I need help with my Wiring

I have been trying to solder these deans Plugs but it is a real pain in the neck, total disaster.( first time soldering) So I have been reading about these powerpoles and they seem pretty good, so I have a few questions.

1. The 9920's dual wires are pre tinned, so will i still be able to crimp the powerpole onto it and also, if Im not mistaken, the UBEC's wire attaches here as well?

2. Should the motor be hard wired to the controller, or should I intsall conectors there as well?

3. In the Ubec's instructions, it mentions that you can either install an On/Off switch or just have it where you plug the thing in and out of the reciever??? Would this esentially turn the truck on/off without the switch?

[Dafni]

Hey, I'll try to help you.

-Soldering deans is not as hard as it seems, you should give it another try. (plus, I would solder the powerpoles, too)
Just tin the bar on the dean, as well as the wire. A healty blob of tin on each part. Then press them together (use a third hand, washing-line clip, or pliers with rubberband will do) and melt the blobs together. Practice helps, keep trying!

-If you don't like the pre-tinning on your controller wires, just cut it off. Easy.

-Hard wireing or plugging, both have their advantages. I like my stuff solid, but will try these gold plugs for test purposes. Once I find a good setup, I will hardwire it. Removes one possibility for trouble, always a good thing IMHO

-Switch at the UBEC, hmm, I include a separate plug on my batts for the UBEC. One for the ESC (dean), and one for the UBEC (smaller BEC-style plug).

Hope this helps. Excuse my english, I try my best.

[maxxdude1234]

When I solder deans plugs, I hold them imbetween a pair of pliers. Use one hand to heat the solder (big blob) on the deans connector, and the other to hold the wire onto the melter solder. Then hold it for 10secs to cool....don't forget to put the heatsink on the wire first!!!! I've made that mistake before.

I use 3.5mm gold connector (rated for 50amps) to connect the motor to the ESC. All lehner motors have 3.5mm plugs installed on them. If you can, use the 4mm gold plugs because they are rated for 80amps.

I soldered the uBEC wires onto the ESC input wires first, and then soldered that onto the deans plug. So I have 4 wires (2ESC, 2uBEC coming from each deans plug). If you unplug the uBEC from the reciever, the ESC will still be on but the reciever will be off so the truck will just sit there.....

Thank you for the replies.

So would these Duratrax Powerpoles be good for the 12g wires or do i need to look for differnent connectors?

[Batfish]

The powerpoles are a great connector. To use them on 12 (and some 14) gauge wire you may have to force the metal openning a little wider than stock. I've spent the last 2 months swapping my deans for powerpoles, and I don't see myself going back. I have about 40 deans laying in my toolbox now :)

The powerpoles aren't gender-specific and they allow you to wire in series without a harness.

I don't solder my powerpoles due to a message I read from an Anderson (makers of powerpoles) rep. He said that the crimped connection is inherently better because all of the current goes through the twisted copper strands right to the connector with no solder in the way. Both the wire and the connector have less resistance than solder, so it's not a bad idea to avoid solder when possible.
I don't take his word as gospel, but I can say that I haven't had a single problem with the powerpoles and I'm a very pleased customer.

It also helps that they are about half the cost of deans, too. :)

Lastly, I know there are questions regarding how many amps the connectors can handle, but the only information I have been able to find (that seams at all reliable) shows both deans and powerpoles at 30 amps, so I'm not concerned there. My own experience has shown that they have zero problems in real use.
http://www.hobbyhorse.com/connectors.shtml
Anderson clearly states the amps on their products, but I can't find information directly from wsdeans regarding the ultra connector's amps.

Are the Duratrax ones rated for 30 amps?

I ask this because I want to order from Tower Hobbies, and these are the only powerpoles they sell.

[Batfish]

Yes, the Duratrax PowerPoles are the Anderson 30 Amp Powerpoles, rebranded by Great Planes.

Here's a great article on using PowerPoles:
http://www.flyrc.com/articles/using_powerpole_1.shtml

Good luck with whatever you decide!

One more question, how should i crimp them? Is there a special tool needed?

[Batfish]

The absolute best way is to buy the expensive crimping tool from Anderson. I, however, use a crimper I got at Home Depot and just make sure I take my time to do a good job.
That article will show you what a good crimping job should look like with the connector. Regardless of the tool you use, you should strive for that look.
Once I have the connector crimped, I put the housing opening-up on a table and place a precision flat-head screwdriver on the back end of the connector to force it down into the housing. I just keep pushing down until it clicks into place. They also sell an "insertion tool", but my method works well for me.

Thanks for clearing thing up for me. I think I will like these powerpoles

[Batfish]

I know I sure like them. There really is nothing wrong with deans ultra connectors, but I despise soldering so the powerpoles are the connectors for me :)