What is a "Z" plug

[wingcoax]

I have been trying to scource a TX pack for a BNIB Sanwa VG6000 for a while and this week thought i was in with a chance, But no. All I can find out is that the polarily is different to norm. Can anyone please help. 

[EarlyBird]

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

It’s easy to extract the pins from these connectors and rearrange the polarity if it’s necessary for your transmitter so any pack with the right number and size of cell should be ok. 
 

You do need to take extreme care not to short the wires together while you’re doing it although the result of shorting a NiXX pack aren’t quite as spectacular as LiPos. I use the tip of a scalpel blade to gently prise up the little tags retaining the pins and then pull the wire out. Then simply pop it back in the correct location until you feel it click. Just make sure not to short it or bend the retainer any more than absolutely necessary and you should be fine. 
 

Best to do it with a discharged pack (as supplied) for additional safety. 

[Engine Doctor]

As Martin says it's simple to change the wires around. We used to do it all the time back when Sanwa were around. Eventually the penny dropped and Sanwa fitted blue plugs "z" that were compatible ( pins fitted in the same order as Futaba and JR ) although you still had to trim the tab off on JR plugs to fit other makes. 

From memory the old Samwa had the positive and negative reversed ( red on the outer edge ) 

Again as Martin says be careful not to short the pins when changing them over as they can almost weld together if touched.

Just one thing to add . Push the wire and pin into the plug while lifting the retaining tab as the end can be damaged if wire is pulled before it's clear. If tab is clear the cable will slide out very easily.

[gangster]

Like the others I have had hours of fun swapping pins round to use on Sanwa.  Their kit was not even compatible between different models of the same make. Nightmare getting the right crystals or receivers. 
I never came across the later blue z plugs but looking at the manual extract it would suggest they changed their ways with regards pinout polarity. Maybe a Futaba/ Hitec would work fine with a little shaving

[wingcoax]

Thanks guys, I even contacted a major UK supplier of batteries and they held their hands up and said they had no idea what a "Z" plug was.

[David Ovenden]

Yes Sanwa started with big "squarish" white plugs that were wired differently to Futaba and JR. Then they changed to a black plug that had the same non standard wiring. (And yes I too remember moving the wires around in the plugs to work on other makes of receiver)

Then there was the blue Z plug that changed to the same wiring layout as JR/Hitech/Futaba. My memory is that it was very similar to a JR plug. These days many battery packs come with a "universal" type plug that fits JR/HiTec/Futaba and so should - I would have thought- work fine for your Sanwa Transmitter.  Always best to check the wiring conforms on a new battery though before you plug it in.

Picture below shows Left to Right Futaba; JR; Sanwa Z. They all have the same wiring order and the JR and Sanwa plugs look pretty much identical.

Edited September 10, 2021 by David Ovenden