Help with connectors

[ajspecial]

Years ago when the electric revolution started, the only connectors we could find locally at Radio Shack were the ones used in their cars and batteries and lipos came without connectors.
Some time later somebody at the club started using Anderson Power Plugs, so a lot of us started using them, some members even bought the expensive Anderson crimper, those were good but lately you can not find them.
Then the lipos from H King and others started coming out with the red banana plugs, good plugs but kind off hard to disconnect and they are getting scarce.
This last year a bought 8 lipos for different projects and replacements and now they come with the XD60 connectors, so I am in the process of replacing the plug on existing airplanes or making adaptors, I have decided to start converting or using on new installationx the XD60 connectors.
The XD's are smaller than the red banana plugs which is a plus on small airplanes, but how do you tame? these connectors short of using two plyers to disconnect, hopefully somebody out there knows of a better way to disconnect, perhaps there is a tool that could separate these XD's, help!

[pizzano]

For 2cell and larger lipo batteries, I'm partial to Deans plugs (also known as T-type connectors). They've been around forever, reliable, pretty easy to solder and pull-a-part or join quite smoothly.

Ever since there was that little "legal" issue over battery distributors using Deans without their consent or "profit".....almost all batteries (except those who co-op with deans), now come without plugs or with various forms of bannana plugs. I still prefer Deans and refit all my batteries with such......just my humble opinion.

[kyleservicetech]

Originally Posted by ajspecial

Years ago when the electric revolution started, the only connectors we could find locally at Radio Shack were the ones used in their cars and batteries and lipos came without connectors.
Some time later somebody at the club started using Anderson Power Plugs, so a lot of us started using them, some members even bought the expensive Anderson crimper, those were good but lately you can not find them.
Then the lipos from H King and others started coming out with the red banana plugs, good plugs but kind off hard to disconnect and they are getting scarce.
This last year a bought 8 lipos for different projects and replacements and now they come with the XD60 connectors, so I am in the process of replacing the plug on existing airplanes or making adaptors, I have decided to start converting or using on new installationx the XD60 connectors.
The XD's are smaller than the red banana plugs which is a plus on small airplanes, but how do you tame? these connectors short of using two plyers to disconnect, hopefully somebody out there knows of a better way to disconnect, perhaps there is a tool that could separate these XD's, help!

I've used both the Deans connectors, and the Anderson Power Pole connectors. All my stuff is wired up with the APP connectors.

But, that said, there is a "Cheap" version of the APP connectors, and the higher quality version of the APP connectors. Before retiring, we used the higher quality version at work by the thousands every month. Never had any problem with them.

But these higher quality connectors are getting hard to find. Only place I've found them is www.alliedelectronics.com. And, they're running low in stock. Allied started with 5000 pins, and now are down to 850 in stock.

http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64539

[mclarkson]

Ask a connector question and prepare for a flood of opinions and advice.

I had a bad experience with Deans connectors early on and never used them since. I like EC3s because even I can solder them.

For my smaller stuff, I use JSTs.

Were I starting today, I might use XT-60s as my standard because they come on so many batteries and parts that I buy but it's too late for me.

[Fishbonez]

Originally Posted by ajspecial

hopefully somebody out there knows of a better way to disconnect, perhaps there is a tool that could separate these XD's, help!

I use a small pair of snap ring pliers to disconnect them I think they work great and a harbor freight pair usually run 3.99 + tax, assuming you live in the US. I would not be surprised if they are even at a dollar store for less than that.
http://www.harborfreight.com/snap-ri...eads-3316.html
Hope this helps. If not a little

[JetPlaneFlyer]

I guess you mean XT-60 connector, not XD-60? (I've never come accross XD-60)

If it is XT-60 then once they have been connected and brocken a few times they loosen off nicely. I've never had any real problem making or breaking them by hand but if they are tight at first a tiny squirt of WD-40 on the pins helps.

When you solder them do so with a mating connector plugged in, and preferably with some wire soldered onto the matching connector (but not a live battery!). This does two things; It acts as a heat sink to help prevent the pins overheating and softening the plastic, and even if the plastic does soften slighly it keeps the pins aligned so the connector doesnt become unduly tight.

I did once try cheap copy XT-60's which were blue in colour but were supposed to be directly compatible. They were useless, very tight to connect, almost imossible to separate, and the plastic melted when you soldered the wires on.

[Turner]

Originally Posted by mclarkson

...For my smaller stuff, I use JSTs...

If you like the EC3's - I do - check out the EC2's for smaller stuff. Solders and assembles just like other EC connectors. A little more substantial than JST. Much easier to disconnect than EC3. I changed to them from JST on my Blade SR and really like them.

[CNY_Dave]

I use deans since that was what was on the first ESC and set of batteries I purchased (used). I think I'm going to switch before expanding my inventory (2 planes, 3 batts) since soldering a 12ga lead to that little tab does not seem like a natural act, and visual quality control is difficult.

Except for that, I like them, though.

[kyleservicetech]

Originally Posted by mclarkson

Ask a connector question and prepare for a flood of opinions and advice.

I had a bad experience with Deans connectors early on and never used them since. I like EC3s because even I can solder them.

Yeah, agreed, everyone seems to like the connector they are using, and don't like those connectors they are NOT using.

That said, one of my club members very nearly lost a $$$$ wet turbine model last summer, when the turbine engine shut down during the take off run. Everything in the model was dead. Come to find out the turbine engine shut down was caused by a loss of receiver power. That loss of receiver power was quickly traced to a factory assembled Deans connector, where there was virtually zero contact pressure on one of the battery connectors. It looked like who ever soldered that connector overheated the pins, resulting in the Deans plastic housing sagging, resulting in the loss of contact pressure.

[riverrat]

Guys

I am in no way obligated to this vendor.

But this jig sure has made soldering almost
a pleasure.

My shakey senior citizen fingers love it!

Regards
Jimmy

[Turner]

That looks handy. Here is mine for EC, HTX, and various bullet type.

[CNY_Dave]

Originally Posted by riverrat

Guys

I am in no way obligated to this vendor.

But this jig sure has made soldering almost
a pleasure.

My shakey senior citizen fingers love it!

Regards
Jimmy

I won one in a 'post and get a chance to win' contest, have used it a few times, it's a decent bit of kit.

I think the most useful item on there is how it provides the shell/case of deans and other plastic connectors with some heat sinking to help keep the plastic from getting hot enough to distort.

Keeps me from having to find the block of wood where I drilled bullet connector holes, anyway.

[riverrat]

[QUOTE=CNY_Dave;899798]I won one in a 'post and get a chance to win' contest, have used it a few times, it's a decent bit of kit.

I think the most useful item on there is how it provides the shell/case of deans and other plastic connectors with some heat sinking to help keep the plastic from getting hot enough to distort.

Dave

I concur!
Plus it holds the other
parts very steady while
soldering & cooling.
I used a wood block like Turners,
for bullets. But this Jig has the holes,
that work great also!

Regards
Jimmy

[riverrat]

Dave!

I think I found this kit from
a post you did a few months ago?

If so, THANKS for the heads-up!

Regards
Jimmy

[road king 97]

[QUOTE=riverrat;899804]

Originally Posted by CNY_Dave

I won one in a 'post and get a chance to win' contest, have used it a few times, it's a decent bit of kit.

I think the most useful item on there is how it provides the shell/case of deans and other plastic connectors with some heat sinking to help keep the plastic from getting hot enough to distort.

Dave

I concur!
Plus it holds the other
parts very steady while
soldering & cooling.
I used a wood block like Turners,
for bullets. But this Jig has the holes,
that work great also!

Regards
Jimmy

I will try the wood blocks but i have been using a pair of needle nose plyers with a strong rubber band around the handle part to hold things on the other end i need to solder . joe

[CNY_Dave]

I just thought of something, saw those deans connectors helpers a while back- why not just make deans helpers out of brass tubing?

Cut a slot for the deans tab, solder the wire into the tubing like it's a bullet connector.

[kyleservicetech]

Originally Posted by CNY_Dave

I just thought of something, saw those deans connectors helpers a while back- why not just make deans helpers out of brass tubing?

Cut a slot for the deans tab, solder the wire into the tubing like it's a bullet connector.

Or, do what I did before going to the APP connectors.

Just take the mate to the connector you're going to solder up, stick it into one of those mini-vises. Then, plug in the connector you are going to solder into the connector held in place in the mini-vise. And, go solder.

[road king 97]

I use my small vice to hold stuff i need to solder also but i have plenty of hardwood blocks and a drill press to make a soldering tool like others here .I could even hold the wood block in my vice and then solder the stuff up . joe

[CNY_Dave]

Originally Posted by kyleservicetech

Or, do what I did before going to the APP connectors.

Just take the mate to the connector you're going to solder up, stick it into one of those mini-vises. Then, plug in the connector you are going to solder into the connector held in place in the mini-vise. And, go solder.

I don't mean a holding aid, but something that actually solders to the tab, then solders to the wire. Soldering a big wire to a small tab just doesn't seem like a good method.

[solentlife]

Originally Posted by Turner

That looks handy. Here is mine for EC, HTX, and various bullet type.

That looks more like it .... I posted up ages ago - my idea for a 'jig'... spare connectors glued into a wood block. That way you just plugged in your connector ready to solder up.

I also pointed out not to make silly easy mistake of gripping a connector in a vice and shorting a battery when soldering - Yes I did it !! The sparks soon make you stop !!

Nigel

[kyleservicetech]

Originally Posted by solentlife

I also pointed out not to make silly easy mistake of gripping a connector in a vice and shorting a battery when soldering - Yes I did it !! The sparks soon make you stop !!

Nigel

LOLOL
Years ago, a guy I knew wanted to cut a live 120 volt cord with an insulated wire cutters. I was going to indicate "Yes", one wire at a time, but you guessed it! It ruined a perfectly good pair of wire cutters.

[Turner]

I did that once. Definitely woke me up from my slumber.

[LowThudd]

Been there. lol 20 years ago I worked building prototype electric car conversions. After a very long shift I was told to cut the connectors off some 136 volt battery packs. My long hair stood up a bit, and I was a lot more carefull from there on out.lol

[hayofstacks]

In 06-09 I spent a lot of time splicing comcast cable, usually live. It ran at 90v's dc. Generally you didn't have to worry about being shocked too bad, but doing it on a pair of hooks at 2am in a rain storm sort of livened things up a bit. This is where you really learn the differance in quality between tools.

I used some cheap "9's" 9" lineman pliers. Although they cut the large copper center conductor fine, they would no longer cut small things like lashing wire or string. When I finally dropped the $30 for some kleins, they had a hardened cutting surface. This made it so you could cut some small hardened wire and still cut string or rope without any problems. I would use them to hammer in copper staples, cut center conductors or cable, live or not, then cut lashing wire without any problems. I have even used them to cut a .40 sized nose wheel. Still cut like there new.

Now messing around with 120+, I'm sure they'd get a hole burned in them.

[road king 97]

When i was alot younger i did sound for rock bands and we had a light teck also . It was in the bands contract to have good power for my stuff and 220 plug for the light system. Well we were at a club that had my power but a only a 440 hook up in the main box .I told the light guy that i would not mess with it and have the club get someone there to jump it. He said naaaa he could do this and started to poke around in the box with a very long screw driver. The next thing i knew sparks flew every where and he was thrown about 8 ft and landed by me.Half of the screw driver was still in his hand and i looked down and asked again, if i shoud get someone from the club and he just nodded yes. joe