DEANS - Yea or nay?

[OverTemp]

All my packs are wired with Deans connectors. Been flying a Logo 600 and Logo 600SE until now... medium to hardish 3D.

Wondering if this heli necessitates switching to EC5s (dreading it) or if Deans will continue to serve me well.

Discuss amongst yourselves

Cheers

[ochants76]

EC5's work great for me. I use deans on all of my smaller stuff but I don't particularly care for them. The problem I have with deans is that you can ruin the connectors very easily when soldering but the connectors will work for a few flights and then the problem will start to show itself after they have been plugged and unplugged several times.

I am sure some people will recommend power poles but I don't like how big they are.

Is it necessary?...probably not...but I wouldn't recommend them.

Deans also wear out from the spark when you connect them. If you use an anti-spark then its no big deal.

[gadawg58]

EC5 on 550 on up!

[dunkonu23]

I use Deans on 10s down. For 12s, I went with genuine EC5's.

Scott

[MpVpRb]

I started with Deans, never liked them.

They are hard to connect without a lot of fumbling, making and breaking the circuit many times in the process.

I use EC5s now. They work great.

But, they don't last forever.

Eventually, after lots of sparking, they degrade. So I just inspect and replace when necessary.

[heathy]

Personally, i think the whole worlds supply of deans should be melted down for scrap, awful design

Had EC5's but went APP's.

[Rob43]

Although I don't use Dean's connectors any more for the reasons eveyrone else notes, I don't think the current stays high enough, long enough to necessitate a total changeout. I am not thrilled with EC5's either now that I've used them for a season. I'd be happier if I'd made the effort to get all genuine Eflite EC5's. The knockoffs friggin' suck. I much prefer the APP's, but I'll wait until Heathy tells me his have been great once he has some watt hours under his belt.

[Stolla]

ec5s don't dread switching they are so much easier to solder with a mini gas flame, just melt the solder in the bullet then dip the tinned wire in the melted solder while keeping the flame in touch, these crocodile clips hobby jigs are ideal for this. tin the wire with an iron as the flame will damage the wire coating. All in all much easier than soldering deans.
And yes I agree deans are rubbish!, use ec3 on smaller machines as well

[Cullen Colapietro]

I use XT60s on the 6HV on down and XT150s on the 7HV.

[Blink 182]

I used deans on both of my trex 700s, all still using original connectors for about 7 months. Main thing is not to damage them when soldering. I just sWitch to ec5 today, i the connection is alot tighter and was easier to solder.

They survived 19 degrees of collective pitch speed runs and hard stops so they handle the current fine.

[simonvaamonde]

Nay here!!

I been using traxxas for a while now easy to solder easy to connect.

[OverTemp]

Ok... I'm finding all kinds of ec5s out there. Solid male, split male, spring looking male.

Which ones do I want? What store? On the springy looking ones, are the springs sliding or solidly attached?

Thanks

[heathy]

Eflite make the original ones, Male has a springy'ness with the slots.

[Rob43]

Use these, or don't bother. Ideally, get them from a Horizon dealer. These are actually from EPbuddy. Note the large chamfer on the males. This is important, IMO.

[heathy]

Thats them, cheers Rob

[Praztek]

I checked Horizon Hobby's site, and can't find the EPbuddy brand ?

Hobby Town USA , whom is listed as a dealer, only carrys the Losi and E-Flight brands for the EC-5's.

I found them here though !

http://epbuddy.com/index.php?main_pa...roducts_id=118

[Rob43]

Sorry - I made that unclear. Use either Horizon to get true Eflite brand, or these from EPbuddy.

[Praztek]

Big price difference between brands of ec-5's.


Eflight - 7.99 for a single pair

epbuddy - 4.95 for two pairs

[Ah Clem]

I could never find a current rating on Deans Plugs. I have used them for years on up to 600 sized machines (and still use them on that size machine and below), but was concerned that they might not hold up to a possible 120 amps.

When the Team Pilots were testing the 7HV prior to production, they found that 6mm bullet connectors worked the best.

As I am very color-blind, I did not want to accidentally plug things in correctly at the field, so I wanted keyed plugs that I could not, easily, connect incorrectly.

I ended up using EC-5's on my 7HV (which are 5.5mm bullet connectors in a plastic housing) and will handle the current with no problem.

[Ensonic]

Does someone of you EC5 Users use anti spark circuits / resistor solution when pluggin in the battery? On normal plugs that is easy but with that EC5 case I have no idea how to solve that problem.