Esc connections

[fly boy3]

Hi all, as a newbie to electrics I am about to purchase a 30amp esc fot a Turnigy 200 watt motor. Will the connections to esc and motor be comparable ?  Thanks FB3

[john davidson 1]

Often they are different diameters and need new connectors soldered on, good soldering practice, make sure no dry joints though. Good to buy a selection to keep as a standby

[Simon Chaddock]

OLD FLIER

It is likely the Turnigy will have 3.5 mm bullet connectors supplied but they may not be soldered on.

The ESC may or may not have connectors provided. If they are you have to make sure they are the same type/size as provided with the motor.

 

Most suppliers accept that the type of connector is a personal choice. Only if you buy a ready to fly plane can you be sure that matching connectors are installed. 

 

[fly boy3]

Thank all. Assuming they may be different, who supplies them? Thank you FB3

[Denis Watkins]

Among others is

https://www.componentshop.co.uk/

[kc]

The 3 connectors ESC to Motor can go together in any order  - if the motor rotates the wrong way then just change any 2 over.    Of course the Lipo wires to ESC must be positive to positive, negative to negative

[Simon Chaddock]

Quote

The 3 connectors ESC to Motor can go together in any order  - if the motor rotates the wrong way then just change any 2 over.    Of course the Lipo wires to ESC must be positive to positive, negative to negative

And preferably through a handed connector, like the EC60 found on many batteries, so it will only go together the right way round. Get the positive and negative connection wrong even for an instant and the ESC is ruined. Any longer and the possibility of a LiPo fire is real.     

[fly boy3]

Thanks for all the info boys, I appreciate it. FB3

[Engine Doctor]

Check out the MT 60  or the MR 60 3pin plug /socket . 

Edited March 14, 2023 by Engine Doctor

[Geoff S]

2 hours ago, Engine Doctor said:

Check out the MT 60  or the MR 60 3pin plug /socket . 

 

I'd never seen these so I checked them out.  I don't really see any advantage of them for esc to motor connection because they make it difficult to swap a pair over to change rotation and in any case it's often easier to tuck separate 3.5/4.0 bullet connectors out of the way.  Incidentally, for some reason MT60s are rated at 30 amps!

 

For esc to battery connection the XT range is difficult to beat (eg XT60, XT90 etc).  They're easy to solder and are fitted as standard to many batteries, particularly the popular 3S 2200MaH.

[leccyflyer]

Agreed - a fixed plug and socket which doesn't easily allow switching of two wires to reverse rotation sounds like a bad idea. It's a connection that you are likely to make once and then leave it (assuming the rotation is correct). Also on a lot pf models it will be in a place where unnecessary bulk of plugs and sockets would be highly undesirable.

[Engine Doctor]

If Its a tractor motor once set up why would you want to reverse it ? Same applies to a pusher set up. But fair enough if they are not for you .

[leccyflyer]

12 minutes ago, Engine Doctor said:

If Its a tractor motor once set up why would you want to reverse it ? Same applies to a pusher set up. But fair enough if they are not for you .

You wouldn't - that's the point - you need to run the motor to check which way it will run, then, if it isn't running in the direction desired, you simply unplug and switch 2 out of the 3 motor wires. You can't do that with a 3 in 1 plug, meaning you would need to cobble something together to test the motor rotation first. For a connection that is going to be made once and then left undisturbed there is no advantage in having such a hard wired plug.

 

Then there is the issue of unnecessary bulk in what is most frequently the place in the model where space is at a premium. 3.5mm connectors rake up about the same space as the equivalent length of wire. For thicker motor wires you could use a 4mm connector, but it still wouldn't occupy any more space than the wire itself.

[Engine Doctor]

As i said " if they are not for you then fair enough" .

[Allan Bennett]

I've used the MT60's once and, if I remember correctly, it's possible to remove the male or female brass parts from their plastic housing for testing rotation, and then assemble them for permanence.  If I'm wrong about that, soldering and then re-soldering two leads if necessary to correct rotation is surely not a big deal.  The plugs are very handy for a twin with ESCs in the fuselage and motors in the removable wings.

[leccyflyer]

I can see them potentially being useful for twins, once the rotation direction is sorted out - although I'd note that it's just as easy, and takes up less space, to do that with three colour coded wires fitted with 3.5mm connectors. As it happens I've just done that not too long ago, in a model where space was at a premium.

[Richard Ashworth]

And just remember that on connectors, all metal that will remain visible after the male and female are plugged together, should be insulated with heat shrink tubing! With bullet connectors after I have the motor rotating the right way, standard anticlockwise, I put small wraps of red or green insulation tape on two of the the leads either side of the connectors so that if I need to take the electrics apart they are colour coded for quick reassembly.

Edited March 17, 2023 by Richard Ashworth
Correction and extra explanation