TL; DR
Save 2min reading and jump into HOW-TO section.
Yaesu FT-891 is a well designed 100W HF radio beloved by portable HAM operators for POTA/SOTA/field Op. Its factory 4-pin Molex connector helps to secure the power cord with an interlock, however, it leaks of quick-release for fast deployment and suffers from reduced durability after long-term plugging/unpluging.
A FT-891 XT60 Power Connector designed by BH4DMQ (Fig.1a) provides insight on how to replace Molex with other quick-release enabled power connectors, and inspired me to start this project.
 |
|---|
| Fig.1 a) BH4DMQ's XT60, b) N2FQ's "bare metal", 3) DG7PX's 3d printed parts |
Instead of XT60, I choose to replace the Molex with Powerpole, a commonly used connector by HAM for field operation and emergency communication.
My early version was a direct adoption of BH4DMQ's idea, which puts the powerpole vertically and holds everything in place entirely by a 3d-printed plate, which is similar to N2FQ's "bare metal" (Fig.1b), or DG7PX's 3d printed parts (Fig.1c).
But after several iterations of design and validation, the powerpole proved to be better inserted horizontally. So I redesigned everything from scratch and got the current version.
In such orientation,
- the powerpole can flawlessly slide into the Molex opening (Fig. 2a);
- More ergonomic to plug/unplug power cord;
- Moreover, plugging/unplugging strength relieves from 3d-printed holding plate to the radio chassis (Fig. 2b).
 |
|---|
| Fig.2 a) Powerpole fit into chassis slot, b) Plate installed finish look, |
- 3d printed plate
- Wire harness
- Molex replacement
(Under construction, check back later 🚧👨🏻💻)