More Chinese EBay Seller Problems

[Hands0n]

[attach=1]

Have you noticed the error in the photo above?  If not, then you may well end up frying your expensive multi-rotor electronics, pretty much none of which has reverse polarity protection.

The JST cable on the left is correct, sourced from a UK eBayer at slightly high price relative to the Chinese sellers.  The JST cable on the right is cheap as chips, but then why shouldn';t it be? Yet it is reversed polarity and anyone not noticing this when fitting it to a RC vehicle will most probably experience the magic smoke, which is a euphemism for the total destruction of the electronics it is connected to.

I spotted the fault immediately on making a test fit to a LiPo. But will suggest that many might not notice it at all until its too late!

I am getting heartily sick and tired of some of these Chinese sellers who stock shoddy and dangerous goods.  There is absolutely no excuse for it.   

With these sellers the old adage is very appropriate - Caveat Emptor - or Buyer Beware.   

NB: Does anyone know how to get these wires out of the JST housing so I can swap them around. If not I am quite prepared to throw them in the waste bin as they are of no use in that condition.

[Chami82923]

Every battery needs a f***ing big sticker on it saying check polarity before plugging in!

I only use the jst connectors for my transmitter, which are now all hard wired.

Anybody new needs to check this first!

Red to red, black to black, blue to bits, as I was told when I first started work! Just after I lost my eye brows!

Good observation, thank you. Must check the bag of jst connectors I';ve just got of eBay!

Callum

[nub]

good find, that was lucky.

[dyls]

[attach=1]
NB: Does anyone know how to get these wires out of the JST housing so I can swap them around. If not I am quite prepared to throw them in the waste bin as they are of no use in that condition.

Poke a small screw driver in the plug and pull out the pin.
When the pin is out of the JST use the same screwdriver to pull the tab back out so it will lock back in the connector.

[Col_M]

I seem to remember having read that different manufacturers of models use different polarity on some battery connectors as there';s no common standard. As such it may not be a mistake by the battery manufacturer/seller, rather a problem with the industry not having a common standard.

[Hands0n]

I raised an eBay case and the seller has refunded in full.  Same with something else I bought from another Chinese seller.  I don';t want to profit from their ineptness,  but going forward I';m taking a hard line with these sellers.

[quadfather]

I raised an eBay case and the seller has refunded in full.  Same with something else I bought from another Chinese seller.  I don';t want to profit from their ineptness,  but going forward I';m taking a hard line with these sellers.

Same here, sick and tired of being ripped off. Be it counterfeit items, lack of QA or stuff simply not arriving. I open disputes every time now when something is wrong, regardless of the value.

[Hands0n]

I seem to remember having read that different manufacturers of models use different polarity on some battery connectors as there';s no common standard. As such it may not be a mistake by the battery manufacturer/seller, rather a problem with the industry not having a common standard.

Actually, that doesn';t make any sense to me. These JST connectors are keyed, that is they can only be plugged in one way round.  Conventionally, certainly for as long as I can recall (early 1960';s) Red has always been the positive or live wire. Black has been the negative wire.  Yet if you look at the picture in the OP above this mob have managed to reverse the two completely.

In a discrete circuit, perhaps where I am wiring the entire circuit from battery terminals to PCB I might get away with it. But the connection is not interchangeable with anything else I have come across to date! 

I';m putting this down to the manufacturer cloning and getting it wrong.  The trouble is you only ever find out when the stuff is delivered.

@quadfather - I';m with you there Tim.  If we all did this absolutely rigidly the Chinese sellers would, in time, get the message.  I wonder how many have bought these cables and said nothing.

[Col_M]

Actually, that doesn';t make any sense to me. These JST connectors are keyed, that is they can only be plugged in one way round.  Conventionally, certainly for as long as I can recall (early 1960';s) Red has always been the positive or live wire. Black has been the negative wire.  Yet if you look at the picture in the OP above this mob have managed to reverse the two completely.

Exactly, they can only be plugged in one way but there';s nothing to stop some manufacturers using pin 1 for positive with red wires and pin 2 for negative with black wires, yet another manufacturer to use pin 1 for negative/black and pin 2 for positive/red. There are companies in the RC world who in the past have used the same connector but just a different polarity to each other. For this reason you always check the polarity of new batteries 
I';m trying to find an example but I can';t remember which model manufacturers did it backwards to show you a link 

edit: here';s one example http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=24501676&postcount=10

[Chami82923]

Surely whoever designed and patented the connector should have defined the standard polarity? So that there was an agreed standard? Doesn';t stop anybody changing it, but if you buy a jst connector and the polarity is not as jst specified then you certainly have reason to complain and ask for your money back!

I think eBay sellers need to be aware.

Callum

[Ross]

Its a good job the Chinese are only investing money in the new Hinkley Point Atomic Power Station and NOT building it

[fruitsalad]

Its a good job the Chinese are only investing money in the new Hinkley Point Atomic Power Station and NOT building it

i can just picture it...