[Wayne_K]

RCC fans,

Has anybody had any problems with intermittent connections with Deans-sytle connectors?

I've had to bend the pins on at least two male plugs to make a battery/esc work. Then still not getting a perfect connection. Its not the solder job. I think I'm using connectors purchased from HK.

Is there a better (yet affordable) solution for connecting 450/550/600 size helos to their batteries?

Thanks for your well-thought-out, non-political, non-lecturing (you get what you pay for) non-partisan, real-world responses.

W

[Daren71]

I'm not the world's greatest at soldering. When my plugs didn't fit very well, I just blamed it on my overheating of the plug during soldering, and adjusted them accordingly, and cleaned up the solder with a dremel, and some heat shrink.

None have failed, just didn't look great until the heat shrink final touch.

Did you know that they have a positive and negative way of assembling them? I didn't, and all mine are now soldered wrong, they work, I just can't use anyone else's electrics.

Daren

[Ken Currell]

Hi

If you take a close look at the male connectors you should see a spring on one side of both flat pins that fit into the female connector. Mine is crescent shaped with the bend at it's highest point mid way between the ends of the pins.

Sometimes these get flattened out and need to be re-curved to ensure a good connection.

Also look at the female end to ensure that the conectors aren't burned or dirty. Clean the male ends too or replace any that are burnt from arcing due to the bad connection.

BTW I think those connectors (red Deans) are only rated at 20 amps. Not sure so you should look it up to be certain.

[Perry3182]

I've had problems with female deans before whereby I couldn't get a good connection. Seems that i heated them up too much while soldering them on and they were out of shape inside. I have since soldered all my deans with another end connected to it this way they would stay lined up.

[mjws]

Lots of people have had issues with the deans clones. 100's of post on RCG to that effect. I've heard pretty good things about Hobby Kings XT60 plug (cheap and installed on some of their packs). Pretty easy to find good reasonably priced bullet connectors. Anderson power poles. Lots of good options.

Personally I have a few hundred too many Deans to switch now. BTW, Lots of us use the real Deans well over 100A. 150 is pretty routine for me with no heating or issues at all.

Mike

[Wayne_K]

Gents,

Thanks for your quick and informative replies.

I have about a dozen Deans connectors so I'm not real keen on changing.

I am experienced at soldering and I've never liked the amount of heat I need to apply just to get these things tinned. I like the idea of keeping a mate connected while soldering, seems like a good heat sink and way to keep things aligned. I will try that.

Any other good ideas on soldering or suppliers?

W

[Chrisfly]

Originally Posted by Wayne_K

Gents,

Thanks for your quick and informative replies.

I have about a dozen Deans connectors so I'm not real keen on changing.

I am experienced at soldering and I've never liked the amount of heat I need to apply just to get these things tinned. I like the idea of keeping a mate connected while soldering, seems like a good heat sink and way to keep things aligned. I will try that.

Any other good ideas on soldering or suppliers?

W

Wayne

XT60's are sweet and if you buy HK batteries you get them anyway... However I have the same problem of having loads of Deans but I am switching over time....

That said.. IMHO the secret to soldering is mostly in the iron - Not sure what you use, so forgive me if this is a statement of the obvious... But, the day a person invests in a decent temperature controlled "weller" or similar with different tips their life will get better! Yes, they can be pricey and what the hell "it is just heat isn't?" Nope... I will not get on the solder rant here, there are hundreds of articles on the web.

BTW: There are quite a few videos of specifically how to solder Deans on Youtube. While basic, some are actually quite informative where folks even talk about the type of solder etc that gives the best results.

Cheers

CP

[Wayne_K]

Thanks Chris. No worries about ranting, those were good points.

I have watched some youtube videos on soldering Deans, that's how I could feel confident that I have soldered them correctly. But you had no way to know that, so it was a good suggestion. As for soldering equipment, I agree, good equipment is important. I do have a soldering station, but its not a very good one, and at least 5 or 6 irons, all ranging in size and quality. Maybe I need to invest in a good soldering station. Any suggestions? (Cost is an issue)

Some interesting things I re-learned from the deans tutorials was the use of liquid flux and the sanding or filing of the metal before soldering.

I think I will try those techniques on my next go-around. As for HK not selling Deans-style connectors anymore, I guess I may have to switch over to their new style if that is the case. Someone mentioned something about copyright and legal action threatened by the Deans company on the HK site. I can't confirm.

Thanks again for your posts, gents.

W

[philipa_240sx]

I've used both Deans and clones. Honestly, I cannot tell the difference. The only issue I've had is one overheating incident on the male end... pins don't line up properly.

[Wayne MIller]

Hi,

Whenever I solder Deans connector, I always make sure it is plugged into the opposite Deans connector while soldering. This will help any distortion of the housing if too much heat is applied.

Hope this helps.

Fly4Fun,

Wayne