I did, I might look for something more robust.