Battery connectors

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3 December 2015 at 22:32 #61715
Mark Jarvis 2
Participant
@markjarvis2
Hi All

I have a mix of Gell batteries, NiMh and LiPo batteries, The first two types have Tamiya plugs. the LiPo's are bare wires.

My question is which plug system is best???

Deans, XT60, and many more, i will change to a standard plug, but which one????

Mark
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3 December 2015 at 22:32 #4272
Mark Jarvis 2
Participant
@markjarvis2
3 December 2015 at 23:04 #61719
Dave Milbourn
Participant
@davemilbourn48782
For what it's worth I use the Deans type available from Component Shop, but I guess everyone has their own preference. Bare wires are not good news – especially on LiPo battery packs!

DM
3 December 2015 at 23:09 #61720
mark69
Participant
@mark69
Hi Mark I've never liked those deans plugs bit of a pain to solder the wires on ! I have gold plated male/female connectors as you only need to pull one wire of to disarm the motor wouldn't of thought you can fit the tamiya plug into the lipo wires ? ….mark
4 December 2015 at 08:47 #61725
ashley needham
Participant
@ashleyneedham69188
Mark J2. Deans for me. I can see the attraction of the single connectors and some chaps at the pond have them, but with a specific battery plug there are NO MISTAKES to be made with the connection.
Ashley
4 December 2015 at 09:33 #61726
Dave Milbourn
Participant
@davemilbourn48782
Sorry, guys, but it's lecture time:

Whichever type of connector you choose you will need to solder it; it's not difficult as long as you know what you're doing and have the right tools. I've just Googled "How to solder Deans connectors" and found several good links. The one thing with which I would disagree is the use of any separate flux (paste or liquid). This can corrode the joint over time. A decent resin-cored, lead-based solder is best, and the tip about pushing the mating half of the connector on to hold the metal tabs in place while you solder is a good one. I use a big old spring bulldog-clip to hold the workpiece; those fancy soldering jigs are very smart but eye-wateringly expensive!

I wouldn't use Tamiya connectors for more than single-figure amps, and the screws in 'choc-blocks' are a very good tool for severing the strands in a multi-core cable. They were designed for clamping single-core copper wires.

At the risk of repeating myself, bare wires on a battery pack are a serious accident just waiting to happen. Short them together, even for a second, and you'll set off a pretty significant explosion. As Ashley says, plug them into an ESC the wrong way round and you might as well chuck it straight into the bin.

There is a lot of energy in a modern battery pack so don't be even slightly reckless with them. You know it makes sense.

Lecture over.

Dave M
4 December 2015 at 11:31 #61730
Paul T
Participant
@pault84577
Dave

Instead of buying these expensive gold plated titanium connectors can't I just twist the wires together?

I know that we shouldn't have bare wires so wrapping the twisted wires with sellotape should prevent disaster.

Paul

Edited By Paul T on 04/12/2015 11:33:30
4 December 2015 at 11:51 #61732
Dave Milbourn
Participant
@davemilbourn48782
Paul

Now why didn't I think of that? Take a Darwin Award, Dr T!

Do you recall that old-style tape which was cloth impregnated with a slightly sticky black goo? It was what passed for insulation before the advent of coloured PVC tape. They still make the stuff, mainly for restoration projects **LINK**

Horrible!!!

Dave M
4 December 2015 at 12:16 #61734
Paul T
Participant
@pault84577
Dave

What do you mean Recall? this stuff is cutting edge for me……….I just love the smell and the way it just will not clean out from under my fingernails.

I once used it to seal the joints on an old back boiler, good seal but the room smelt like a freshly laid road for weeks.

Have you ever come across grease impregnated tape **LINK** I once had a 5 storey steel frame job at the seaside with an arrogant client so I specified that every joint on his steel frame had to be protected with this stuff.

Paul

It was very like Denso tape but far stickier

Edited By Paul T on 04/12/2015 12:17:40
4 December 2015 at 14:02 #61745
Bob Abell 2
Participant
@bobabell2
Mark J

It may not be a good idea to standardise your plug and socket fittings

You may get an unwelcome battery connection and a few fireworks!

Bob
4 December 2015 at 15:04 #61747
Ian Gardner
Participant
@iangardner62867
When I was getting into boats with a bit more power and found that Tamiya connectors were inclined to melt and seemed unreliable I plumped for Traxxas connectors. They are easy to solder, rugged and you'd have to be very determined to connect them the wrong way. Never had any trouble with them.

**LINK**

Yikes! Bare wires on Lipos! Check your house insurance! I'd always make sure that one of the wires was insulated when changing connectors on Lipos.

Ian

Edited By Ian Gardner on 04/12/2015 15:05:42
4 December 2015 at 17:06 #61751
Mark Jarvis 2
Participant
@markjarvis2
Dave M and all the other contributors, Please acsept my apologies, my LiPo's are brand new, bare wires as supplied, NOT bare wires in my hull's!!!

My original question has raised the probem i had in the first place, which one to choose, I take DM advice about the Tamiya plugs melting, have had that happen, hence the question.

As there is not a concensus of oppinion i have some Deans plugs, so will order some more and get soldering.

Just as DM has advised, found a reel of that black gungey tape in the back of a cupboard, you should see the mess its made, leaking sticky stuff everywhere,

Thanks to you all, love the banter and the advice

Regards

Mark
4 December 2015 at 18:02 #61756
Dave Milbourn
Participant
@davemilbourn48782
Mark

Phew!

CompShop now sell Deans' in handy bags of 10 and 20 pairs, including heat-shrink in the appropriate colours. Any supplier who sends LiPo packs with bare wires through the post deserves prosecution at the very least.

Dave M
4 December 2015 at 18:30 #61760
Dodgy Geezer 1
Participant
@dodgygeezer1
Deans for me, and bullets for brushless…
4 December 2015 at 19:29 #61764
Andy C
Participant
@andyc56856
Hi Dave, I think I may to visit comp-shop and invest in some new plugs. I have a load of different styles from Tamyia to gold 2.5mm bullet styles. I made a handy jig to hold them whilst soldering, otherwise you at least three hands.

My last lips had no plugs, but did have insulating stuff over each bare end, Goodness knows what would happen in transit otherwise. Toasted post office wagon anyone?

Andy

Edited By Andy C on 04/12/2015 19:30:13
4 December 2015 at 19:47 #61765
Dave Milbourn
Participant
@davemilbourn48782
Gentlemen

I think we need to be a bit more precise here. There are folk who actually take notice of this forum so we might as well nail things down before we close them (I'm having a bad day and I really would appreciate some "closure" here.)

Polarised connectors like Deans should be used between the battery pack and anything else where polarity matters e.g. speed controller, power distribution board. Non-polarised bullet connectors between the ESC and motor are a good idea if you think that you may need to reverse the polarity of the supply from the ESC to the motor – that applies to both brushed and brushless systems.

That is the practice which I adopt in all of my models. See the piccy. Suit yourselves.

Andy C – do that very thing and you will not regret a single penny spent, plus the 'smug' factor when you take the lid off your models has to be experienced to be believed…

I'm now off to fall asleep in front of the haunted fish-tank in the corner.

Dave M

Edited By Dave Milbourn on 04/12/2015 19:48:52

Edited By Dave Milbourn on 04/12/2015 19:51:00
5 December 2015 at 21:30 #61817
Andy C
Participant
@andyc56856
Very neat & tidy interior Dave. If only mine were as good looking.

Andy
6 December 2015 at 09:08 #61827
harry smith 1
Participant
@harrysmith1
I use XT-60 for the battery to ESC and bullet motor to ESC.

I like the XT's because no live ends sticking out to short circuit on.

I worked in telephone exchanges for years and with 50volts and 100's of amps floating around a short circuit ends in big bangs and lot's of paper work!!!

Harry
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