My answer has always been… Yes, I am still running T-Connectors as I have never had any troubles with them besides the occasional “unplug” during flight. I realize there are losses with the T-Connectors but had yet to find a connector which I thought would be more efficient as well as provide a secure connection.

After a few more unplugging incidents I decided it was time for a change. After a little bit of research, I found that I did not want the EC5 which has the “rotating spring” type banana connector as I felt the lack of contact due to the rotating spring would give me just as much loss as a T-Connector. I did not want another T style connector as the surface area for contact was minimal at best and I had my fair share of in flight unplugging.

Finally I came across the PRC6 which is a solid 6mm bullet style connector. The 6mm bullet style connector has excellent surface area and they are beefy enough to handle up to 200 amps of current. In the R/C Helicopter world we only see small spikes of this high current so these connectors should be perfect if not a bit overkill.  The wire receptacle end of the connector is large enough to house a 10 gauge wire and very easy to solder. The connectors fit snug into their housing with a little bit of force and of course do not require any shrink tubing. The PRC6 mates with its counter part very securely to avoid any potential unplugging incidents. You can obtain your own set of PRC connectors at Progressive RC

Have fun flying! Be safe!

Matt

Assistance when you need it.

When your soldering project needs an extra set of hands, RadioShack has the solution. The Helping Hands with Magnifier help you get the job done. The “hands” can hold items as small as jewelry and as large as a circuit board. In addition, it’s equipped with a cleaning sponge and soldering iron holder.

• Steel construction with an iron base & ball and socket armatures; durable and resistant to tipping
• Keeps your iron or similar tool within reach and safely out of the work area
• Can hold objects as small as jewelry or as large as circuit boards

Most of the wires we are soldering with big electric helicopters are 10 or 12 gauge. The bullet connectors can be as large as 6.5mm. With that in mind, you will need a soldering iron with enough power to heat those thick wires and large connectors.  If you don’t have enough heat you will likely create a weak or “cold” solder joint. This can hurt the performance of your helicopter or potentially cause a failure if the cold solder joint decides to break. Most of the inexpensive irons are rated in watts while the higher end soldering stations are a little more accurate and give not only watts but a temperature range the tip can be operated within.

If you are just a weekend warrior that is just going to solder a few wires here and there and never try any new motor or ESC combos, I would recommend getting an inexpensive Weller 40 watt iron. These are available from pretty much any Lowes, Home Depot, or Ace Hardware for around $20 bucks. Get a few extra tips because you will eventually need them.

Now if you are a little more serious about the hobby and want something that heats up almost instantly, is rated for 80 watts, and reaches temps of around 850 degrees F…… You need a soldering station! Weller also makes an excellent soldering station which is the Weller WD1002. Just like any other high end product, they can be hard to come by in your general hardware store as they probably would not sell many of them. This is more of a specialty item that you would need to purchase online. The Weller WD1002 goes for around $300 bucks.

Which ever way you decide to go, be careful not to burn down your house!

Matt

What many modelers do not know is that none of your spinning assemblies on an RC Helicopter are balanced! Yes, you can generally get away with not balancing these assemblies but lets be real…. Vibration consumes power! The smoother your machine runs the longer it will last and the better it will perform! I use this tool to balance the following assemblies -

• Auto Hub / Clutch Assembly – 16,000 – 18,000 rpm
• Main Gear / Auto Hub Assembly – 1800 – 2150 rpm
• Complete Tail Rotor Assembly – 9,000 – 10,000 rpm

If you are serious about R/C Helicopters,  take it to the next level of modeling by balancing these assemblies!

The Dubro Tru-Spin can be purchased from just about any hobby shop for around $30.00

Thanks!

Matt Botos