Lipo connectors
- Thread starter Bowley
- Start date
Ultimate connection security and current handling capability is, IMO, Anderson Powerpole connectors. A little larger than the RC connectors but they are "real" high current connectors, used in industry, military, etc., they can be locked together, and so on. Talk to Torberry on the phone - they really know their stuff. They are crimped, which is actually a more reliable connection than soldering, but you need to buy the proper tool.
www.torberry.co.uk
www.andersonpower.com
www.powerwerx.com
www.torberry.co.uk
www.andersonpower.com
www.powerwerx.com
kloner
Aerial DP
yep, all the serious heli guys run em for years
when you do a deans you have to put a male and female together and leave em together till it all cools. after, look at the male side, has a thin metal spring kinda thing on it, that has to have tension. only time i've had a problem with a deans is that spring thing getting flat..... always make sure that has a little curve to it, if not, put someting back towards the plastic under the spring and squeeze the tip side so it curves again. That is the 2 things that fails in deans
when you do a deans you have to put a male and female together and leave em together till it all cools. after, look at the male side, has a thin metal spring kinda thing on it, that has to have tension. only time i've had a problem with a deans is that spring thing getting flat..... always make sure that has a little curve to it, if not, put someting back towards the plastic under the spring and squeeze the tip side so it curves again. That is the 2 things that fails in deans
Bartman
Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
I'm running a coaxial quad with dual batteries, about 11.5 lbs total and I use Deans connectors. Soldering with the connectors together doesn't appeal to me because of the springy tab that has to be sprung in order to have grip. it seems to me that if there is too much heat in the process of soldering the springy piece will deform the female side and leave the connector less tight.
a while back i did a quick video for a friend of mine to show him how i solder Deans. it can be done more quickly than i did it in the video, i dragged it out a little because i was talking and explaining things. the USdrones.us thing still may or may not happen, I should know in the next few weeks.
a while back i did a quick video for a friend of mine to show him how i solder Deans. it can be done more quickly than i did it in the video, i dragged it out a little because i was talking and explaining things. the USdrones.us thing still may or may not happen, I should know in the next few weeks.
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Deans connectors suck. The RC industry has generated all manner of weird and wonderful connectors, some better than others. IMO they all exist (and will continue to do so) simply because RC-heads are attracted to something that claims to be "specially designed for RC". It's the same phenomenon as people going to an RC dealer for industry-standard bearings, wire, screws, etc. - and happily paying a premium because they are "designed for the job".
I simply looked at it another way - "What do industry and other hobbies use for high-current DC connections?" One thing is for sure, guaranteed you won't find a Deans or an EC5 or a 4mm bullet connector in any factory, in any solar power system, in any ham radio setup, etc., i.e. other industries/hobbies don't turn to the RC world for high-current connector solutions!
I simply looked at it another way - "What do industry and other hobbies use for high-current DC connections?" One thing is for sure, guaranteed you won't find a Deans or an EC5 or a 4mm bullet connector in any factory, in any solar power system, in any ham radio setup, etc., i.e. other industries/hobbies don't turn to the RC world for high-current connector solutions!
Bartman
Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
Deans connectors suck. The RC industry has generated all manner of weird and wonderful connectors, some better than others. IMO they all exist (and will continue to do so) simply because RC-heads are attracted to something that claims to be "specially designed for RC". It's the same phenomenon as people going to an RC dealer for industry-standard bearings, wire, screws, etc. - and happily paying a premium because they are "designed for the job".
I simply looked at it another way - "What do industry and other hobbies use for high-current DC connections?" One thing is for sure, guaranteed you won't find a Deans or an EC5 or a 4mm bullet connector in any factory, in any solar power system, in any ham radio setup, etc., i.e. other industries/hobbies don't turn to the RC world for high-current connector solutions!
they work fine, they're lighter than all of the other options you've quoted, and they're reasonably priced. maybe they do suck but they suck really well.
DucktileMedia
Drone Enthusiast
I switched everything to xt60's as they dont spark as much dont get carbon build up as much and are much easier to grab when pulling apart. also easier to solder. but when I had Deans I would always connect the 2 halves when soldering, ESPECIALLY if you buy the chinese versions which will melt if you arent careful. The american made ones are pretty good with heat.
Bartman
Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
to keep Deans from sparking as much, touch the positive poles together then bring the negative poles together. by doing so the current is forced to go through the ESC before it can spark as the negative poles are touched together and the spark is much smaller.
Yes, excessive heat will soften the steel and remove the "springiness" - one of the fundamental flaws in the design - the other being that excessive heat softens the plastic, altering the alignment. They are notoriously difficult to solder. You only use a few per model, so I don't see that cost has very much to do with it, nor weight. So what exactly is their advantage?
An after-market "adapter" that you solder on to a Deans to turn it into a crimped connector? Wow! Says it all really, doesn't it?
EDIT: just looked at the link - not crimped. But it gets better - solder twice when once should be enough? Don't quite see the point!
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Bartman
Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
Yes, excessive heat will soften the steel and remove the "springiness" - one of the fundamental flaws in the design - the other being that excessive heat softens the plastic, altering the alignment. They are notoriously difficult to solder. You only use a few per model, so I don't see that cost has very much to do with it, nor weight. So what exactly is their advantage?
An after-market "adapter" that you solder on to a Deans to turn it into a crimped connector? Wow! Says it all really, doesn't it?
EDIT: just looked at the link - not crimped. But it gets better - solder twice when once should be enough? Don't quite see the point!
it's not a problem. once you get the hang of it you can solder a Deans on in about five minutes, without the plugs together and with no damage done to the connectors. i don't know why people make such a big deal of Deans connectors, they work great. the XT60's I have are a ***** to get apart.
kloner
Aerial DP
I've had 25-30 models in the last 5 years, probably a hundred batteries. there are 32 actively used packs here now. if you solder them when there is a male and female together, there is zero chance of them coming out of alignment...... Those help people by not needing heat to melt 10 or 12 gauge wire on the plastic, then the tip solder on fast,,, it's like a dji esc. I've never had a failure in flight, but i've caught em on the ground where the spring needs some spring in it. if you ever plug it in and think you heard it boot twice, bend that spring..... it's as simple as that. IF there hard to plug and unplug, it's cause you didn't solder them as a pair and the bars moved,,,,, it's really simple. Works fine
The only reason i'd use power poles is if i had a high amp and high voltage draw like big single rotors use. 44 volt, 120 amps, needs something more than a 75 amp rated deans,,,,, i think it's 75
The only reason i'd use power poles is if i had a high amp and high voltage draw like big single rotors use. 44 volt, 120 amps, needs something more than a 75 amp rated deans,,,,, i think it's 75
yep - I agree with that too
DucktileMedia
Drone Enthusiast
what no one likes the XT60's? I dont find them hard to get apart at all. i wonder which has more surface area between deans and xt60's. I'm ok with them as long as both batteries keep working together.
The other thing I don't like about any of the soldered connectors, when using fine multistrand, is the tendency of the solder to wick down the wire under the insulation. I agree you can, with a good iron and perfect technique, keep it minimal, but you can't prevent it. That's extra, unnecessary weight but it also, annoyingly, stiffens that part of the wire, usually negating the space/weight advantage that these mini connectors were supposed to give you.
btw - aerospace and military generally use crimped connections in preference to soldered - they are more reliable.
btw - aerospace and military generally use crimped connections in preference to soldered - they are more reliable.
I have always hated deans connectors. I prefer the XT60's but mine are a bit tight to remove. That was the same for the deans connectors but atleast the Xt60's have more room to grip the plug and they are also easier to connect. It sounds a bit silly but with the deans connectors they simply werent as easy to slot in. You also get more sparking.
kloner
Aerial DP
i got into this habit ever since getting the 306b of checking the IR from time to time and one of the things it does is measures how much loss is in the connector. You measure it through the deans and it'll tell you the combigned IR, then you unplug that and plug in the balance connector and re measure, that shows each cell. alot of times IR is 1,0,1,1 on per cell but the deans is 20-30-60...... theres a natural loss at the plugs, best i see is around 15 i guess milli ohm is what it measures it as. so a when i rough check em, i shoot for 20... it's crazy how if you gotta stand on the connector with heat more than once or you undo then redo the solder how bad it looses continuity and how many levels of that there is
it also works later to find any loose spring thingies,,,,, i usually check em after each trip through the deans just to make sure nothings popped up i didn't see or whatever
it also works later to find any loose spring thingies,,,,, i usually check em after each trip through the deans just to make sure nothings popped up i didn't see or whatever
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Seems as though this thread has gone quiet, but might as well add a few comments I have.
I have recently been on a mission to standardise battery connectors on my LiPo packs. I decided eventually on the XT60s that are available fairly cheaply from HobbyKing. Seems that quite a few packs are supplied with them fitted already, which is helpful and there is now an XT90 (handling 90A+ continuously) that has a larger 5mm . I have found them occasionally difficult to separate, but you do have a larger area to hold so you don't put strain on the wires.
I think personally the more unreliable connectors are the balance lead ones. I have been searching for small, light and reliable alternatives to the tiny plastic ones which always see me tugging on the wires to get apart.
Finally I do work in the defence industry and can agree that crimp style plugs are the industry standard, with Amphenol being the most widely used brand, conforming to MIL-DTL-38999 - but the cost and weight of these are prohibitive. There are a series designed for space that are extremely light and without magnetic properties but they are ridiculously expensive!
Anyway I'm interested to hear of anyone who has a good balance lead replacement plug connector idea.
Cheers,
Andrew
I have recently been on a mission to standardise battery connectors on my LiPo packs. I decided eventually on the XT60s that are available fairly cheaply from HobbyKing. Seems that quite a few packs are supplied with them fitted already, which is helpful and there is now an XT90 (handling 90A+ continuously) that has a larger 5mm . I have found them occasionally difficult to separate, but you do have a larger area to hold so you don't put strain on the wires.
I think personally the more unreliable connectors are the balance lead ones. I have been searching for small, light and reliable alternatives to the tiny plastic ones which always see me tugging on the wires to get apart.
Finally I do work in the defence industry and can agree that crimp style plugs are the industry standard, with Amphenol being the most widely used brand, conforming to MIL-DTL-38999 - but the cost and weight of these are prohibitive. There are a series designed for space that are extremely light and without magnetic properties but they are ridiculously expensive!
Anyway I'm interested to hear of anyone who has a good balance lead replacement plug connector idea.
Cheers,
Andrew