Generic Dean's Connectors?
01-13-2009, 07:20 AM
#31
One of the techniques that I learned from another user years ago regarding these connectors is that when soldering, mate the connector to where it will ultimately be connected to, then solder it, the mate helps to dissipate some of the heat and also the shape will comform with the mate if the mate's plastic shell is slightly deformed.
At 6.50 for that bunch, it's hard to resist, I think if that company had better nylon, or better yet if Teflon was used, they would have a good cheap alternative to Dean's.
However, my preference is and has always been the power poles... Ever since Duratrax bought the rights to these connectors, they are cheaper then ever before...
I'm not sure if I would make the recommendation if you're using a 25C or a 30C batteries (with at least 3000mAH for C)... I think the Duratrax stuff is a the 30A variant of the power poles, where the other variants are 15A and 45A (not sure if these variants are available at hobby shops, they are slightly smaller and bigger respectively, with the stuff Duratrax makes).
At 6.50 for that bunch, it's hard to resist, I think if that company had better nylon, or better yet if Teflon was used, they would have a good cheap alternative to Dean's.
However, my preference is and has always been the power poles... Ever since Duratrax bought the rights to these connectors, they are cheaper then ever before...
I'm not sure if I would make the recommendation if you're using a 25C or a 30C batteries (with at least 3000mAH for C)... I think the Duratrax stuff is a the 30A variant of the power poles, where the other variants are 15A and 45A (not sure if these variants are available at hobby shops, they are slightly smaller and bigger respectively, with the stuff Duratrax makes).
01-13-2009, 09:06 AM
#32
Okay so here is my story...lol...I never said they can't work. I just said that the ratio to good ones was low, at least in my experience. I ordered them thinking "Hey, they are cheap I get a bunch and awesome!!" Buy new tires...LOL
But, what happened is I solder 3 up (I have been soldering for 18 years now, I too have been into electronics for about 20 years), I go to hook them up and they work fine. Then I use some more about 3 more and one didn't work at all (had to throw it away and try again after testing with a multimeter) which puzzled me, because "Hey they are just little pieces of conductive metal touching each other". Anyway, I then re-solder another connector on and works fine...yes, I checked to connection it was tight and solder was shiny. So I solder up another and this one won't even plug in all the way to the other connector! So I'm thinking what the heck is going on. Then a few days later I get a call from a friend who I had solder one of these up for and he told me that it didn't work. I get the battery from him and find out it too won't seat properly! So I take out my 10T Firestorm and proceed to melt one of the connectors...which again is odd because the other three batteries didn't melt......It was at this point I threw them in a bag under my workbench and went out and bought deans connectors.
I have since replaced EVERY generic connector I had with Deans and I have had no problem with any of them (8 males and 4 females).
So this is my story and it does have a happy ending with Deans!
P.S. I run a 5700 Mamba....
But, what happened is I solder 3 up (I have been soldering for 18 years now, I too have been into electronics for about 20 years), I go to hook them up and they work fine. Then I use some more about 3 more and one didn't work at all (had to throw it away and try again after testing with a multimeter) which puzzled me, because "Hey they are just little pieces of conductive metal touching each other". Anyway, I then re-solder another connector on and works fine...yes, I checked to connection it was tight and solder was shiny. So I solder up another and this one won't even plug in all the way to the other connector! So I'm thinking what the heck is going on. Then a few days later I get a call from a friend who I had solder one of these up for and he told me that it didn't work. I get the battery from him and find out it too won't seat properly! So I take out my 10T Firestorm and proceed to melt one of the connectors...which again is odd because the other three batteries didn't melt......It was at this point I threw them in a bag under my workbench and went out and bought deans connectors.
I have since replaced EVERY generic connector I had with Deans and I have had no problem with any of them (8 males and 4 females).
So this is my story and it does have a happy ending with Deans!
P.S. I run a 5700 Mamba....
01-13-2009, 09:17 AM
#33
Well I am neither swayed or convinced that the Dean's is superior given we're talking about something so simple. Marketing is a wonderful thing, I learning that marketing is so much more powerful in R/C than it is in mountain biking racing (my other all time consuming hobby). What I mean by that is in this hobby people are convinced they need the best and need to upgrade all the time. I believe in having a good baseline, but beyond that I monitor lap times and performance limiters and make changes where needed. The noobs that think they need a V-Spec, or that they must have Losi 2.0 because the 1.0 is inferior now just crack me up. Oh well, they're a marketing majors dream though, this hobby is all marketing. A lot of folks would pay 2x for lipo batteries just because someone says the brand is better. Until I have a firm grasp on who the major players are in lipo cell manufacturing I can't proclaim to be an expert on it. But I guarantee most lipo's are made in the same place, much like old NiCD were, but if you were smart you could buy generic NiCDs with the same Sanyo cells that a battery that cost 4x as much had. So I will try anything that's not "brand name" provided it doesn't have actual reviews citing safety and/or failures. In the case of Dean's connectors, well my only gripe with them is packaging, until I find them in bulk I'll look for other alternatives.
My theory is that I'll get better by driving, and whatever it takes to keep my car in shape to drive more/longer will make me better.
Test the plugs on a Zippy batter from Hobycity. I use those too, and they are fantastic. You can buy 4 4000mah 20C LiPo's there for the price of one Reedy 5000mah 20C pack. AND, they come with one of their generic T connectors and balance plugs already installed for you!!
I'm out, I'm going to the track now!
01-13-2009, 10:13 AM
#34
I think that's a good attitude to have. This hobby appeals to impulse buyers. I'm included. I have a tricked out car with arguably the best components you can buy (except maybe my connectors *wink*) But having a fast car is useless unless you can drive it. My driving sucks, I'm getting back into racing after a 15 year break. I can pay for 3 full practice days and two races for the same price as 10 pairs of connectors. Hours spent on the track will make me faster than expensive connectors. Maybe mine aren't the most efficient (maybe they are, I haven't tested them) but they do a better job connecting than I do driving!!
My theory is that I'll get better by driving, and whatever it takes to keep my car in shape to drive more/longer will make me better.
Test the plugs on a Zippy batter from Hobycity. I use those too, and they are fantastic. You can buy 4 4000mah 20C LiPo's there for the price of one Reedy 5000mah 20C pack. AND, they come with one of their generic T connectors and balance plugs already installed for you!!
I'm out, I'm going to the track now!
My theory is that I'll get better by driving, and whatever it takes to keep my car in shape to drive more/longer will make me better.
Test the plugs on a Zippy batter from Hobycity. I use those too, and they are fantastic. You can buy 4 4000mah 20C LiPo's there for the price of one Reedy 5000mah 20C pack. AND, they come with one of their generic T connectors and balance plugs already installed for you!!
I'm out, I'm going to the track now!
01-13-2009, 10:20 AM
#35
They don't have any exclusive rights to them...and they totally hose you for them, IMO. You can buy them from any electronics place online for 10-20% of what DTX sells them for. You just have to buy more than a few pair.
Heck, I bought a 10 pack of them at Orr-Vac on Orangthorpe a while back...I thought about buying them and re-packaging them myself...LOL They are pretty cool, because there's no male-female part and they snap together...but I've pretty much gotten away from connectors altogether, except for my charger input leads.
01-13-2009, 10:23 AM
#36
Well I am neither swayed or convinced that the Dean's is superior given we're talking about something so simple. Marketing is a wonderful thing, I learning that marketing is so much more powerful in R/C than it is in mountain biking racing (my other all time consuming hobby). What I mean by that is in this hobby people are convinced they need the best and need to upgrade all the time. I believe in having a good baseline, but beyond that I monitor lap times and performance limiters and make changes where needed. The noobs that think they need a V-Spec, or that they must have Losi 2.0 because the 1.0 is inferior now just crack me up. Oh well, they're a marketing majors dream though, this hobby is all marketing. A lot of folks would pay 2x for lipo batteries just because someone says the brand is better. Until I have a firm grasp on who the major players are in lipo cell manufacturing I can't proclaim to be an expert on it. But I guarantee most lipo's are made in the same place, much like old NiCD were, but if you were smart you could buy generic NiCDs with the same Sanyo cells that a battery that cost 4x as much had. So I will try anything that's not "brand name" provided it doesn't have actual reviews citing safety and/or failures. In the case of Dean's connectors, well my only gripe with them is packaging, until I find them in bulk I'll look for other alternatives.
01-13-2009, 10:28 AM
#37
It's all in the marketing. Just like I said before, you could have NiCD's back in the day, both with Sanyo cells, and people would be 2-4x more for the company that put cool graphics on them or branded them as a name they already knew. It's all marketing. Don't get me wrong, there are sh*tty manufacturing processes out there. I'm trying to research who the big cell makers are in the lipo world then figure out which of the brand names use which cells then buy their generic equivalents. 
01-13-2009, 11:14 AM
#38
Tech Master
^^ Awesome. Can you tell me when you've figured it out! For 3 times the price of NiMh, branded LiPo manfacturers can blow me 
01-13-2009, 11:25 AM
#39
And to be honest, I've been racing w/ the $35 2S 15C 4000mAh batteries from A Main without issue. (Slash and 2WD truck) This cheap 15C battery still provides more punch than anyone can handle in the T4 w/ a Mamba/ESC & 5700kV motor combo. I'm new to racing but I've already won a few qualifiers, and when I don't get on the podium, it has nothing to do with running my ultra cheap batteries, believe me on that one. I am curious to see what difference a 25C battery would make with the Slash, but for the T4, the 15C is more than enough punch, actually it's too much. Marketing tells me I should be running some $150-200 battery.... I just can't see why...
01-13-2009, 11:26 AM
#40
Never again. I had to cheap out and buy them when I didn't have the right change. Got some black ones from a UK company; don't fit (super tight) and melt.
01-13-2009, 01:18 PM
#42
I have used them as well, both on the ground and in the air, never had a problem. One more positive comment for them.
01-13-2009, 04:28 PM
#43
And to be honest, I've been racing w/ the $35 2S 15C 4000mAh batteries from A Main without issue. (Slash and 2WD truck) This cheap 15C battery still provides more punch than anyone can handle in the T4 w/ a Mamba/ESC & 5700kV motor combo. I'm new to racing but I've already won a few qualifiers, and when I don't get on the podium, it has nothing to do with running my ultra cheap batteries, believe me on that one. I am curious to see what difference a 25C battery would make with the Slash, but for the T4, the 15C is more than enough punch, actually it's too much. Marketing tells me I should be running some $150-200 battery.... I just can't see why...
01-13-2009, 05:10 PM
#44
Holy crap, A main doesn't have them on their site any more! Man those were a sweet battery for the price. Hopefully Amain keeps them at $35 when they return. The funny thing is that it doesn't out of stock, they've completely removed them.
