should I fit 2mm connectors on my motors

[davethepitch]

Hello all

I am undecided whether to fit 2mm connectors to my RCX 1804 2400Kv motors with heat shrink to allow me to do a quick change of motor if I decide to do so or solder the wires direct to the ESC';s and I am sure some will say solder them direct.

Dave

[soggybottoms]

imho if you';re confident of your set up solder them. otherwise keep the flexibility of connects and a few mm extra wire so you can ditch them when happy

[Hands0n]

You';re going to get both answers to that question Dave.  I do both, not at the same time of course. Just as the mood takes me. 

Of late I have been soldering, either the ESC and Motor wires to each other.  Or if the motor wires are long enough then directly to the ESC itself.  A mahoosive maintenance job if ever the need to replace a motor or ESC happens. As indeed it has. 

If you use 2mm bullet connectors all I would say is to make sure that they are a tight fit and always check them during your pre-flight check.

[barneyg]

Not exactly 2mm versions but I used these 3.5mm ones on my f450 :

https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__34428__3_5mm_3_wire_Bullet_connector_for_motor_5pairs_bag_UK_Warehouse_.html

So far not a single problem

[Chami82923]

It';s a personal decision, I use the bullet connectors, but I have over 20 years soldering experience and am confident of my soldering, every solder joint is a potential weak point, and so far have had no solder failures.

Good quality solder and flux minimises the chances of a failure.

(I still prefer lead solder)

Callum

[shaun]

Going through exactly the same debate myself with my 250 build. Thinking of soldering it all together to keep it tidy and as light as possible. But based on previous experience, new to quads with a 450, for me the flexibility of using connectors is appealing.

[davethepitch]

Thank you for your replies all I need to do now is find some good quality 2mm connectors. 

Dave

[Friskle]

you can also add a drop of clear silicon sealant at the joint, just stops them pulling apart of their own accord as an extra safety feature.

[Andy7]

... every solder joint is a potential weak point...

Of course, you have to solder the bullet connectors on though

Anyhoo, my 2p worth. I';m using bullet connectors on the motor end of my ESCs with not a single failure in almost 2 years. Plus I can quickly disconnect my motors for maintenance, balancing and the like.
In my rebuild, I put bullets on the other end of my escs to give me a little more flexibility.

And yes, soldering these can be tough. Don';t skimp on the solder. My bullets have a tiny hole in the side to feed the solder into until it';s full. I found one of those helping hand thingies indispensable for that kind of soldering as you don';t want to move the wire while the solder is cooling or you get a bad joint. And it gets mighty hot!

[xxpitt]

on a bigger frame i would deffo say say solder direct to esc, but with these mini';s being built for bush whacking and racing the';re going to take some abuse so you never know when you might need to swap a motor out, plus there seems to be new mini motors coming out every week so you never know when you might want to upgrade them. think bullets might be a sensible choice. I still won';t use them though 

[xxpitt]

Of course, you have to solder the bullet connectors on though

also every bullet connector is a potential point of failure so your you getting 2 for the price of one with bullets 

[MrBen]

I find solder a much more reliable connection and would NEVER use bullets on a multi again, I know several people who have had multi';s dropping out of the sky due to intermittent bad bullet connection too. How often do you need to swap a motor? Not very often if at all. How long does it take to resolder 3 wires? Not long! It just means that IF you did have to change a motor its means you have to go home to the soldering iron 

[teslahed]

Given how long it takes me to solder 6 bullet connectors some of the time later saved is wasted doing that.

I can solder the 3 wires pretty quick without bullets and i have a big draw of heatshrink to recover my ESCs with every time i do this as i solder direct to the pads on the ESCs themselves.

Some people find bullet connectors work fine. Others have had them cause loose connections and aircraft crashes. I suspect bad soldering and bad quality control at the bullet connector factory. 

You also save a few grams of weight doing away with the bullets which definitely adds up on a mini quad.

[Friskle]

Bullets or soldered connection, there';s still soldered joints in play no matter the choice, a dry joint on a soldered connection is just the same as a badly soldered bullet.

Be it planes or the multistage, I have always used bullets, excerpt for I think two builds were people wanted the motor wires soldered.

The best thing for bullets is stood in a block of wood, it then takes seconds to do let them on, as all heat is for the bullet and none being transferred away by anything metal, I';ve never had a bullet fail connection in over 6 or 7 years.

Imho if soldered right, then its personal preference, soldered wires is more direct, but not necessarily better.

[Hands0n]

See Dave? Opinion varies, and I don';t really think that there truly is a right and wrong between either choice.

However, the overriding important message coming through from all the replies is about the quality of the solder joint that you make.   Soldering looks easy, and in truth it isn';t complex.  A good regime is called for.  Good quality solder, use of flux, a quality iron and attention to detail when soldering, keep that joint still until the solder has hardened.  A poor quality joint will fail at the worst possible time! Guarantee that.

[davethepitch]

See Dave? Opinion varies, and I don';t really think that there truly is a right and wrong between either choice.

However, the overriding important message coming through from all the replies is about the quality of the solder joint that you make.   Soldering looks easy, and in truth it isn';t complex.  A good regime is called for.  Good quality solder, use of flux, a quality iron and attention to detail when soldering, keep that joint still until the solder has hardened.  A poor quality joint will fail at the worst possible time! Guarantee that.

Hello Hands0n

I thought that this question might give mixed reviews and I the only way be sure is ask ther people on here who have a vast knowledge of these situations.

I do have a controllable soldering station so I am ok soldering but I will not work on smaller items like FET';s and similar.

I would like to thank everyone for their views and I will sit back and make as decision but I cannot do it yet as I only got disharged from the UHNS hospital on Friday with Diverticulitis and inflammation of the bowels 

Dave

[Hands0n]

Urgh, sorry to read that Dave.  That has got to be "uncomfortable" for you.  Hope you';re feeling a whole lot better soon. 

[davethepitch]

Hello HandsOn

Thank you for your reply on and it started on Wednesday night with lower abdominal pains which came and went and then just after midnight the pains got really bad so I drove to the hospital in the early hours of Thursday morning and then I was admitted.

I am not looking for sympathy but the funny thing is within four months I have had pancreatitis a perforated ear drum with Eustachian tube dysfunction and now Diverticulitis with infection and inflammation of the bowels but it is one of those things that happen in life. 

Dave