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Current Feature Articles   Jul 05 The Amateur Amateur: Please Answer the Following Question   Jul 04 Youth@HamRadio.Fun: Another Field Day in the Books   Jul 03 Surfin': ATVing Digitally and APRSing Successfully   Jul 01 ARRL In Action: What Have We Been Up to Lately?   Jul 01 It Seems to Us: Support HR 2160!   Jun 28 Dropping in on Field Day   Jun 27 Amateur Radio Quiz: Parting Words   Jun 26 Surfin': Finding Missing Sunspots   Jun 26 The Amateur Radio Crossword Puzzler   Jun 25 Doubling Up on Field Day ARRL Products: Circuit Design (More) ARRL's Vintage Radio -- Articles about the lure of vintage Amateur Radio gear. Discrete-Signal Analysis and Design -- Now Shipping! -- A clear, step-by-step approach to practical uses of discrete-signal analysis and design, especially for communications and radio engineers. Experimental Methods in RF Design -- Now Shipping! -- Immerse yourself in the communications experience by building equipment that contributes to understanding basic concepts and circuits. Hints & Kinks--17th edition -- Now including the popular Hands-On Radio column from QST Workbench. ARRL's Hands-On Radio Experiments -- Over 60 basic electronics experiments from the pages of QST!

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Are dissimilar connectors making power interconnections difficult? Then, surf the Web to an elegant solution for connector compatibility.

Kim, KB1GTR, and Steve, KB1DIG, Merrill took advantage of the lull before the holidays to do some experimenting and Amateur Radio-related Web publishing. Their experiments involved Powerpoles, a unique connector for power interconnections. Their Web publishing reflects the findings of their experiments. It was "almost like taking project notes," Steve wrote, "We hope this information on Powerpoles is useful and everyone enjoys it. This is just our way of giving back to the hobby."

The Anderson Powerpole Ideas Web site provides hands-on information about a different kind of power connector.

You will find the findings of Kim's and Steve's Powerpole experiments at their Anderson Powerpole Ideas Web site, which describes the connectors in detail and provides tips on assembling and using the connectors.

For higher power rigs, high-amperage dc power supplies and bus wiring, the Anderson Powerpole is the emerging national ARES/RACES standard. The links on this page include Web sites of some of the ARES groups using these connectors. Be sure to visit those sites for additional useful information regarding Powerpoles.

Also check out these links at the bottom of the Powerpole Ideas page for additional Amateur Radio emergency communications ideas: The Box:Portable Emergency Communications Station Ideas and Go Kit: Daily Emergency Communications Gear Ideas. In fact, poke all around this Web site and you will find lots of amazing and interesting ham radio stuff, some of which we featured back in the February 21 installment of this column.

Until next time, keep on Surfin'

Editor's note: Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, is not a Powerpole, but he is a Pole, an American Pole, to be exact. All of his grandparents were born in Poland, so you can contact Stash or Stan by sending e-mail to wa1lou@arrl.net.

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