Psychron

I don't know about you guys, but I'm sick of multiple battery connectors for these damn airplanes. I mean, I get it. It's par for the course but we don't have to be happy with or settle for it.

I personally settled on the XT60 connectors only because that's what FliteTest was offering at the beginning and at first, with the mini's they were using the xt30's but I could only find a multi port balance board for the xt60 so I cut all my xt30 connectors off and resoldered on the xt60's which I've used ever since. If I can get at the connector on the aircraft as well and convert it to XT60 permanently I will, but more often than not I use the Venom Power Uni Plug adapters they're giving away with their XT60 battery packs so I can keep using my personal stash (read 36 batteries) of xt60 configured batteries to fly my stuff.

Typically I only find the EC3 connector or the Deans T type connector on the speed controllers for the E-Flite and whoever made the Tidewater foamies I buy. All the planes I build from scratch use XT60. Anyway, when you buy a BNF or a RTF, it'll come with a battery with the connector to match the speed controller, so with a uni plug I bought from amazon for 2 bucks installed on the speed controller connector and a little soldering know how I typically just replace the end on the battery to make it an XT60

If you're interested in learning about this, here's a youtube video showing how to do it:



Again, if I could get my helping hands into the cockpit of the aircraft (maybe I can, I'll have to look into it.) I'd convert the speed controller permanently.

formontoya

yea, my stuff has either deans or xt60...I have an adapter from xt60 to deans as my 2200 are xt60 but I fly some stuff that requires the 2200 but has a deans connector...

hillbille

It sounds to me like what you guys need to do is make a "reverse" adapter - one that will plug in to a ESC and have an XT60 on it - in fact if it were me (and it is - several times over! LOL!!) I would make one for each plane, quad, or whatever that needs one. Plug it in and LEAVE it there.

Example: Female Deans soldered to a Male XT60. The female deans gets plugged in to the ESC and then it is instantly converted to an XT60!!

Same applies to EC3's, Xt30's, whatever it is!

Just a suggestion based on what works for me.

Hillbille

hillbille

Oh yeah - I forgot - if you are having a hard time soldering the connectors back to back - use a short section of silicone wire and make a pigtail. Sometimes this is desirable anyway in cased where the ESC plug is in a tight place and more room is needed.

Also - dremel short blocks of 1X2 to fit the connector (tightly as possible)- one for each type you want to use - then put the connectors in and back them together until they touch - solder them. Then use a single solid piece of large shink tube to cover both connectors leaving only the ends free - voila' - adapter!


Hillbille

mclarkson

One reason I switched to EC3s 'way back when was because they are so easy to solder. Over time, though, I've created any number of adapters.

Psychron

That is quite the collection. The only reason I don't use the adapters if I don't have to is that they take up additional space in the fuselage and that can sometimes make it difficult to close the hatch.

Psychron

So why not change out the other side and solder an xt60 there too?

hayofstacks

I use mainly dean's. I have a few dean's to ec3 or xt60's adapters.

The ec3's and xt60 have the same size barrel and connector pin spacing... you can just plug them into each ofher.

Psychron

Woah really? I didn't know that. I'm going to have to try that at home. If you're right I'm just going to reclaim all my adapters I've been putting inside. I'm sure they're not keyed the same though right? like there's the possibility of plugging things in backwards? I fried an ESC my first time out soldering the xt60's on because I'd actually reversed the polarity. It was a sad sad day. lol

mclarkson

That's not my experience. They do have the same spacing and use the same size pins, but the casings are of different designs and prevent them plugging into each other. Or else I'm thinking of a different connector.

Psychron

I'm with you there. That's why I show those esc side adapters there which I use on all my ec3 and deans T style supplied planes. Then again, I've also never tried jamming an xt60 female into the ec3 male end.

mclarkson

Upon inspection, they will go one way - male EC3 into female XT60 - but not the other way.

solentlife

I use 3 different types of connector ...

Originally all Tamiya RTF I had were swapped out to DEANS ... reliable connection was then made !

But of course Hobby King then sent out batterys with XT60's ... so then i started using them.

I made various adaptors for both ways ... DEANS to / from XT60 for whatever ... this allowed any battery to any model and also to chargers.

I did find that odd model such as my 50mm T45 had a small space for connector and the DEANS fitted but an XT60 was just a touch too big.

Then of course I started flying 6S packs ... Oh WO !! there were the big bullet conectors ... and of course the power leads are just too fat to solder to an XT60 ... adaptor time for chargers !!

My point is that one connector does not satisfy all jobs. Unfortunate but true.

On the matter of Soldering Iron ... I have two ... both are old ancient jobs !! One has a flat tip about 2mm wide and other has a flat tip about 6mm wide ... each has its job ... and both are 40W ...

Nigel

Psychron

Thanks Nigel,

Very good points, and for a 6s, I think I'd probably have up-sized to an xt90, due to its current carrying capacity. Of course that means I need to buy 12 batteries and two 6 port parallel charging boards for all 12 on the XT90 connector. I would then of course ensure the plane I'm flying with those batteries is outfitted with that XT90. Stick with me, I explain later.

When I buy planes I typically try to stick to a specific size and check the specs to verify I'll be able to continue to use the existing 3s battery cache I have. More specifically the 2200's. I also use 5100's in my E-flite trojan T28. The FliteTest planes from the mighty mini series came with xt30's, very small connector to be sure.. about the size of my pinky finger nail. I said whatever and put the xt60's on all 12 instead and while they fit, they're a tricky and tight fit, but they do fit in there thankfully.

So for my situation sticking to one connector is working great, of couse like you pointed out this may not work for everyone, but so far I've been very successful with it, and I needed to be. I own two 4 port venom tower style 400w chargers and 8 - 6 port xt60 parallel charging boards. I can't imagine having to plug in multiple adapters into the charging board to support an xt60 and woe be the day I find myself losing one of those adapters. Too many small parts makes me a sad panda.

And I've got about a dozen each of 3s packs at 800, 2200, 5100, and a couple 3000's from the two Blade 350 QX3's I have. I like to charge up all 40 packs I own and take them all to the field. Then I can fly all day, and non stop almost without bringing a charger along. This is why I'd need 12 6s packs as well.

On the ironing side, it turned out those irons were 30 watts, and terrible. I bought a weller 51 watt soldering station and "retired" my 30 watt cheapos. It is so much better. I can melt solder at the tip now, which I couldn't do before. And the chisel tip was suggested as well. I'll be putting that on within the next day or so. I might have gotten away with replacing the pointy pencil tip on the 30 watts with a chisel tip. but at this point I think I have the last iron I'll ever need.



It's meant to be humorous, so hope you enjoy the unboxing.

I also solder with it here, and after lots of pressure from a bunch of people I tried to satisfy them with this video, but I must confess I really hate the alligator clip helping hands. I actually tinned the wires, which is hotly debated there. I think all the retired EE's in the world end up there and just ruin things for everyone else. Anyway this one is kind of comical also. I forget the shrink tubing, and struggle to keep the end in the cup. It's almost like a horror movie. But, the iron did it's job perfectly. I just wish I could say the same for me.



Anyway, I think my reason for these videos was to give the uninitiated the confidence to give it a try themselves regardless of their chosen connector and try to get past whatever is holding them up or scaring them away from doing it. Especially if an oaf like me can pull it off.

riverrat

Love it!
Jimmy

Psychron

Thanks Jimmy.

I have a 10 lb weight and some tie wraps. I'm going to give that a shot and see if those hands stop sliding around. That or build something from a piece of wood and tie wrap it to the same 10 lb weight

Maybe I'll look like I know what I'm doing next time lol.

solentlife

I got fed up hunting for the connector for charger ... I charge Glow drivers, SLA, Car batterys, LiPo, Life, NiMh ... you name it - if its rechargeable - I do it.

So I took a lead that connects to the charger. Cut of the item end leaving enough tails on ... took a large screw terminal block and put that on end of charger lead.
I then took that original end ... and all the other connectors needed and fitted tails to them ... even my DJI Phantom lead and connected to other side of the terminal blocks. No more hunting for connector ... they are all there ...

Simple - looks terrible - but safe and ready for use.

Nigel

Psychron

Hey Nigel, I bet it looks a bit like the adapter cable I show in the first soldering video. a bit of an octopus but there's about 20 different ends there and a couple bare wires (shrink wrapped of course) that allows for another type of connector to be soldered there.

It's a standard issue part with some of the B6AC+ chargers. Depending on who you buy from. Without the terminal block of course.

And, if you're only charging one battery at a time, you'll probably never need more than that. My dongle has an adapter for a hot shot too (glow starter).

Psychron

Here's my latest addition to the How to Solder collection:

Rhea

Dan,

Psychron

I'm glad you like the videos.

Tell all your friends. Post a link on your favorite forum and share my latest creation with your pals!

Have a great day!