EC5 male is for the battery?

[kirby_]

Several weeks ago, I bought a few male and female EC5 connectors from ProgressiveRC: http://www.progressiverc.com/ec5-connectors.html. If you look closely at the dropdown box at that link, it says: "4 male (for battery)" and "4 female (for charger/ESC)". I ordered a few of each.

Those arrived a couple of weeks ago and I put them away, forgetting exactly what I ordered. Today, I finally got around to putting these on my batteries. It's my first time soldering big connectors like this. I watched videos, practiced technique on some length of 10ga wire, etc. Finally, I did four of the actual batteries. Before starting, I checked several places to be sure I remembered correctly, "the female connector goes on the battery". So, I opened the PRC package labeled "EC5 female connectors" and by the time I did the 3rd and 4th batt, I was pretty happy with the process. I can do it pretty consistently.

I then looked at my parallel charge board, and see that has the same connector that I just put on four batts. WTF!?!?!?!

I'm confused and a little angry. The connector soldered on my batts has the larger plastic housing, the other gender goes inside this housing. However, this female housing has pins inside and not sockets. The smaller male housing has the sockets. I thought the gender of a connector was determined by the plastic shroud and not the pins inside. The labels on the package from PRC match this thinking, the "female" package has the larger plastic housing. But, looking at the dropdown from the PRC link, they clearly intended that I use the other gender for my batts. Why? What do you all do? Which EC5 connector is the "male" and which one will I generally find on batteries vs ESCs?

P.S. I haven't soldered anything on my ESC yet, so I know I can still make this situation work, but I don't want to have a reverse gender setup from everyone else. I want my ESC to be consistent with what I found out in the world so I don't have to go around thinking about gender after I've put the connectors on.

[akschu]

Typically you always use the male PINs on the esc side and the female on the battery side. This is true to deans and all other connectors I'm aware of. The EC5 makes things confusing by using the female casing on the male side and the male casing on the female side.

With all other electronics we go by the pins, not the casing. If it were me I would do male pins in the female casing on the charger/esc side and female pins in the male casing on the battery side. That way you are standard and can get charge leads that work, such as:

http://www.progressiverc.com/paralle...rge-cable.html

Another source for quality EC5 connectors is here:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...e_Female_.html

Notice the male pins, how they have spines on the side. I think they are much nicer than the ones that have split pins that wear out.

[kirby_]

Yea, after posting I found this:
http://www.progressiverc.com/blog/connectortype/

I incorrectly assumed that if it was labeled "female" on the package it went on the batt side. I completely forgot that the PRC ordering page said "male (for battery) when I ordered three weeks ago. I really think the package shouldn't be labeled "female" if it's not for the batt side. After careful examination, there is a small embossed "batt" label on one side, but I don't know if I would have ever seen that if I didn't go looking for it.

Ok, so related question:
I would like to remove these female EC5 connectors from the battery, saving as much length of the battery discharge wires as possible. I know I'll end up destroying the housing and pins, that'll be my "not paying attention tax". What's the best way to do this? Can I just cut away the housing and heat the pins until the wire comes free? Is there an easier way? Obviously, I'll do it one side at a time so I never have both + and - wires uncovered at the same time.

[Tomy.]

Yup just cut the housing with an exacto knife length-wise on one side so you only get one of the bullets out, desolder it, put a new one on, put it in the new plastic end, then do the other side.
If you can, use a piece of 2x4 and drill 1/4" deep holes that are the same as the external diam. of the bullets, and use that to hold them while working on them. It will be much easier to keep the bullets heated while soldering/desoldering as wood does not conduct heat very well. This was a game changer for me a few years ago no matter how good iron I had (and a ton of soldering experience), I struggled with keeping consistent heat on the bullets.

[kirby_]

Thanks for the advice! I've got a good jig already for the bullets. I'll pull them apart tonight.

Here's a question, how should I clean up any solder on the outside of the cups? I use a big flat tip and tin it a bit do I can actually heat the cup, but this leaves a mess on the outside of the cup which makes it difficult to put click into the housing. So far I have managed by using a clean tip to kind of spread the overspill, but I'd prefer a way to actually clean the cup.

[Slyster]

"Females are hot!"... an easy way of remembering that the female connector goes on the lipo... assuming you are not gay

Use a torch.. so easy this way!

Soldering EC5 connectors with a torch lighter. (3 min 16 sec)

[kirby_]

Originally Posted by Slyster

"Females are hot!"... an easy way of remembering that the female connector goes on the lipo... assuming you are not gay

I did remember this, that was the problem!

In my original post, I said:

I checked several places to be sure I remembered correctly, "the female connector goes on the battery". So, I opened the PRC package labeled "EC5 female connectors" and...

The plastic housing is female, but not the contacts. I trusted the package label. My fault.

Originally Posted by Slyster

Use a torch.. so easy this way!

Soldering EC5 connectors with a torch lighter. - YouTube

I saw that yesterday and bought a little butane torch for this. Its LOW setting puts out way too large a flame I end up scaring my jig and a few things around it. Can you recommend a specific model torch that gives me more control?

[oliver1071]

Originally Posted by kirby_

Several weeks ago, I bought a few male and female EC5 connectors from ProgressiveRC: http://www.progressiverc.com/ec5-connectors.html. If you look closely at the dropdown box at that link, it says: "4 male (for battery)" and "4 female (for charger/ESC)". I ordered a few of each.

Those arrived a couple of weeks ago and I put them away, forgetting exactly what I ordered. Today, I finally got around to putting these on my batteries. It's my first time soldering big connectors like this. I watched videos, practiced technique on some length of 10ga wire, etc. Finally, I did four of the actual batteries. Before starting, I checked several places to be sure I remembered correctly, "the female connector goes on the battery". So, I opened the PRC package labeled "EC5 female connectors" and by the time I did the 3rd and 4th batt, I was pretty happy with the process. I can do it pretty consistently.

I then looked at my parallel charge board, and see that has the same connector that I just put on four batts. WTF!?!?!?!

I'm confused and a little angry. The connector soldered on my batts has the larger plastic housing, the other gender goes inside this housing. However, this female housing has pins inside and not sockets. The smaller male housing has the sockets. I thought the gender of a connector was determined by the plastic shroud and not the pins inside. The labels on the package from PRC match this thinking, the "female" package has the larger plastic housing. But, looking at the dropdown from the PRC link, they clearly intended that I use the other gender for my batts. Why? What do you all do? Which EC5 connector is the "male" and which one will I generally find on batteries vs ESCs?

P.S. I haven't soldered anything on my ESC yet, so I know I can still make this situation work, but I don't want to have a reverse gender setup from everyone else. I want my ESC to be consistent with what I found out in the world so I don't have to go around thinking about gender after I've put the connectors on.

Shame they probably meant the Female housing which takes the male bullets. where the Male housing takes the female bullets.

Oh never mind it was spelled out on the site

Battery Connection: Female bullets inside the small (male) housing - the squared off housing is Positive.
ESC/Charger Connection: Male bullets inside the larger (female) housing - the squared off housing is Positive

Oh well look at it as soldering practice

[Slyster]

I use these for everything.. fires, stove, cigars, soldering... love them.

http://www.dx.com/p/2000-c-tri-flame...9#.VUeu9tpViko

[kirby_]

Originally Posted by oliver1071

Oh well look at it as soldering practice

Amen brother. I was pissed about it last night, but today I just look at it as practice.

Quick update: I tried using the torch again last night and I got much better at it. I thought the torch was damaging my jig, burning the wire insulation, etc. I was being silly. It's just carbon from the very tip section of the flame. Last night, I put on three correct connectors using only the torch. Man that's fast, a second or two of torch to get solder in the cup, a second or two to get the tinned wire secured in the cup, let it cool a bit, help it along with some compressed air, pop it in the housing.

Thanks to everyone for the advice.