Ec5 connectors

[FastMann40]

I recently purchased EC5 connectors and soldering is no big deal, it's getting the contacts to stay in the blue casing. Is there a trick to this? It has a small channel inside the casing, but it never wants to stay in its place. Any suggestions or advice on this would be helpful. TIA

 

[dure16]

Yeah EC5 suck for that reason. IC5 is much better but expensive. The best solution is SC5 from SMC, which is compatible with both EC5 and IC5.

https://www.smc-racing.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=66

 

[DenderDennis]

First the wire through the blue casing, then soldering the connector to the wire and then gently tap the connector back in the casing, it will click in place. Make sure it is cooled down otherwise the casing will melt.
And don't forget to put shrink tube on the wire before soldering ;-)

 

[FastMann40]

Yeah EC5 suck for that reason. IC5 is much better but expensive. The best solution is SC5 from SMC, which is compatible with both EC5 and IC5.

https://www.smc-racing.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=66

I was thinking that may be why people put electrical tape at the base of the wires and the connectors along with keeping water out?

IC5 is expensive

First the wire through the blue casing, then soldering the connector to the wire and then gently tap the connector back in the casing, it will click in place. Make sure it is cooled down otherwise the casing will melt.
And don't forget to put shrink tube on the wire before soldering ;-)

I didn't even think about tapping it. It worked, thanks. Now I am fixing all my connectors.

 

[cancelthefuture]

Yeah EC5 suck for that reason. IC5 is much better but expensive. The best solution is SC5 from SMC, which is compatible with both EC5 and IC5.

https://www.smc-racing.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=66

second the SC5, they are all the benefits of XT90 plugs or IC5 plugs minus the telemetry, and only a little more expensive than EC5

 

[trexdd]

Depends on the EC5 bullets and tubes. Some have a chamfered end where they slid into the bottom of the EC5 blue shell, while some have the chamfer the other way and the wires need to be through the connector first before soldering.

That being said, the best suggestion I have for the connectors that are soldered through the blue housing first, is to take one spare male connector with the tubes, one spare female connector with the bullets and press them together, using a vice, channel lock pliers etc. After they’ve been pressed together, you now have two fully seated connectors. When you’re done making the solder joints on a female connector, grab your premade male connector and use that to seat the female bullets in the housing and vice versa for the other ends.

Hopefully that makes sense!

Edit: I use heat shrink on the ends of the brass connection points to cover the solder and when finished, provides a good seal between the connector and the EC5 housing.

 

[GraniteFox]

I just use XT90s. Fairly cheap and easy to solder and assemble. The ic5 connectors are good but a little pricey.

 

[FastMann40]

Depends on the EC5 bullets and tubes. Some have a chamfered end where they slid into the bottom of the EC5 blue shell, while some have the chamfer the other way and the wires need to be through the connector first before soldering.

That being said, the best suggestion I have for the connectors that are soldered through the blue housing first, is to take one spare male connector with the tubes, one spare female connector with the bullets and press them together, using a vice, channel lock pliers etc. After they’ve been pressed together, you now have two fully seated connectors. When you’re done making the solder joints on a female connector, grab your premade male connector and use that to seat the female bullets in the housing and vice versa for the other ends.

Hopefully that makes sense!

Edit: I use heat shrink on the ends of the brass connection points to cover the solder and when finished, provides a good seal between the connector and the EC5 housing.

Good idea on the vise and pre-made connectors. Thanks

 

[Vedak]

I hate assembling them, but they are my preferred connectors. progressiverc makes a tool for tapping the posts into the housing that I find helps a ton. But even with the tool it can still be finicky.

https://www.progressiverc.com/collections/soldering-tools/products/prc-ec5-assembly-punch

If your handy enough, you could make one at home with a tube and grinder.

 

[phm14]

XT90s just work....

 

[cancelthefuture]

XT90s just work....

Until you wanna buy CNHL packs, they seem to be eternally out of stock of XT90. I like XT90 but I have too many arrmas that came with EC5 and too many packs with EC5 and I don't wanna make the switch when SC5 exists.

 

[FastMann40]

I just use XT90s. Fairly cheap and easy to solder and assemble. The ic5 connectors are good but a little pricey.

I used those for awhile, but they would start overheating and melting, I didn't want to have a catastrophic failure with a meltdown.