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Thread: XT60 connectors? Opinions, please!

  1. #1
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    Default XT60 connectors? Opinions, please!

    I am finishing construction on my first built boat (scratch built), and I had some debates as to which battery to use (did not want to buy more LiPos). I finally settled on a 6600 MAh 4S 35C constant (70C peak) pack which will allow me to balance the boat out. Now comes the question as to what type of connector to use for the battery to the ESC. The ESC comes with a plug, and I do have ONE set of the plug to use on the battery, but I do not have the charger plug (or another plug for the second battery, in case I want to bring 2 packs to the pond). Normally, this would just mean ordering some plugs online, but I live in Panama (Central America, not FL) and the people that deliver from the US are not working because of the COVID 19 lockdown of the country.

    I am using a Leopard LBP4074-B 1800KV with an OSE 150A ESC. I used to use this battery in a Hexa drone, with 6 20A ESC, and I never had any heat issues or anything. I was considering using XT60's for the battery to the ESC, but I wanted to ask here first. I certainly do not want to burn my boat on the first outing!

    I have seen here that the XT60 can take short burst (10 seconds) of 180A...



    So it may be OK?

  2. #2
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    The problem with boats is that the high current draw is very consistent. They will heat up and fuse if not desolder potentially catastrophically. Do not run them.

  3. #3
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    I'm quite familiar with XT60s, as I use them in most of my off-road race vehicles, and all three of my bashers (ok, can only 2 of them, but the third is already set for "conversion"). Alright I'm new to FE, one of the first things I learned was, DO NOT USE XT60s in FE BOATS. The power draw of these ESCs & motors is so high, your connectors WILL de-solder from the wiring. From what I've read (learning, mostly, from reading about other people's 'mistakes'), 6mm connectors should be used for 4S (and below), while 6mm should be the minimum of running higher than 4S.

    On my SonicWake, the stock connectors are EC5, which are designed to handle up to 100A continuous, and 150A max (yes, they've been tested to candle somewhat higher, but that's not the point), and that's perfect for running 4S. However, for those who've tried running 6S with the EC5 connectors, they discover de-soldered connectors, and extremely hot batteries, ESCs, and wires. It's for this reason that, before jumping to 6S, I'll be replacing the connectors work something larger (plus, I'll be replacing the ESC, just for good measure.

    If you want a truly good understanding of connectors, if recommend reading this:

    https://www.rchelicopterfun.com/rc-l...connector.html

    While it's directed at heli fliers (which I used to be, years ago), it applies to all RCers. It doesn't cover every connector type, as some newer designs have come out since it was written...but, it provides enough understanding to help you realize that going with XT60s on an FE could have disasterous results. Happy boating, driving, flying, etc.

    ~ More peace, love, laughter & kindness would make the world a MUCH better place

  4. #4
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    I like the anti spark version and made an anti spark adapter out of one . I would never run those in any of my boats just because they aren’t rated for my applications and you can’t series with them without making a harness
    "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction."
    --Albert Einstein

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by rearwheelin View Post
    you can?t series with them without making a harness
    I think that's one of the two primary reasons (the Amp rating being the other) why I've decided on the OSE-qs6 6mm connectors. You can connect the positive of one battery directly to the negative of the other, cut the connector on the ESC side in half, connect those two half-connectors to the unused ports on the batteries, and...voil?...instant "in-series" connection. Initially, I was considering going with the OSE-qs8 connectors (up to 6AWG), but then I realized that the 10AWG opening of the OSE-qs6 connectors should provide more than enough Amp-handling capability for FE use, even on 6S (be it 6S, or 3S2P).

    ~ More peace, love, laughter & kindness would make the world a MUCH better place

  6. #6
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    Another option is XT150. I just soldered two to my 3S batteries, and I will run them in a series to get 6S.

  7. #7
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    Xt60s can handle a decent load but it depends on your load. A quick way to find out is to run the boat and see if there hot to the touch. If only warm then you are ok and fine to run them. If hot to the touch, you need to up to Ec5s or bigger.

  8. #8
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    I have XT60 in my Hobby Kind Aquaholic V2 boat. Also in my son's Arrows (40Amp ESC, 3S). The Aquaholic has 60A ESC running 4S (2x2S in a series). Never had heating issues in those two boats, but they are using small power set ups. However, anything with more than a 60Amp ESC or more than 4S I would not XT60 in a boat. The amp loads are just too great. In all my bigger boats I am using AS150 connectors.

  9. #9
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    I would also suggest, not to use XT60 in "real FE-Boats" but just a few comments in detail:
    Quote Originally Posted by Panther6834 View Post
    ...
    6mm connectors should be used for 4S (and below), while 6mm should be the minimum of running higher than 4S.
    ...
    Connectors are dimensioned by the current, not the voltage and there is a very BIG difference and that is production quality.

    For me there are only very few connectors "existing on the market". Of course there are many more but I ignore them. If you want to stick to our hobby for a few years you should do the same.

    A few yeas ago I decided to go for 6mm connectors. I bought some at one shop, then I bought some at another shop and they did not match. If you mix, this is what is going to happen but when you mix this is ok to me.
    I bought more connectors at the first shop as I liked them better in some details but the ones I bought about a year later did not really fit the ones from the first order either

    If the tolerances are not kept, this is a problem. The RC-shops don't really have a chance to guarantee for quality, this can only be done be the manufacturer.

    I switched to the Lehner 6mm connectors and use them for 4 years now. I ordered them from Lehner and from 2 different shops, I know for sure that I have some in use from at least 2 different production batches and from at least 4 orders from different places so most likely these are more batches. They all fit together and that is what I call quality.

    Next problem is the tolerances are not kept tight:
    On some connections you hardly have any force and after a run you can feel that the connector is hot - very hot!
    On some other connections you really have to press hard to get the connectors together. You do that once and for example using the batterie with that connector in a different boat where the connector worked well before, you will figure out, that the force is gone and the connector is getting hot as it was pressed too tight in the other 6mm connector with small diameter according to tolerances.

    Bad connectors ruin the caps on your ESC within quite short time and if they desolder under load it can kill the ESC immediately.

    For high load I use Lehner 6mm connectors as they have the tolerance topic under control.

    For low load application I run MP-Jet.
    The MP-Jet are spring loaded with a steel spring and they also have the tolerances under control so I newer had a mixture from old/new ones that did not fit well.

    The cheap 6mm connectors actually ruined my will to save money on connectors. At least I would have spend less money on connectors, if I had gone for quality ones directly.

    Quote Originally Posted by rearwheelin View Post
    ...
    I would never run those in any of my boats just because they aren?t rated for my applications and you can?t series with them without making a harness
    Correct and if you count the contacts and additional wires that you need for connecting batteries in series, this will have quite bad impact on the caps of your ESCs as well.

    I use "standard batteries" and every specific solution is in the specific boat. My "standard" is 6s 5000mAh with short wires and Lehner 6mm connectors. In 6s setups I run them directly, using them as 12s is just one connection additionally compared to soldered 12s packs and the wires on the packs have the perfect length to connect 2 packs in series without wire being in the way.
    Something like this is impossible with XT-connectors.

    The OSE 150A ESC can handle quite some load. Don't limit that with XT connectors... and as I mentioned the topic with batterie-standards: You can save a lot of money on LiPo or gain a lot of runtime when you don't have specific LiPo for single projects. But then you need the same connectors in all boats that run 4000+mAh LiPo for example.

    XT60 are the connectors that I use to connect my charging cable to the charger but that is all I use them for (and I don't have a choice there as long as I want to use that specific charger )

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