EC3 vs Deans vs Power Pole's

[TheChad]

Hey all,

I've been into R/C for about 20 years, I haven't been active for the last 10 years, but I am starting to get back into R/C.

When I use to race Off-Road, everyone was using Power Pole or Deans plugs. A lot of people used Deans, I personally use Power Pole. Obviously the Tamiya were around as well, but everyone knew they were the worst option as far as performance.

I used Power Pole's because they made since, they were MUCH better than Tamiya's, and ALOT cheaper than Deans. (Deans were ~$3/each vs Power Pole's ~$1.50/each.

Back then I don't remember actually looking up which of the two (Deans/Power Pole) had less internal resistance or anything, I used them just because they were cheaper and easy to use, the Deans I remember were kind of hard to disconnect.

Anyway, now that I am getting back into R/C I notice many other options, while the Tamiya, Power Pole & Deans are all still used, I see ALOT of the EC3's are being used, and I know Traxxas also has their own connector (I never used anything Traxxas, it was always the black sheep). I've seen a couple others, but those seem to be the 5 most pouplar..

I thought getting back into R/C that my old Power Pole's would be obsolete and I would definitely be changing all my connectors over to something else, but finding that they aren't actually obsolete, should I keep the Power Pole's and install them on my new stuff? The biggest battery I will be using them with is the 3s 11.1v 2200mAh, I will at some point be using them also on a 7.4v 2s 5,000mAh (or comparable).

My Eflite 3s 11.1v 2200mAh use the EC3's, which is kind of what I figured I would have to change all my other stuff over to as they seem to be the most prevalent.

But at $3+ each for EC3's, Deans & Traxxas's, the Power Pole's are STILL the best deal. As far as best connection/internal resistance, is one better than the other?

What say YOU?

-TheChad

[Danny Dugger]

Never used power poles but I have used deans and ec3. EC3 is the way to go. All I buy anymore are EC3 and EC5 connectors. They provide high current and a very solid connection. No worrying about in-flight disconnects with them.

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[TheChad]

Okay, well In doing a search on google for EC3 Connectors, it looks like HobbyKing sell's them In bulk 10-packs for only about ~$6.50, which makes them a better price than the Power Poles and since that is what everything seems to be going to, I think it wins!

That said, is there only one "EC3" or are their knock off's? In other words are the EC3's Hobby King is selling the same as the one's you buy at the LHS? If they are an inferior knock off product, then I'm not going to get them!

Thanks,

-TheChad

[Gregor99]

Back in the 80s I went from the Tamiya connector to an orange connector (don't remember the name), to Power Poles (called Sermos connectors) and finally Deans.

Fast forward a few decades to helis. I started with Deans, went EC3s and finally back to Power Poles. This time I bought the crimper and the 45 amp connectors. This is the connector I used on most of my models, my chargers, and power supplies. The only place I do not use them is on my 700 due to the higher current levels.

EC3 are good for low current applications. There's a 3.5mm bullet in those connectors and I would not be comfortable running them up to their 60 amp current rating. The EC line the EC5 is better for anything larger.

The Power Poles are still good connectors and the crimper works very well. Its only $40 and well worth it if you are going to stay in the hobby.

[Gregor99]

Originally Posted by TheChad

That said, is there only one "EC3" or are their knock off's? In other words are the EC3's Hobby King is selling the same as the one's you buy at the LHS? If they are an inferior knock off product, then I'm not going to get them!

Thanks,

-TheChad

There are tons of clones, and there is no standard on sizing. One clone may fit fine with its counterpart, but be loose when used with another clone. Some uses the original cage style spring while others use a slotted shaft.

[Danny Dugger]

I have used Eflite, Progressive RC, and Hobby King EC3 and EC5s. I would say quality is in the respective order I listed them. Eflites cost more but they are very high quality. No problems with Progressive RC connectors and they work well with eflite mates. Hobby Kings connectors have a cheaper feel and don't connect as solidly as the others do. They will also mate with eflite connectors though. You will want a little butane torch for soldering them, especially the EC5s. An iron just won't cut it.

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[Slyster]

I really like EC5s. I use the progressive.. smooth and easy to get apart. So easy to solder with a butane lighter and a block of wood with holes to hold them for you.

[CrashNburn420]

I use deans on everything now, actually just switched my last plane over yesterday. I was using ec3 on my planes but they were a huge pain the ass to disconnect.

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[RedOctobyr]

It seems as though the people that have used the Power Poles love them. It's getting me more interested in trying them for future applications.

I have EC3's (HK ones) on my 450, packs, and parallel board & cable. I like them, though I do have to go around and use tweezers to squeeze down the little curved springs on the pins, otherwise they are very tight to join and disconnect. My peak power draws at 6S are 30A, so I don't worry about them getting warm as a result of my modification.

I have a good soldering station, but soldering up a bunch of them is a bit of a pain. Stripping & crimping sounds very quick, and is apparently very secure, without risk of solder wicking back under the insulation, making the wire stiff.

I'd assumed I'd simply go EC5 on future, bigger helis. But maybe Power Poles are worth a closer look. The $40-50 crimping tool isn't super-expensive, and it sounds like there are ~$10-15 options, though I'm sure they're not as good.

It sounds like the 45A contacts would accommodate any heli I might get in the future, so everything would have the same plugs (easier for parallel boards, etc).

Are there good sources for bags of 30A or 45A Power Poles, if you're looking to buy 10 or so sets at once?

[Danny Dugger]

If you're thinking about bigger electric helis, 45A isn't going to get you very far. Even my 3s 450 pulls spikes up to 80A. Bigger 6s helis can pull a lot of current, I've seen around145A on my G500. My 12s 630 also spikes around 135A.

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[Gregor99]

Originally Posted by RedOctobyr

though I do have to go around and use tweezers to squeeze down the little curved springs on the pins, otherwise they are very tight to join and disconnect. the springs eventually collapse on their own reducing the contact area, increasing resistance and causing heating. I would not proactively cause this deterioration by compressing the springs. This is one of the reasons I moved away from EC connectors.

Are there good sources for bags of 30A or 45A Power Poles, if you're looking to buy 10 or so sets at once?

I usually buy in bulk. I also will order extra contacts as you can easily disassemble the connectors and replace the contact.

http://www.powerwerx.com/

Originally Posted by Freeko

If you're thinking about bigger electric helis, 45A isn't going to get you very far.

Helicopter's current profile is very sporadic. The ratings on connectors are the continuous current rating. If you look at a the average current of a typical flight its going to be significantly lower than the peaks. For sizing the connectors, the average is a better number to use. If you have a Castle also look at the ripple as that is a better indicator of the performance of the connector and wiring.

That being said, I would not use APPs on a 6s 550 or 600, or on any 700.

[RedOctobyr]

I should have been a bit more specific: the biggest I'd see for myself is 500 or 550, just for context. We're not talking a 700 or anything.

I haven't done a lot of reading on them. But I'm under the impression that the PowerPoles are very conservatively rated. Doing some quick searching around, I came across this thread from a few years ago, about EC5s vs PowerPole 45A connectors:

https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=229116

What I took from it is that the small-housing, PowerPoles, with the big internal contacts, PP45, are rated to 45A continuous, with no airflow (I think). Our applications typically have brief, high spikes, with the average current being significantly lower. Which is something that is apparently not really an issue. If your heli pulls significantly more than that all the time, then it may be an issue.

The 45A-max housings & contacts can accept up to 10ga wire. For thicker wire than that, you apparently run out of room, and should go to the 75A-max housings and contacts. Those can handle up to 6ga wire, though are significantly bulkier.

Some overview info from the manufacturer:
http://www.powerwerx.com/anderson-po...owerpole-sets/

Within a given housing size (like 45A), all of the contacts (15, 30, or 45A) have the same actual contact (conduction) area. The difference is in the gauge wire the contacts can accept. The 30A contacts can take 14 & 12AWG wire, the 45A contacts can take 10AWG wire.

Just as a point of reference, a guy at the field has a 700, with a 120A Castle ESC, he uses HK XT60 connectors (rated for 60A continuous), and has not had any issues.

[RedOctobyr]

Originally Posted by Gregor99

I If you have a Castle also look at the ripple as that is a better indicator of the performance of the connector and wiring.

That being said, I would not use APPs on a 6s 550 or 600, or on any 700.

That's interesting, I log my ripple, I could compare before/after if I ever changed connectors.

You wouldn't use *any* APP on those applications, or just not the smaller 45A versions? The larger 75A, for instance, seems like it could still be viable, though maybe it gets rather bulky?

[Gregor99]

Originally Posted by RedOctobyr

You wouldn't use *any* APP on those applications, or just not the smaller 45A versions? The larger 75A, for instance, seems like it could still be viable, though maybe it gets rather bulky?

I have several sets of the APP 75s. For the current rating the housing is HUGE. I used them on one of my power supplies (see below). On my models I have my Y serial cable integrated into the ESC wiring. So I plug two packs directly into the ESC. For that configuration I would use four of the massive connectors. Honestly, I doubt I could get the canopy on if I used those APP75s. But they are use to connect/disconnect and have a satisfying "click" when positive contact is made. I do like the APPs for the smaller applications. But the big ones are just too big.

One other feature I like about the APPs is that can be panel mounted (see below). There's tons of other grouping and mounting options. Take a look http://www.powerwerx.com/powerpole-accessories/

[willr001]

Power pole ratings are for the wire, not the connector. The 15, 30, and 45 all have the same contact area and force.

The EC5 may say 120, but once you solder a 10ga wire in, it would not be rated 120 by any reputable company.

APP ratings are very, very conservative. I only use them on 500 and larger because of their size.

[Bob O]

The contact area is not the same between these three. I use the 30A and 45A connectors, and the contact area is definitely not the same.

I'm still using APP 45A connectors presently, on both my birds. No problems at all with the 45A on my Gaui X4 II. I used them on my 6HV last year peaking nearly 80A at times without any problems.

I ordered a set of the 75A ones prior to the build, but didn't realize the housings were as HUGE as they are. Too big to fit under my canopy so I didn't use them.

Anyway, I hate soldering. Crimping is so quick and easy, and with consistent results.

[RedOctobyr]

Originally Posted by Bob O

The contact area is not the same between these three. I use the 30A and 45A connectors, and the contact area is definitely not the same.

Fair enough, real-world experience wins

I was going by what Anderson says on this page:
http://www.powerwerx.com/anderson-po...pole-sets.html

"The 15, 30 & 45 amp contacts all use the same housing. Therefore, they all connect to each other. The size of the flat contact area is actually the same for all contacts. The only difference between the 15, 30 & 45 amp contacts is the size of the receiving barrel that accepts the wire."

[Bob O]

RO,

You're correct. I just went down and compared the 30 and 45 in my hand. The contact area IS the same.

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[ColinSouthern]

For what it's worth, some have mentioned that the find the Deans connectors hard to separate . Personally, I associate "hard to separate" with "good solid connection".

Personally, I don't have an issue with GENUINE Deans connectors - little bit of a PITA until you learn how to solder them properly, but apart from that, they're just fine.

I haven't used any of the others mentioned, but I'm sure they're fine as well. I doubt things like differences in resistance would be noticeable in real world conditions.

[EclipseSL94]

I have converted to power poles. They are just so simple to use and there is little to no chance of messing up if you have the Tri-Crimp tool.

I use them on my RX battery(15A), 500, and even my Goblin 700 is using them. 45A contacts. I can also get them locally so that is a plus too. They are not hot on my G700 at all, but then again I don't pound my heli. I do like large climb outs though so there is a good amount of current going through at times.

If I ever run into a problem with the 700 ill just go back to EC5s on the 700. They are simple to solder with an iron with a big tip or a butane torch. 75A power poles are just too big for heli use. Unless you have a lot of room.