Power wiring

[QuadBod]

[Someone had posted a question about wiring, then deleted it before I posted my anser. So here';s my answer anyway!]

Try giantshark.co.uk - sensible prices and quick delivery. I would use 16AWG silicone wire for the link to your ESCs and / or motors (depending on how you arrange things), and 12AWG from the battery to the power distribution board / spider. You could probably get away with 14 & 18, but that';s just me.

Personally I would go with XT60 connectors at the battery end of things, even if it means changing the connector on your battery. Others will have different preferences. The ones GS currently stock are good quality despite some of the earlier reviews. You';ll also need bullet connectors, at least between the motors and the ESC (3.5mm is common, but my motors came with 2mm male connectors), and possibly between wiring harness and ESCs (I prefer to hard wire the ESCs). Finally a few sizes of heat shrink sleeving for the bullets, the XT60s, and to cover the join if you make a spider.

[Gaza07]

+1 for xt60 connectors 

[Smeagol]

Heres a good tip - Just in case 

If you are replacing the connectors on the battery, cut one wire at a time, don';t be tempted to cut both in one hit unless your pacemaker needs a jump start.

Not speaking from experience  just knowledge.

[Henrik.A]

Heres a good tip - Just in case 

If you are replacing the connectors on the battery, cut one wire at a time, don';t be tempted to cut both in one hit unless your pacemaker needs a jump start.

Not speaking from experience  just knowledge.

+1!!

[Ash]

Hi QuadGod,

I think that was me. Sorry about that. I found the answer to my connector question so didn';t want to waste anyone';s time. I do, however, have another question.

I ordered some XT60 connectors and some 12AWG cable to solder onto the power distribution board of my F450. I found that the wire on the 12AWG was the same size as the XT60 plug, making it near impossible to solder nice and neatly together. I couldn';t help but think that the 14AWG would be a better fit, however i';m concerned about the load i';d be putting through the power cable. I have 30A ESC and looking to connect lipos around the 2200-2600mAh range. I';ve checked out a few youtube videos on soldering XT60 however as i';m new to soldering, i may be missing a simpler way to do this...or picking the wrong connector. I just ordered some 4mm bullet connectors as the new batteries i have (which came from HK) were fitted with the bullet connectors. Could you advise on if the 12AWG is the right cable to go with, if so does anyone else have issues soldering this to XT60 connectors? If the XT60 isn';t the best, would a bullet connector be better choice (fit nicer and easier to solder for newbies like me)?

Thanks in advance.

Ash

[Someone had posted a question about wiring, then deleted it before I posted my anser. So here';s my answer anyway!]

Try giantshark.co.uk - sensible prices and quick delivery. I would use 16AWG silicone wire for the link to your ESCs and / or motors (depending on how you arrange things), and 12AWG from the battery to the power distribution board / spider. You could probably get away with 14 & 18, but that';s just me.

Personally I would go with XT60 connectors at the battery end of things, even if it means changing the connector on your battery. Others will have different preferences. The ones GS currently stock are good quality despite some of the earlier reviews. You';ll also need bullet connectors, at least between the motors and the ESC (3.5mm is common, but my motors came with 2mm male connectors), and possibly between wiring harness and ESCs (I prefer to hard wire the ESCs). Finally a few sizes of heat shrink sleeving for the bullets, the XT60s, and to cover the join if you make a spider.

[QuadBod]

I ordered some XT60 connectors and some 12AWG cable to solder onto the power distribution board of my F450. I found that the wire on the 12AWG was the same size as the XT60 plug, making it near impossible to solder nice and neatly together.

You';re right, it is a close fit, but it is possible to solder them together neatly. I';d suggest trimming back just enough insulation that the exposed wire is exactly the right length to go in the XT 60, then give the strands of wire a twist to help them hold together. Normally at this point I';d be suggesting tinning the wire before soldering, but that will make your job that bit harder in this case. It should then just fit in the XT60, with perhaps a few strands left outside the cutout in the side of the opening - no big deal.

Apply heat, preferably to both the connector and the wire at the same time, then after it warms up a bit, apply solder. You want to feed the solder in on the opposite side from where the soldering-iron bit is, not to the bit itself. That way, the solder will only melt when the whole thing is hot enough. This will also draw the solder into the join. If you apply the solder to the bit, it will melt, but everything else may not be warm enough, so it will just sit on the outside.

I couldn';t help but think that the 14AWG would be a better fit, however i';m concerned about the load i';d be putting through the power cable. I have 30A ESC and looking to connect lipos around the 2200-2600mAh range.

If you';re still not having any luck solder 12AWG to XT60s, 14AWG will be fine given how short the wire needs to be.

I just ordered some 4mm bullet connectors as the new batteries i have (which came from HK) were fitted with the bullet connectors.

Are you sure about your batteries having bullet connectors? Sounds like a sure fire way to connect the wrong way around!

[Ash]

I';ve attached a pic of the battery connector. Newbie question so please excuse my stupidity....you never cross the positive to negative ever do you? If the positive is presented as a female bullet, I';ll therefore have to ensure the positive is a male bullet to connect?
I';ll have another go at the XT60 also, I found that I was heating the metal on the XT60 so much that if melted the plastic connector and slid through it, before the solder started to melt. Am I doing it wrong?

[attach=1]

[RS]

I';ve attached a pic of the battery connector. Newbie question so please excuse my stupidity....you never cross the positive to negative ever do you? If the positive is presented as a female bullet, I';ll therefore have to ensure the positive is a male bullet to connect?
I';ll have another go at the XT60 also, I found that I was heating the metal on the XT60 so much that if melted the plastic connector and slid through it, before the solder started to melt. Am I doing it wrong?

[attach=1]

You need a more  powerful soldering Iron i guess... Or some  thicker tip  at least . .  12awg  is not easy to solder..  something like 40W soldering iron  should be OK.
and I would suggest  to plug   another xt60 in  ,so  it does not move ,even if starts  to melt a bit, but  DO NOT forget to isolate the other end, because  you can shorten  + and - accidentally when soldering  it to a battery

[QuadBod]

You need a more  powerful soldering Iron i guess... Or some  thicker tip  at least . .  12awg  is not easy to solder..  something like 40W soldering iron  should be OK.

I use 25W iron with a chisel tip and have no problems with enough head to solder 12AWG to XT60s (or four 16AWGs to a 12AWG). Never had problems with the plastic melting either, but I agree with your suggestion to plug another XT in - if nothing else the additional metal will act as a heat sink.

[RS]

Agree. 25W with a chisel tip should be  OK
I have  used 20W ,but I did not like  it. It works on a  tick  wires like  12awg, but as good  as  40W
But the  best  thing would be investing in to adjustable soldering station. Since I got one, never looked back 

[benchmark]

here is a little guide video if you have not seen it already

Solder School: XT60

[Ash]

here is a little guide video if you have not seen it already

Solder School: XT60

Good video, although he';s using a lot smaller gauge than 12AWG...

[RS]

Trim your wire a bit, make it  thinner and it  will be easier

[QuadBod]

I';ve attached a pic of the battery connector.

It';s an HXT.

Newbie question so please excuse my stupidity....you never cross the positive to negative ever do you? If the positive is presented as a female bullet, I';ll therefore have to ensure the positive is a male bullet to connect?

Correct, but it would be in the same enclosure as in your picture, not a loose bullet connector.

I';ll have another go at the XT60 also, I found that I was heating the metal on the XT60 so much that if melted the plastic connector and slid through it, before the solder started to melt.

I forgot to ask what type of solder you';re using. I use 60/40 tin/lead only as that';s what I';ve had for years; but importantly it';s rosin cored, which acts as flux (cleaning and wetting agent) as you use the solder. If yours isn';t rosin cored, you';ll need to add flux to the components before you solder. Use a "no-clean" type as anything else is acidic and will eventually corrode your connections. Rosin is only acidic at soldering temperatures, so doesn';t have to be cleaned. And it smells nice.