USL charging plug connector type?

[RickB]

Hi All,

Hope this is the right spot for this post, seems like it could go in the Incan forum or Custom/Mods, but this is about an electrical connector so here goes.

I have a USL with its accompanying Triton charger and power supply. For charging, the designers of this light brought down two wires into the tailcap area of the Mag and used a connector, which has its complement attached to two banana plugs that plug into the Triton. This connector is a small, black plastic, two-pole connector that is rectangular in shape. Does anyone know what this connector is called and where it can be sourced from?

I'm asking this question because I'm interested in standardizing on a single type of connector for charging my stuff, present and future. This will include the USL, Fivemega battery holders, battery clamps, etc. I want to do this for the Smooth (tm) factor, and also to reduce the chance of dead shorts while plugging/unplugging.

I guess if there is an alternative connector type that would work better, or be cheaper, easier to find, or easier to work with, I'd love to hear about it as well. I just thought I'd go with the USL connector since I already have one.

Thanks as always for any tips!

-Rick

 

[Codeman]

They are Molex connectors. You should send a PM to bwaites if you want the specific part number.

If I was going to standardize on just one connector, I'd probably go with the miniplug that Fivemega's adapters use, since you can get them easily at Radio Shack and most electronic supply stores. I'm not sure how feasible such a connector on the USL would be, though, due to space constraints in the tailcap.

Just remember that you don't want to daisy chain connectors. Each connection between the charger and the batteries will introduce some lost efficiency.

 

[RickB]

They are Molex connectors. You should send a PM to bwaites if you want the specific part number.

If I was going to standardize on just one connector, I'd probably go with the miniplug that Fivemega's adapters use, since you can get them easily at Radio Shack and most electronic supply stores. I'm not sure how feasible such a connector on the USL would be, though, due to space constraints in the tailcap.

Thanks for the response. I don't think I'd switch over the USL, so maybe I could standardize and have just one "exception." The Fivemega adapter type plug is worth considering, but ideally I think I'd like something with no exposed conductors. Although I think the chances of shorting are pretty minimal due to the design of the plug.

Just remember that you don't want to daisy chain connectors. Each connection between the charger and the batteries will introduce some lost efficiency.

Hmm, how many "daisy chained" connectors is too many? Will the additional resistance cause problems with the charging, perhaps with charge termination, etc.?

Here's what I was thinking of:

Triton{banana plugs}semi-permanent wires{connector in question}another length of wire{device-specific connector}device

So I'd have several "device-specific" leads that all hooked to the lead which would always reside in the Triton. The alternative would look something like this:

Triton{banana plugs}length of wire{device-specific connector}device

The thing I was trying to avoid is that with this setup, there's the possibility of pulling the banana plugs out while the device is still connected, and if the plugs touch, poof! I know I can just remember the correct order to work in, but I'd really prefer it to be idiot-proof.

Thoughts? Thanks again for your input.

-Rick

 

[Neg2LED]

I use Deans connectors on everything - sockets on batteries, plugs on chargers and devices the batteries connect to. No chance of shorting, ultra low resistance.

http://www.harrisrc.com/connectors.htm

Thats an example of them.

--neg