Electrics people - Quick one regarding cabling

workaccount

I have an electric super cub and the stock cables to connect the battery to the receiver are of a low grade and quite thin.

I have batteries with high quality 18awg cable and was thinking of changing the cable on the receiver to battery to 18 awg also. They will be terminated with bullet connectors.

Would there be any problems in using thicker wire like this?

loopingfred

Nope, no problem at all.
Even better ! (resistance)

Fred

coolwings

The thin wire causes problems, you are better off without it.

workaccount

Great. I'm going to order it so.

I will be soldering on the connectors myself. This will be my second time doing a soldering session.

One problem I ran into the last time was the bullet connectors have little holes in them.
The way I was soldering them was by heating up the connector, filling the hole up then by melting solder in by the heat of the connector and then putting my cable in before the solder cooled.

This seemed to be grand but the solder comes out the little holes and makes abit of a mess of my plug.

loopingfred

That happen sometimes...
Cut the excess with a plier, and sand it down with a file or sand paper.
Happy soldering !
Fred

coolwings

Use flux! Soldering is so much better. The wire with "solder flux down the wire centre" is next to useless, get the solder wire, and the flux. Your joints will grip forever. :-)

workaccount

coolwings wrote: »

Use flux! Soldering is so much better. The wire with "solder flux down the wire centre" is next to useless, get the solder wire, and the flux. Your joints will grip forever. :-)

Sorry coolwings I'm not sure exactly what you mean.

You say use flux but not down the wire centre. Where do I use it?

DennisZ

He meant, you need this http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&ModuleNo=33849&doy=16m4
and this http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&ModuleNo=43001&doy=16m4


and here http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&ModuleNo=34965&doy=16m4
is

"solder flux down the wire centre" is next to useless

workaccount

DennisZ wrote: »

He meant, you need this http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&ModuleNo=33849&doy=16m4
and this http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&ModuleNo=43001&doy=16m4


and here http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&ModuleNo=34965&doy=16m4
is

Hi Dennisz,
I actually do have flux in a little tin....Would this not do? I also already have solder!

Coolwings comment you quoted still does not make any sense to me after following that link.

DennisZ

workaccount wrote: »

Hi Dennisz,
I actually do have flux in a little tin....Would this not do? I also already have solder!

Coolwings comment you quoted still does not make any sense to me after following that link.

the third link point to special breed of solder - with flux inside ... I guess coolwings was talking about it.


here is how I solder "banana" connectors -

- take a piece of wood , drill a whole matching your connector outside diameter
- insert connector into that whole (head down )
- drop some flux into connector
- "insert" your (hot) solder iron into connector
- start "feeding"/melt solder wire into
- when connector "cap" is half full of melted solder - quickly remove s.iron and insert your wire in
- wire end should be "fed" by solder already
- wait for things to cool down



.

coolwings

OK guys I've made a quick a Soldering Tutorial Slideshow .

I hosted the slideshow file on the Green Hobby & Model website HERE .

Use the side menu to jump to the "pics & videos" page.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for the tutorial thumbnail link.

I'll add an explanatory narrative to the tutorial later.

Coolwings

workaccount

coolwings wrote: »

OK guys I've made a quick a Soldering Tutorial Slideshow .

I hosted the slideshow file on the Green Hobby & Model website HERE .

Use the side menu to jump to the "pics & videos" page.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for the tutorial thumbnail link.

I'll add an explanatory narrative to the tutorial later.

Coolwings

Cheers for that. A narrative would be very handy indeed.

syl77

Not sure if it is clear in coolwings slide show but you should also melt some solder on to the wire, let it leak down into the strains of wire. This will ensure a better contact with the solder on the connector.
Two very good videos you could watch (1.bullets and 2.Deans) are:
http://video.helifreak.com/?subpath=finless/generic&filename=soldering_bullets101.wmv

http://video.helifreak.com/?subpath=finless/generic&filename=soldering_deans101.wmv

Hope they help...

The Doktor

Use a chisel type tip, and solder with flux. You can use seperate flux if you choose, however after making thousands of soldering joints where a perfect join is imperative, I have never had one give problems yet using solder with a flux core.
Also each time you take up the iron, gently rub the tip off a damp sponge to clean it. Tin the tip a little, by putting a small amount of solder on it. It should look nice and silvery.

1. "tin" wire and connector seperatley. (hold soldering iron under wire/connector, when hot enough to melt solder feed solder into wire/connector until they are coated with solder. You can use flux here. remember, the solder shouldnt touch the iron, just the item you are tinning.

2. join wire and connector, ensuring you can put the soldering iron under the connector. It must not move while you do the actual soldering.

3. Hold soldering iron under connector and heat the items until they are the same temperature (filling connectors with solder and sticking the wire in does not make a good electrical/mechanical connection).

4. feed solder into connector, not touching solder off the iron, the wire/connector should melt the solder, not the iron. Keep feeding until the joint is made.

If the joint is made well the solder should be very silvery. If it looks grey, then remove solder with desoldering wick and start again.

Ill never forget the whole week in FAS years ago where I spent all day every day soldering connectors on to wire until we got it right!:D