Battery connectors

[Mark Jarvis 2Participant @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

[Mark Jarvis 2Participant @markjarvis2]

[Dave MilbournParticipant @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

[mark69Participant @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

[ashley needhamParticipant @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​

[Dave MilbournParticipant @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

[Paul TParticipant @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

[Dave MilbournParticipant @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

[Paul TParticipant @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

[Bob Abell 2Participant @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

[Ian GardnerParticipant @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

[Mark Jarvis 2Participant @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

[Dave MilbournParticipant @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

[Dodgy Geezer 1Participant @dodgygeezer1]

Deans for me, and bullets for brushless…

[Andy CParticipant @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

[Dave MilbournParticipant @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

[Andy CParticipant @andyc56856]

Very neat & tidy interior Dave. If only mine were as good looking.

Andy

[harry smith 1Participant @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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