All,
Let me jump in and try and catch up as I get my Land Speed List fix in the
form of a daily digest and not individual emails.
I'd like to use excerpts, if I may, to address a few excellent points that
have been raised.
>It's not for nothing that the US military & aerospace industry uses
>Deutsch connectors. Note that there are other manufacturers of MIL-SPEC
>connectors besides Deutsch; all of them are excellent.
Please don't confuse the Mil Spec parts with the Deutsch DT line and use that
as a basis for price comparison. The DT line of connectors, which is what
we're talking about, is Deutsch's "Transportation" connector. As the name
implies these "Environmentally Sealed" connectors are used in engine,
transmission, heavy equipment, agricultural and other transportation and
stationary engine applications. They are used by OEM's around the world.
Harley Davidson, Yale and Allis just being a few. Please look at the technical
specifications.
>If you can't afford a failure, use MIL-SPEC connectors. They usually
>have gold-plated connector pins-- not for looks but to insure good
>electrical contact. Ordinary contacts are not good unless there is a
>substantial current flowing through them. "Dry contact" switch contacts
>and connector pins maintain good, low-resistance connections even with
>very low current flow.
Gold plated contacts are available in whatever quantities you require. Meaning
if you have only one circuit in a twelve contact connector that requires gold,
you can order just one gold pin and socket for that circuit.
>At very low voltages & low- currents a contact will develop a thin oxide
>on its surface that acts as an insulator.
As for other oxidation or contact resistance concerns, all of the pins and
sockets (solid or stamped & formed) are Nickel plated for much better
performance than typical Tin plating. The DT connectors are rated at 13 amps
while the DTM "Mini" connectors are rated at 7.5 amps.
Again please look at the complete technical specs. With only spare pin and
sockets needed to repair, replace or relocate a connector (all the other parts
being reuseable) these are a very cost effective (long term) product. And
performance in the harshest environments is second to none.
Here is a link to a reference guide we've put together which includes a link
to the complete technical specs.
http://www.battsracing.com/Tech%20Articles/deutsch%20reference%20guide.html
Please don't take any of this as a "pitch" for our product. It is intended for
information and no other purpose other than the hope of helping someone
complete the next run down the salt, lake bed or concrete.
If you do decide to use Deutsch, and you find our prices are in line, include
the words "Please give me my Land Speed List discount" in the notes section of
the order form and we'll cut 10% off of the price. Hope that eases the pain a
little.
On a side note, I received a promo from Waytek today on a (apparently) new
product from Molex. Another name we can trust for quality. The new product is
an Environmentally Sealed line of connectors much like the Deutsch stuff. I
don't have any other details but it looks like real nice stuff at first
glance. Here's a link they sent me for a free sample. Hope it works.
http://www.waytekwire.com/splash/smprequest08.htm
Hope this helps in some small way.
Paul Batts
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