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Thermocouple connectors are readily available from Omega Engineering.  This
URL is for the thermocouple connector section of their catalog.  They are not
that expensive, if memory serves.

http://www.omega.com/toc_asp/section.asp?book=temperature&section=g

While these don't have a positive lock feature, my experience is that they
have plenty of retention force.  I wouldn't waste my time conjuring up some
safety wire or other locking feature -- it's not necessary and, frankly, not
a flight safety issue if your OAT gauge craps out in flight due to a
disconnected connector.

Make sure you get the right thermocouple material for the connector --
whether Type J or Type K.  (The connector has to match the type of
thermocouple you're using.)  Also, take care to use the proper terminals on
the connector.  Chromel-wire-to-chromel-terminal and
alumel-wire-to-alumel-terminal for the Type K, and similarly iron-to-iron and
constantan-to-constantan for Type J.  The connectors can only be plugged in
one way since one spade is wider than the other.  You do need to run
thermocouple wire from the connector to the electronic box as well, but
there's no need to buy special thermocouple wire since you can just splice
the connector into the existing thermocouple wire wherever you wish (assuming
it's long enough to reach all the way from the sensor to the electronic box.)

- Rob Wolf
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Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
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