QS8 soldering - fill the cup?

[dure16]

Do you guys fill the entire cup with solder? I’ve heard mixed advice so I have been filling mine.

But here’s how SMC did it on a recent purchase. No cup filling. I figure they’re experts on the topic.

Thoughts?

 

[djrahbee]

I filled mine about half full but I'v only done around 6. Way easier than EC5's

 

[GraniteFox]

No need to fill the cup as long as you have a good solid connection. Filling the cup leaves the chance of overflow and that never helps things.

 

[gotnitro]

Could be a bad joint from SMC.

I fill the cup and heat the wire at the same time. When you dip the wire in the pool, it will suck up some solder into the wire inside the sheath. Then I refill the cup and into a sonic cleaner it goes. Thats using a torch tho. You can refill the cup with an iron too. A perfect solder joint has a stiff wire for about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch inside the sheath.

If you fill the cup using a torch and then dip the wire in the pool without heating the wire, it will overflow and now you have to grind down the solder or grab a new bullet.

 

[ross_jsy]

I heat/flux the cups then fill about 3/4 full, then introduce the tinned wire then feed in any additional solder where required.

Edit. It's also a balancing act of not getting too much heat into the connector, especially with built in anti-spark as it is easy to melt the rings in the bullets. I tend to fill one cup, let it cool while filling the other cup, then go back to the first cup. I also always have a connector in the other side to keep the bullets straight and act as a heat soak

 

[trunkmonkey1]

I heat/flux the cups then fill about 3/4 full, then introduce the tinned wire then feed in any additional solder where required.

Edit. It's also a balancing act of not getting too much heat into the connector, especially with built in anti-spark as it is easy to melt the rings in the bullets. I tend to fill one cup, let it cool while filling the other cup, then go back to the first cup. I also always have a connector in the other side to keep the bullets straight and act as a heat soak

I do it exactly the way he does it, only that I only fill 1/2 the cup.

 

[Diem Turner]

I did but after much rumination on the topic I've decided that it's a waste of solder to fill the cup, it only has the potential to increase the resistance of the connector (solder isn't a particularly good conductor when compared to copper) and it just increases the amount of heat you need to put into the connector to melt all that solder. According to my running theory, I'd say that SMC is doing it right the way they're doing it. Think of it this way. On the left, with just a little solder, you can keep the copper wire in closer contact with the gold plating of the connector. If you fill the cup, you're much more likely to "float" the wire away from having direct metal-to-metal contact with the connector which means more of the pixies will need to traverse through thick clots of solder instead of moving from the copper wire to the connector or vice versa with much less resistance.

Edit: Yes...my solder is pink. End of transmission.

 

[gotnitro]

I did but after much rumination on the topic I've decided that it's a waste of solder to fill the cup, it only has the potential to increase the resistance of the connector (solder isn't a particularly good conductor when compared to copper) and it just increases the amount of heat you need to put into the connector to melt all that solder. According to my running theory, I'd say that SMC is doing it right the way they're doing it. Think of it this way. On the left, with just a little solder, you can keep the copper wire in closer contact with the gold plating of the connector. If you fill the cup, you're much more likely to "float" the wire away from having direct metal-to-metal contact with the connector which means more of the pixies will need to traverse through thick clots of solder instead of moving from the copper wire to the connector or vice versa with much less resistance.
View attachment 310097
Edit: Yes...my solder is pink. End of transmission.

I'd be willing to bet every RC related thing I own to someone that can prove with functioning equipment power loss from a filled bullet to a side attachment. For me, it's more to ensure you don't create a cold solder joint.

 

[Johnny b]

I ain't filling the cup no more......last time I did that I got fired.

 

[ZooKeeper]

I ain't filling the cup no more......last time I did that I got fired.

It's important to fill it the right way

 

[Diem Turner]

I'd be willing to bet every RC related thing I own to someone that can prove with functioning equipment power loss from a filled bullet to a side attachment. For me, it's more to ensure you don't create a cold solder joint.

I'm not really concerned about power loss so, I won't be the one to demonstrate it to you. What I AM concerned with, however, is unnecessary excess resistance which, I know I'm not telling you anything you don't know, can lead to hot spots. We've all seen XLX2s de-solder its terminals under heavy loads (be it in person or on video) so that's where I'm coming from.

 

[Just a hobby]

Fill cup 1/2, good tin job on the wire end. No overflow, and plenty in the cup. Don't forget to apply small amount of flux paste in the cup. Never hurts, no cold solder job on the connector. Will desolder when you run. Chance of frying your esc.
Don't cold solder like I did once. Coast me $80, max 10 puff, puff

 

[SrC]

Do you guys fill the entire cup with solder? I’ve heard mixed advice so I have been filling mine.

But here’s how SMC did it on a recent purchase. No cup filling. I figure they’re experts on the topic.

Thoughts?


View attachment 310062

Wrong. Screw SMC with their way They are just being cheap with the solder..... Who is that SMC idiot anyway?
Fill it dude. Why chance a bad joint like that above ????
Do it The right way.
That cup is there for a REASON.
Common sense dictates. Fill it.

 

[Just a hobby]

Wrong. Screw SMC with their way They are just being cheap with the solder..... Who is that SMC idiot anyway?
Fill it dude. Why chance a bad joint like that above ????
Do it The right way.
That cup is there for a REASON.
Common sense dictates. Fill it.

That is soldering a lot of conectors in one sitting and doing it economically for the comany.
For us economically may be not. I would not duplicate that soldering job myself.
Just my opinion

 

[SrC]

"Economical for the Company"
Last I heard SMC was not a budget brand. To be cheap about solder this way is a laugh.
I would be pissed if I paid for $SMC$ lipos and found the QS8's soldered that way.
SMC pretends to be the best of the best. Yet cheaping out with solder???
I'm not feeling it.

 

[Just a hobby]

"Economical for the Company"
Last I heard SMC was not a budget brand. To be cheap about solder this way is a laugh.
I would be pissed if I paid for $SMC$ lipos and found the QS8's soldered that way.
SMC pretends to be the best of the best. Yet cheaping out with solder???
I'm not feeling it.

I think we are all CONFUSED over that smc soldering photo??¿??

 

[SrC]

Yeah for sure!!

 

[Just a hobby]

Over the years of being in hobby shops I always checked out how the workers did soldering. Out of curiosity, are they doing it any different than myself. Any secret I can learn different?
Nope. Never seen so little soldering on a cup connector.
Anyways. Is fall almost here?
Weather is to hot to run.

 

[SrC]

Food for thought.... not many LHS's even know how to solder correctly, lets be real.
If you are always relying on a LHS to do your soldering, you would never even know this.

 

[Just a hobby]

Food for thought.... not many LHS's even know how to solder correctly, lets be real.
If you are always relying on a LHS to do your soldering, you would never even know this.

Over the years 1988 till now.
I've owned, 5 brushed rc trucks, 6 nitro, 2 gas 1/5 sold all. And now 7 brushless. I'm the only one to touch a wrench or soldering iron to any. I'd rather quit the hobby than bring one to a hobby store to be worked on. I enjoy wrenching, customizing, and making parts. Other than a visit to Redline hobby for diff and shock oil. And 4 years ago Bruckner hobby( no longer in business)Dan sold me my 4s outcast for $ 340. Now my Kraton 4s v1.6²/³ . I have not been in a hobby store. And American hobbies no longer open, John and Joe could solder any thing. They all did good soldering work.
I just order on line. What hobby store can't solder in NYC? I will never step inside