Lipo Connectors

[milly0812]

So I've just got some new lipos and I'm at the crossroads where my ec5s are well used and some have cracked casings. I need to make a decision on wether I continue and renew my ec5s or make the change to supra connectors.
Let me make it clear I am not unhappy with my current choice they have never let me down, they are just well used and in need of updating.
On the negative side changing to supra is a £100 exercise as I have to replace parallel charging setup too

Interested in your thoughts ?

[waveydavey]

If it ain't broke Don

[bigpops]

I wouldn't pay the extra for Supras, personally. If they had an anti-spark, then maybe, but they don't. I'm not rich enough to have newer ESCs with anti-spark built in.

When I switched to XT150s (from EC5s), it cost me about twenty odd quid for to do 14x lipos and 3x helis with a few spares left over. For SupraX D6, that would have been 4x sets at £20 a set, and that's not accounting making adapters for charging.

[10x]

Hello Don
I have just changed from EC5 to XT150. I changed my 2 raptors + 6 sets of batteries and 4 charging leads + 2 test leads and have still got lots left over.
They were very easy to solder and fit. I used the usual red+ black- and the blue for joining packs. Check up on google all good reviews and cheaper than
the supra connectors....2 packs plus postage was £26 and about 5 days wait from Holland...Same as you, No problem with EC5 but felt they needed changing...
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/xt150-co...pairs-bag.html
Just to add i spoke to Bigpops first who gave a good review..

[Guest]

I just use the xt60 that come on the packs

[milly0812]

I just use the xt60 that come on the packs

These are optipower 12s 5000 50c stick packs, xt60 won't quite cut it

[Guest]

Ah mine are just 6 cell 3000mah

[ragge1]

I have swapped my 5000mah packs from ec5 to suprax D6 and very happy with them , very easy to solder
my 3300mah are still on ec5
+ on the supra , easy to solder , and easy to unplugg the packs espesially now i winter time and your fingers are too cold
- if not careful very easy to short your packs ( not as bulletprove as ecs or deans )

[Guest]

I switched from EC5 to Supra the ec5 worked great but did get damaged with sparks over time the supra x seem better with the larger surface area. Big plus is the size of the bullet and ease of soldiering. How the bullets lock with the orange tab is great takes any load off the wire. Bit negative is you can touch two packs together or running series. Hate to admit it but I blew 2 new 7s packs doing this which was painful in many ways. Since then changed cable lengths and a bit more care so can't do that again. Wish they would make 2 colour housings maybe red for the lipo. Long story short though happy with them.

MJ

[milly0812]

I think the fact you can get the polarity mixed up has put me right off the supra. I knew you could do it with the single one but didn't realise it could be done with the duos

[Grumpy]

I use standard 5mm bullets on my big 12S battery setups. The advantages are 'much cheapness' and a nice compact and tidy series wiring, with no big clunky connectors cluttering up your heli.
The one and only disadvantage (but a pretty big one) is that they can be shorted out if you get careless during install or charging. I don't think there is anyone using bullets that hasn't accidentally shorted out a pack. You treat them with more care after it happens but it's one of those things that you have to experience first-hand for it to really sink in (or I did).

[cycled]

I really like XT90-S — easy to use, paired and fitted with anti-spark. They're a little small for a 700, but some use them, and I've used them on a 550 (which can flatten a 5Ah pack in 3 minutes) without problem.

I got some used equipment with XT150 connectors, and they fit okay but appear to get black from sparks very quickly. In comparison all my XT90-S connectors look nearly new. There's also AS150 with anti-spark, but again you've got individual bullets to be careful not to mix up.

[Grumpy]

If they work on a 6S 550 they should also work on a 12S 700... The current is if anything probably higher on the 550, and as far as the connector is concerned, within reason, the voltage doesn't matter. I use the standard XT90 on the packs for my 600 size helis, they work well but don't make as neat an install as the bullets.

Quite a few ESCs these days have anti spark built in.

[milly0812]

Its one of those things that you have to experience first-hand for it to really sink in (or I did).

Haha I'm not keen on repeating it and that's why ec5s have been great. I think I will continue with them for now it's a much cheaper exercise than a complete change and a lot less grief

[atomiccomp]

I've had problems with EC5's de-soldering in the past and eventually traced the problem to the female side of the connector being dirty.
Once cleaned they have been fine and dandy and I have to say I rate EC5's. I clean them with cotton buds and isopropyl once every couple of months.
They are cheap, reliable and impossible to connect incorrectly and short out expensive electronics.

I would keep using them.