1
Amphenol
®
Tri-Start
Series III - the highest performance
MIL-DTL-38999 connector
Tri-Start
TM
MIL-DTL-38999 Series III
with Metal Shells - Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Class K Firewall
Composite Tri-Start,
Qualified to MIL-DTL-38999, Rev. J
Amphenol
®
Tri-Start MIL-DTL-38999* Series III Connectors
offer the highest performance capabilities for both general
duty and severe environment applications. Meeting or ex-
ceeding MIL-DTL-38999 Series III requirements, the Tri-Start
connector with standard metal shells (aluminum or stain-
less steel with several finish options) offers these features:
• EMI Shielding - solid metal to metal coupling, grounding
fingers, electroless nickel plating, and thicker wall sections
provide superior EMI shielding capability of 65dB minimum
at 10 GHz
• Contact Protection - recessed pins in this 100% scoop-
proof connector minimize potential contact damage
• Moisture Resistance - improved interfacial seal design
helps prevent electrolytic erosion of contacts
• Corrosion Resistance - shells of stainless steel or
cadmium over nickel plating withstand a 500 hour salt spray
exposure
• Vibration/Shock - operates under severe high temperature
vibration, through 200°C
• Firewall Capability - available in a stainless steel shell,
class RK, RS
• Lockwiring Eliminated - unique, self-locking, quick
coupling connector eliminates lockwiring
• Quick Coupling - completely mates and self-locks in a
360° turn of the coupling nut
• Inventory Support Commonality - uses standard MIL-
DTL-38999 contacts, application tools, insert arrangements
• Electrostatic Discharge Protection (ESD) - protection for
sensitive circuitry without diodes, varistors, etc., with the
use of the Faraday Cage principal which shunts high
voltage, high current discharge events (see page 51)
• Ground Plane Connectors - with metallic insert for
common grounding of coax, triax or twinax contact outer
shield (see page 49)
• Hermetic- air leakage limited to 1 X 10
-7
cm
3
per second
optional
MIL-Qualified to MIL-DTL-38999, Rev. K, the Amphe-
nol
®
Composite Tri-Start Connector offers a lightweight,
corrosion resistant connector with the same high
performance features as its metal counterpart. The
Composite Tri-Start Connector also includes the fol-
lowing features:
• Lightweight - 17% – 70% weight savings
(17–40% weight savings vs. aluminum)
(60–70% weight savings vs. stainless steel)
See Composite weight comparison chart, pg. 47.
• Corrosion Resistance - available in standard MIL-
DTL-38999 olive drab cadmium (175°C) and electro-
less nickel plating (200°C), both withstanding 2000
hours of salt spray exposure. The base material is
able to withstand an indefinite exposure to salt spray.
• Durability - 1500 couplings minimum (in reference to
connector couplings, not contacts)
• Extended Life Contact - Mil-approved plating
process which provides 1500 couplings minimum
The latest offering from Amphenol in MIL-DTL-38999,
the CLUTCH-LOK connector offers:
All advantages of stainless steel/Class K firewall Tri-
Start connectors plus a unique clutch design that
actually tightens itself under vibration.
Features include:
• High degree of differential torque
• No settling back to the next ratchet tooth
• Completely intermateable with all existing
MIL-DTL-38999 Series III connectors
• Offers advantage in inaccessible, hard to reach
areas where mating torque is difficult to apply and
complete coupling is not verifiable by inspection
See page 19 for description, 43 and 44 for ordering.
CLUTCH-LOK
TM
MIL-DTL-38999 Series III
High Vibration Connector
* MIL-DTL-38999 Series III supersedes MIL-C-38999 Series III.
