# EC3 Connectors and other comparisons



## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

I searched a lot before choosing these over the XT60’s and the Deans.


The reason I did not choose the Deans, was that they need Heat shrink after soldering the wire and the part where the wire is soldered is small, no big deal, just a preference with more area and solder to use with the EC3’s, other issues I read about the Dean’s, hard to disconnect and hard to work with.

The XT60’s are pretty much the same as the Dean’s, just easier to disconnect other than that, it is similar to the Deans. I never used any of these before, I read a lot and I came to those conclusions based on the way the look and some user’s opinions and even You tube videos, It is just a preference and we all we will use what we like or what worked for us. 
These can be used again, the EC3’s do not need heat shrink, the way I would use HS with these, would be to simply wrap the whole connector, if used near a speaker in the in the door, to protect it from water splashing, other than that the wire or connector is never exposed like in the xt60’s and the Deans.

The EC3’s also have a big cup where you solder the wire and dip it in hot solder, then it is inserted in to the plastic housing until it clicks and they are ready, they can be used again and instead of cutting the old wire and remove the solder, just tap the tip of the connector and remove the metal connector to remove the wire and old solder. Also when soldering the wire or removing old solder to it you eliminate the risk of melting the plastic overheating the connector. 

The only negative thing about the EC3’s is that if you put way too much solder on the cup or spill solder out of it, then you have to scrape the excess solder in order to be able to insert it in the plastic housing and also removing the connector when using it again will take an extra minute or two.
Maybe a little extra time consuming pushing the connectors, when you factor the time putting heat shrink on the Dean’s and XT60’s I think it is the same or better with the EC3’s.

They are very equal in price compared to the crimped bullet connectors sold at HD $0.17 each connector, those can’t be soldered, only crimped. I have seen the 15 packs or 10 pairs of these at Orchard Supply for about 0.15 cents each, If you have a shop and you buy a bag of 100 of those crimp bullet connectors then they are ten cents each. Time is money, strip and crimp is faster than strip solder, install or HS, although soldering is better for connections. I would use spade when possible over the bullet ones and use the ones without insulation and crimp and solder them, the heat shrink over them. 

Bottom line I bought 10 pairs of EC3’s for $5.80, doing the math I think, it comes to just over $0.14 cents per connector lead wire or contact and provide a better connection than the crimp type connectors, the EC3 can be used again, has polarity markings to avoid mistakes. I was afraid they were going to be small and hard to grab but they are big enough just under 1” ( 7/8 ) connected, and have a rib area to grab when connecting and disconnecting them, they have a larger version, the EC5 also if a bigger size is needed. 

Some Pics enclosed, not time to check for typos and bad sentences 

Feel free to share your experiences with any other type of connectors used


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## Victor_inox (Apr 27, 2012)

3.5mm version support up to 60A of current, what are you planning to use these for and where did you find 10 pairs for $6?


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

Victor_inox said:


> 3.5mm version support up to 60A of current, what are you planning to use these for and where did you find 10 pairs for $6?



For speaker wire extension, I used the bullet crimped type before, they are too small and when unplugging them they get stressed since each one has to handled separate, with these it's only one step and no stress or stretching the wires to remove them.


The ebay vendor I got them from is emilyandlily she also has the xt60's very cheap


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

I'm still a little unclear, are you intending to solder or crimp these to terminate?


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

94VG30DE said:


> I'm still a little unclear, are you intending to solder or crimp these to terminate?


Solder, you can't crimp these. Obviously it's better to solder them before running the wire to avoid soldering them in the car.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

Here is a video.

That shows how to solder them. 

How To Solder EC3 Connectors - YouTube


Maybe it's an overkill for speaker wires, I just want to have some flexibility by having one easy access point to change from a direct line from the amp to the door speakers or passive crossovers.

I have seen some guys add similar connectors after soldering pig tails to the speaker terminals also, personally I just wanted an accessible point, in the dash or behind the Glove box that it will always be there when I need it. Of course the best way is to have the passive xovers next to the amplifier, but that is not always possible when the room is limited.

For the door speakers I crimp and solder the spade gold connectors to the wire leads and connect the spade connectors normally and use heat shrink on the terminals. Not a bad idea to just solder the wire to the speaker terminals when possible and add HS when a helper is around or extra hands are available.


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## Victor_inox (Apr 27, 2012)

Thank you for the link, Amazon wants twice as much.
I only wish that they have smaller connectors for speakers. 3.5mm 60 A is certainly overkill for speaker connection.


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## SQLnovice (Jul 22, 2014)

I like these ec3 connectors. I already purchased more than enough xt60, and yes they will be more of a challenge to solder because of the small soldering area. I have to watch a few more videos on soldering. I try to make my own rca's and melted a few connectors. Wish I had known about these before I got the xt60.


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

oh, ok. For speaker wire I use Deutsche DT connectors, but that's because I already have the barrel crimper. It's so much faster than soldering. However, the DT stuff is like $3/speaker, not $0.58/speaker
http://www.mouser.com/ProjectManager/ProjectDetail.aspx?AccessID=f7b3cfe706 
http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/18/AT06-2S-10017.pdf


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

Victor_inox said:


> Thank you for the link, Amazon wants twice as much.
> I only wish that they have smaller connectors for speakers. 3.5mm 60 A is certainly overkill for speaker connection.


Sure, I'm glad it helped.




SQLnovice said:


> I like these ec3 connectors. I already purchased more than enough xt60, and yes they will be more of a challenge to solder because of the small soldering area. I have to watch a few more videos on soldering. I try to make my own rca's and melted a few connectors. Wish I had known about these before I got the xt60.



The XT60's are good and they would be my second choice. You only need a good soldering iron with 40-60W, thin the wire and the connector then solder the wire being careful not to damage the plastic.

I see no I issue just leaving the wires exposed, instead of tube HSh for each wire, I would just use 1/2" HS or whatever fits the connector for a single cover, if used for speakers, no way they will come off or give any issues once wrapped with ha and with a wide gap between each wire, since we are not dealing with power.

Or simply use good electrical tape on just one conductor and wrap the whole thing or the side where the soldered ends are with HS.
I'm sure in areas where not excessive heat or moisture is an issue, only good electrical tape is good enough and simpler the HS and heat gun process 








94VG30DE said:


> oh, ok. For speaker wire I use Deutsche DT connectors, but that's because I already have the barrel crimper. It's so much faster than soldering. However, the DT stuff is like $3/speaker, not $0.58/speaker
> http://www.mouser.com/ProjectManager/ProjectDetail.aspx?AccessID=f7b3cfe706
> http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/18/AT06-2S-10017.pdf



I'm sure there are some good options, being water proof and reliable, I got these since they were a good deal, if I did not need the flexibility I would just solder wire to wire and wire to speaker terminal, but since I may do upgrades often, these EC3's or deans , XT60's work quick and reliable in pairs once soldered.


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## sunshinefc3s (Jun 23, 2010)

These are nice. What are you guys using for 0/1awg or 4awg? I want a quick disco like these for my power and grounds.
-a


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

sunshinefc3s said:


> These are nice. What are you guys using for 0/1awg or 4awg? I want a quick disco like these for my power and grounds.
> -a


I doubt there is a quick disconnect connector for gauges larger than 10 g.

I would use a circuit breaker and still keep the existing in line fuse holder.

You could place it anywhere after the in line fuse holder.

Maybe something like this 

New Stinger 0 4 Gauge 200 Amp Car Stereo 12V Inline Power Circuit Breaker 200A | eBay

Or 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/STINGER-0-O..._Video_Fuses_Fuse_Holders&hash=item460cf348ca


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## Victor_inox (Apr 27, 2012)

Anderson quick disconnects.
Anderson SB175 Connector Kit Gray 2 AWG 6325G5 | eBay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Anderson-SB-350-Connector-Gray-with-3-0-contacts-and-shrink-tubes-BEST-DEAL-/321450515212?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ad7f19b0c
You`ll have to buy 2 to make a connection. anderson connectors are not male/female same colored connectors mate to each other. My favorite connectors by far.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

Great, good to know about heavy gauge connectors.

One thing I'm not a fan of, is dealing with that spark or noise connecting every time after a disconnection is made. That is why the C breaker just gives me a better feeling pressing or moving that button or lever.


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## Victor_inox (Apr 27, 2012)

sparks? are you disconnecting under load?


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

Not when disconnecting, only the classic spark when connecting
The gnd bat terminal, in my case the amps ground since I do not like disconnecting the battery because I always loose the HU's saved stations and audio settings.

I disconnect the amps gnd( no spark ) then remove the anl fuse to cut power to the amps to replace or test others

Then the reverse steps fuse and gnd ( key is always on off pos or not on)

Even swapping the gnd or fuse order always a pop spark 
It's a common thing. Isn't it?


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## sunshinefc3s (Jun 23, 2010)

My issue is the fraying of the power/ground wires. I'm a little OCD, and I hate when I cant get all the little strands of the power/ground back into the terminal cup of either the distribution/fuse block or the amp itself. Its worse after you remove it for service, and then try to reconnect. Gets messy. That is why I'm looking for a solution like above for larger power cable.
-a


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

sunshinefc3s said:


> My issue is the fraying of the power/ground wires. I'm a little OCD, and I hate when I cant get all the little strands of the power/ground back into the terminal cup of either the distribution/fuse block or the amp itself. Its worse after you remove it for service, and then try to reconnect. Gets messy. That is why I'm looking for a solution like above for larger power cable.
> -a


You could Torch solder the end of the wire, assuming you have room in the dist block. 
Also get a dist block that offers larger size wire do avoid some strands from not going in.
Get a ground block that takes ring terminals and not bare wire

Or check this thread for some tips that may help minimize the issue.

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/fabrication-tools-tricks-trade/167610-set-screw-solution.html


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## sunshinefc3s (Jun 23, 2010)

Alrojoca said:


> You could Torch solder the end of the wire, assuming you have room in the dist block.
> Also get a dist block that offers larger size wire do avoid some strands from not going in.
> Get a ground block that takes ring terminals and not bare wire
> 
> ...


Thanks for that link. Some interesting ideas in there. 

I tried tinning/soldering the end of the wire once. I must have done it wrong, because the wire swelled, and no longer fit into the fuse block. I think thats one of the problems of these "over sized" power wires being sold today. If you sell an over-sized 0/1 awg, what the heck are we supposed to be able to fit that into? My amps don't accept them without making a mess, thats for sure? (sorry for the mini-rant, back to discussion...)
-a


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## Jesus Christ (Aug 3, 2010)

Alrojoca said:


> soldering is better for connections.


No it's not.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

sunshinefc3s said:


> Thanks for that link. Some interesting ideas in there.
> 
> I tried tinning/soldering the end of the wire once. I must have done it wrong, because the wire swelled, and no longer fit into the fuse block. I think thats one of the problems of these "over sized" power wires being sold today. If you sell an over-sized 0/1 awg, what the heck are we supposed to be able to fit that into? My amps don't accept them without making a mess, thats for sure? (sorry for the mini-rant, back to discussion...)
> -a



Use Flux, they sell it at Lowe's or HD, dip the wire in there then heat it and solder, maybe pointing the wire up will let the solder flow in more.

Sometimes if you have a big blotch of solder, just dip it in the flux then torch it and it will smooth out the solder on the wire.


A reducer like these, will work as a quick disconnect also, the only compromise is the initial insertion of the wire in the reducer, once there, no more issues, keep in mind Heat Shrink should be used to avoid touching ground or Positive with either wire. They also have like dual wire single ring terminals like the ones in the photos below if that type of connector is needed.

0 gauge reducer | eBay


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## Victor_inox (Apr 27, 2012)

Alrojoca said:


> Not when disconnecting, only the classic spark when connecting
> The gnd bat terminal, in my case the amps ground since I do not like disconnecting the battery because I always loose the HU's saved stations and audio settings.
> 
> I disconnect the amps gnd( no spark ) then remove the anl fuse to cut power to the amps to replace or test others
> ...


not really,
If there no current there will be no spark. If you get the spark find what is loaded.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

Victor_inox said:


> not really,
> If there no current there will be no spark. If you get the spark find what is loaded.


Maybe the amplifiers internal capacitors?

In my experience with all cars I had disconnected the bat neg terminal, when connecting it back, there is always a tiny spark or pop with the ignition key off or not even in the switch.

With the amplifier's ground or main fuse, connecting it, it is a much healthier spark and pop that happens every time.


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH stop tinning wires that are going into set-screw connections! DO NOT SOLDER THEN CRIMP. DO NOT SOLDER THEN SET-SCREW. You are creating a connection that quickly plastic-ly deforms and then almost immediately works itself loose. This is not a good practice.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

94VG30DE said:


> AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH stop tinning wires that are going into set-screw connections! DO NOT SOLDER THEN CRIMP. DO NOT SOLDER THEN SET-SCREW. You are creating a connection that quickly plastic-ly deforms and then almost immediately works itself loose. This is not a good practice.


Thanks for sharing that, personally I have only done it with speaker wires at the amp terminals, 16g wire breaks and some wire strands are very thin. 

Lately I got some dynex banana plugs I used to avoid damage to the wire and the boots cover the whole connector to prevent shorts.

Power wires, I have never had issues, my GND dist block pictured on the 4 G inputs with my wire seemed tight, but the main ground takes 0 and that is the one I disconnect. Maybe it has to do with how much pressure is tighten, I have disconnected my power wires with different amps many times and if I lost 2 strands would be too much.

Reducers or the info on the other link should help, solder is a pain, it is not cheap, it takes time and maybe only recommended on copper lugs that will be exposed to the elements, like the big 3 to prevent corrosion.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

I had to go through with that spark and pop again. Maybe most simply disconnect the neg bat terminal and when connecting it, it's just a minor spark or no big deal.

Try removing the in line fuse, Im not sure if there is a lapse of time in order to get a much louder pop and good spark. If you wait at least 15 min. Try connecting that fuse again and let me know if it's not something to be concerned about. It also happens with the amp's ground too, I used just remove the fuse, but some metal scars were developing on the contacts from the sparks I had, I rather let the neg dist block take those inside the hole before I set the screw on the wire.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I personally have great luck with the XT60's. It is important to get quality ones, ones that won't melt down and deform during the soldering process. For the ones I bought, they had solder cups that held dual 16 gauge wire, no sweat. For reference that's Monoprice 4 conductor, with two conductors per side soldered together. Quite a bit of copper IMO.

Here's some finished:

















The only thing I didn't love about these cables I made is the semi-opaque white heatshrink.































I debated back and forth with the EC3 vs. the XT60 and Deans, etc. Also, the Traxxas connectors, they can be an option as well. I like the simplicity and compactness of the XT60, that's what sold it for me. 

I use a "helping hand" device to hold the wire, and solder it to the cup. Near impossible to to with two hands otherwise.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

Thanks for sharing the pictures and opinion. I hope to post some pictures once I get mine done.

And yes the XT60's can be done faster and it is also a good choice, when soldered carefully


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## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Alrojoca said:


> I searched a lot before choosing these over the XT60’s and the Deans.
> 
> 
> The reason I did not choose the Deans, *was that they need Heat shrink after soldering the wire and the part where the wire is soldered is small,* no big deal, just a preference with more area and solder to use with the EC3’s, other issues I read about the Dean’s, hard to disconnect and hard to work with.



Can you elaborate on this part? Are you talking about when you solder the lead(s) to the center pin ? Are you simply worried about that piece (or the shield portion) coming in contact with each other?


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I didn't go Deans because:

The solder point is a blade, whereas with the XT60 it is a cup, easily tinned and it holds a lot of wire well

On both the male and female alike, the terminals are shrouded so short-circuits are minimized

The force required to couple and decouple is higher, so I trust they'll stay together

Cheaper!


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

captainobvious said:


> Can you elaborate on this part? Are you talking about when you solder the lead(s) to the center pin ? Are you simply worried about that piece (or the shield portion) coming in contact with each other?


Besides the good point fourthmeal brought up, when the wires are soldered, the soldered connections are exposed even if pos and neg are separated and they will not touch each other, they are exposed, having to add tape or H Shrink, to prevent pos and metal in a car to cause a short or noise if used with speakers.

The EC3's once soldered they have to be inserted in to the plastic housing and when soldered correctly, no bare wire or connection is exposed not needing heat S, although in some areas where moisture and water exposure is a possibility I would tape the whole connector like oem's do.

Also the cup on the EC3's holds hot solder like a tinny pot, making it easier to to dip the stripped wire, we just need to be careful not to use too much solder and overfilling the cup otherwise once cold the external solder will have to be removed with a blade because the plastic housing may not fit or slide until it clicks as shown on the videos posted.


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## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Might I suggest this method I use when making them...
After you tin and then solder the shield and pin connections from the cable, use hot glue all around the connections and inbetween the wires, then clip some heat shrink over it (I used clear here) and shrink it up. This provides plenty of protection from moisture and avoids contact/shorting as well as a little bit of addition strain protection. I then install my barrel and heatshrink the barrel and cable end for more strain relief. The hot glue trick is simple, cheap and effective.

In the pics below, I'm using Canare star quad. All four signal wires are used on the pin and the outer braid is used for shield.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

Great tip on the hot glue thanks, I see many manufacturers use a similar approach on speaker terminals, Hertz is one of them using black hot glue on the tweeter terminals.


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

a lot of OEMs use that on RCAs as well. It is fantastic strain relief as well. Not very well field-serviceable, but less likely to need it...


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## CAudio (Aug 29, 2016)

I ended up buying the EC3s.

You all need to be VERY CAREFUL.

There are many, many, many counterfeit EC3 connectors on the market.
I ended up buying EC3s from E-Flite. Hopefully, this is a reputable manufacturer.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

:thumbsup:

I used the ones I had to make the connections to the head unit harness and the new HU I installed. 

Convenient for power and ground connections, or for the harness speaker leads, to use factory speaker wiring.

Overkill? yes, specially with tiny 18 gauge wires from the HU. I had extras and I simply decided to use them. 

Another neat thing is that I cut some in half, and they can be used as independent connectors, they have polarity indicators, and I used pos and neg when it applied. 

Connecting and disconnecting them is very smooth and secure, no struggles or fear to rip or break the wire. The ribbed areas makes it easier or gives confidence to hold and pull from those areas. Everything is working fine even the steering wheel control adapter. And they can be re used again.


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## Swaglife81 (Oct 15, 2016)

CAudio said:


> I ended up buying the EC3s.
> 
> You all need to be VERY CAREFUL.
> 
> ...


Whats considered a counterfeit EC3 connector? Is the design patented? 

I had a small timeframe in my life where I tried the RC helicopter hobby. So delt with a lot of wires and these tiny connectors, batteries, etc. There have been some issues with EC3 connectors. The positive socket isn't recessed, so there is a ring around the edge that can easily short out against the negative plug. At least in my experience. The guys in the Heli world do like EC5 or XT60's better. I'm not speaking for everyone, and maybe I had a cheaply made set when I used EC3's. Just be careful with either and pay close attention. If you get namebrand Deans they are incredibly easy to solder and work great. 

For guys wanting to know
Deans - 50 amps
EC3 - 60 amps 
EC5 - 120 amps
PRC6 - 200amps


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## danno14 (Sep 1, 2009)

Anyone here have a referral to a reliable source for the EC3's? Any good ebay sellers perhaps?


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## forty5cal1911 (Sep 11, 2006)

Don't know about Ebay sellers but I got genuine EC2's from a local RC shop. There seem to be a lot more of those around these days as the Drone business has taken off.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Still rocking a big-ass bag of XT60's I bought off eBay, like I mentioned on this thread in 2014. Same bag, amazingly! Not sure of their performance relative to Deans (which I used on my R/C cars in the past), but the XT60's with their protected terminals are safer to disconnect without fear of a short, if the system is live. 

Truly, anything is better than the cheapo spade or bullet connectors of a typical install. I've also had good success with the XT60 used in power-ground setups, since they hold plenty of current and are polarity-proof, as well as short-proof. I use them to get a quick disconnect on my MS-8, as well as a micro-amp that needs ~12 gauge power.


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## Jheitt142 (Dec 7, 2011)

I switched all my deans out for xt60. They are way easier to solder and way easier to connect/disconnect. Xt60 ftw, regardless of what it's being used for. 

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk


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## leepersc (Sep 23, 2009)

I also switched from Deans to the XT60's. You can get 10 pair on eBay for around $4.00 now!


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## lurch (Jan 20, 2014)

CAudio makes a very important point. 
i work at a hobby store and fly r/c aircraft. 
there are many imposters when it comes to all these connectors. 
this isnt a big deal for speaker connections but consider this :
the imitations use very cheap plastics that cannot withstand heat, and the metals
are substandard, which means the current carrying capabilities are usually about
1/3rd of what the genuine connector is rated for. 

e-flight is pretty good. 
Deans products are very good
if you want the best look for Castle Creations products, especially if you want larger
connectors for powers and grounds, their designs are FAR superior and can handle
hundreds of amps. 

there are so many choices of connectors at a hobby shop that it would take
a very long post to list and describe them all. 
remember that they are no different than anything else we buy : you get what you pay for. 

you will also find that nice high strand silicon jacket wire in many guages at a decent hobby
store, really nice stuff to work with. 
and dont forget a good quality solder ! look for " racing " solder, it will have a good
percentage of silver in it especially designed for low resistance. 

toss that silly 15 watt soldering iron and buy at least a 30 watt. 
there are adjustable irons that are affordable and well worth it.


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

Very solid points. As I mentioned in my post earlier, I had to shop around to find quality XT60's. They all looked about the same so there's no way to say one was going to be better than another just by looking on a picture on eBay. But what I did was order a small pack and try them, and when I found one that just kicked ass, I ordered a big bag of them and that's what I still am using.

One pack I bought melted down easily when soldering. I kept dislodging the pins due to the heat, and mis-forming the male connector socket, ruining it. I ordered more from a different vendor, found them to be much stronger, and that's what I bulk-ordered.


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## leepersc (Sep 23, 2009)

Wow, I must be very lucky then! All of mine so far have been excellent quality and not at all problematic. I got mine from several different sellers on eBay also.


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## Jheitt142 (Dec 7, 2011)

After all my time soldering deans I just got use to having a male and female together when soldering. I still do the same on the XT just because it's easier for my helping hands to keep hold of the pair. 

Good tip on the wire. I have tons of that stuff laying here as well sooooo flexible 

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk


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## Gadget01 (Oct 20, 2008)

Alrojoca said:


> The reason I did not choose the Deans, was that they need Heat shrink after soldering the wire and the part where the wire is soldered is small, no big deal, just a preference with more area and solder to use with the EC3’s, other issues I read about the Dean’s, hard to disconnect and hard to work with.
> 
> The XT60’s are pretty much the same as the Dean’s, just easier to disconnect other than that, it is similar to the Deans. I never used any of these before


Nothing wrong with EC3 connectors but saying they are better choice vs Deans because of problems that are 99% the result of poor technique is not exactly a fair argument.

In order to properly solder a Deans connector, you need to mate the 2 sides together (this maintains proper alignment while the tabs get hot from soldering) and use a jig or clamp to secure the connector pair while you work- preferably something that allows for both horizontal and vertical orientation. The connector tabs and wire ends should all be tinned first. A quality soldering iron that can maintain a relatively stable temperature around 800 degF is what you want to use. Lower heat will allow the wire to sink the heat away from the solder joint and tend to melt the insulation and the connector... and your shrink-tube... and your morale.

Are they the easiest thing ever... no. Choose what works well for you. Connectors are debated on R/C forums quite often, esp among those that run LiPo packs. My point: Deans connectors are an excellent choice IF you make the effort to properly employ them. If all you have is a $10 flea market iron and don't use flux, don't waste your time.


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