QS8 soldering - fill the cup?

[SrC]

+1
The best soldering is always done by you.
And at least you can live and learn if you had a failure/ fire from it.
Does take years of experience to do soldering right. With the right equipment. You only learn by doing. For so many, soldering is a hobby unto itself. So many rely on others. LHS's etc. and never even consider the importance of using quality connectors and how they are soldered, in the first place. If you can't solder, you are a newb, until you at least try to learn. IMHO. Soldering is what breaks your RC cherry. Or at least one task that must be learned eventually
There is no way to get into the Upgrade ESC's/motors, if you can't solder in the first place.

 

[Just a hobby]

+1
The best soldering is always done by you.
And at least you can live and learn if you had a failure/ fire. from it.
Does take years of experience to do soldering right. With the right equipment.

Yes I made big mistakes learning max10 cold solder, cheap iron. 2 run desoldered and fried. Over heated a few cells making 8 cell nicklemetal packs. Melted a few things. Mums the word on the rest. Even grabbed one by the wrong end!!! I thought it was cold only once!!!

 

[SrC]

Been there also. Have to learn. Many avoid soldering like it is a disease. I don't get that. Extremey afraid I guess? like it is some black magic.

Edit

>>>After some mistakes and a hundred soldered joints later, it all clicks, trust me.

 

[Just a hobby]

Been there also. Have to learn. Many avoid soldering like it is a disease. I don't get that. Extremey afraid I guess? like it is some black magic.

I think it's more afraid of trying and failing!! And then the drive of shame back to the hobby store for help. And hearing what did you do I just sold you that. A guy ask for help

 

[Just a hobby]

Been there also. Have to learn. Many avoid soldering like it is a disease. I don't get that. Extremey afraid I guess? like it is some black magic.

Edit

>>>After some mistakes and a hundred soldered joints later, it all clicks, trust me.

I guess I got lucky. Right out of high-school I started working as a commercial and residential alarm installer. Had to learn soldering. Eventually I became a alarm service technician . Which I learned to HATE!!!!!
Then got into the big narly world of offset printing.

 

[SrC]

The phrase "Support your LHS" to keep this Hobby strong was just a knee jerk response to Online RC business competition. It was created by RC marketting. Surely makes sense to so many. Yet just stupid marketting created by the RC industry as a whole.
That warm fuzzy feeling that by buying from the local guy is the "right thing to do".
Unfortunatley, only my wallet dictates where I buy from.
And I don't think paying someone else to do my hobby for me is any Hobby at all. RC is about doing it yourself. And wrenching is 80% of this hobby. 20% is the driving aspect. Many would rather drive and avoid wrenching.
It would only become a Hobby for my Wallet at some point.

Like with my Neighbor up the block. He has an old Trx Nitro. He can't tune the engine for the life of him. For years now. Doesn't want an electric RC. He just takes the RC to his LHS on Jamaica Av in Queens here. Every month or so. They tune it and upgrade it for no reason every time. Drives like garbage. Never teaching him how to tune it. He doesn't even know how to check the Glo plug. I gave him a spare glo plug wrench and explained it. Just cant grasp it. Why I keep telling him to get into electric Lipo models etc. Cheaper in the long term for him.
Yet he Cries about spending $$ at his LHS all the time. Planet Hobbywood. Jamaica Av. and Woodhaven Blvd. I walked in one time at my friends recomendation. Never again. What a dump. Many Rc's are used old broken Models, used for take off parts. Want a part for anything current, and they have to order it. Might as well order online.

Willis Hobbies is in LI and where I used to TC carpet race in the early 2000's. The track has since closed, became a TRX only shop. Would push all Trx stuff on me including batteries. He remembred me from years past. Asked if I would want to work there part time. He then only recently has all the Arrma stuff/ HH lines again now. This is a well heeled area of LI, where Guys in suits and ties are bringing their Xmaxx's in after work driving up in ther Porsches, Range Rovers and Lambos for a cleaning their Trx Crawlers and Xmaxx's and their batteries charged and very basic RC adjustmenets for some weekend fun. The owner explained to me. He makes most of his $$ doing just that. Not lying. I only go there for paint supplies if I need, in a pinch.

 

[Just a hobby]

The phrase "Support your LHS" to keep this Hobby strong was just a knee jerk response to Online RC business competition. It was created by RC marketting. Surely makes sense to so many. Yet just stupid marketting created by the RC industry as a whole.
That warm fuzzy feeling that by buying from the local guy is the "right thing to do".
Unfortunatley, only my wallet dictates where I buy from.
And I don't think paying someone else to do my hobby for me is any Hobby at all. RC is about doing it yourself. And wrenching is 80% of this hobby. 20% is the driving aspect. Many woud rather drive and avoid wrenching.
It would only become a Hobby for my Wallet at some point.

Like with my Neighbor up the block. He has an old Trx Nitro. He can't tune the engine for the life of him. For years now. Doesn't want an electric RC. He just takes the RC to his LHS on Jamaica Av in Queens here. Every month or so. They tune it and upgrade it for no reason every time. Drives like garbage. Never teaching him how to tune it. He doesn't even know how to check the Glo plug. I gave him a spare glo plug wrench and explained it. Just cant grasp it. Why I keep telling him to get into electric Lipo models etc. Cheaper in the long term for him.
Yet he Cries about spending $$ at his LHS all the time. Planet Hobbywood. Jamaica Av. and Woodhaven Blvd. I walked in one time at my friends recomendation. Never again. What a dump. Many Rc's are used old broken Models, used for take off parts. Want a part for anything current, and they have to order it. Might as well order online.

I'm not thrilled when I have to go to Redline hobby. Not exactly friendly. I called Planet Hobbywood for something once,no part. Wow their that bad. Reminds of Fordham Hobby on 88th and Creston st.

 

[SrC]

Bruckner Hobbies is ok. AKA Hobby Heros online.
Brooklyn Hobbies is also well known. Bought my very first TA Pan car there back in the 80's. But turned me off when I preordered a Hard to get V1 Limitless at the time. Strung me along for many months. I ended up getting mine from a YT guy here on AF., @bicketybam. He passed on his demo V1 Lim to me. NIB. Drove to him in CT. And we even bashed for hours. Nice guy.
AF allows you to social network in this Hobby.

 

[Johnny b]

The phrase "Support your LHS" to keep this Hobby strong was just a knee jerk response to Online RC business competition. It was created by RC marketting. Surely makes sense to so many. Yet just stupid marketting created by the RC industry as a whole.
That warm fuzzy feeling that by buying from the local guy is the "right thing to do".
Unfortunatley, only my wallet dictates where I buy from.
And I don't think paying someone else to do my hobby for me is any Hobby at all. RC is about doing it yourself. And wrenching is 80% of this hobby. 20% is the driving aspect. Many would rather drive and avoid wrenching.
It would only become a Hobby for my Wallet at some point.

Like with my Neighbor up the block. He has an old Trx Nitro. He can't tune the engine for the life of him. For years now. Doesn't want an electric RC. He just takes the RC to his LHS on Jamaica Av in Queens here. Every month or so. They tune it and upgrade it for no reason every time. Drives like garbage. Never teaching him how to tune it. He doesn't even know how to check the Glo plug. I gave him a spare glo plug wrench and explained it. Just cant grasp it. Why I keep telling him to get into electric Lipo models etc. Cheaper in the long term for him.
Yet he Cries about spending $$ at his LHS all the time. Planet Hobbywood. Jamaica Av. and Woodhaven Blvd. I walked in one time at my friends recomendation. Never again. What a dump. Many Rc's are used old broken Models, used for take off parts. Want a part for anything current, and they have to order it. Might as well order online.

Willis Hobbies is in LI and where I used to TC carpet race in the early 2000's. The track has since closed, became a TRX only shop. Would push all Trx stuff on me including batteries. He remembred me from years past. Asked if I would want to work there part time. He then only recently has all the Arrma stuff/ HH lines again now. This is a well heeled area of LI, where Guys in suits and ties are bringing their Xmaxx's in after work driving up in ther Porsches, Range Rovers and Lambos for a cleaning their Trx Crawlers and Xmaxx's and their batteries charged and very basic RC adjustmenets for some weekend fun. The owner explained to me. He makes most of his $$ doing just that. Not lying. I only go there for paint supplies if I need, in a pinch.

Last paragraph is hilarious. I wonder if these rich dudes with the nice full scale rides know how to pump gas in them. Why not just stay in bed and pay someone to live your life for you!

 

[SrC]

There are very few Full servce gas stations here.
In NJ it is a Law however that consumers are NOT allowed to self pump FWIW.
The well heeled have it this way.
RC crosses all socio economic boundaries. I guess that is a good thing.

 

[Johnny b]

In NJ it is a Law however that consumers are NOT allowed to self pump FWIW.

Ok. That explains why they have among the highest property taxes in the country.

 

[SrC]

Ok. That explains why they have among the highest property taxes in the country.

Actually there was a documentary in regards to full serve gas stations. NJ does it for other than tax reasons. Stating safety reasons. Which is BS. Has to do with the NJ Gasoline industry and weird business incentives to have full service pumping. Labor security/jobs according to the NJ State.
And up until several years ago, NJ gas was the cheapest due to Little tax on gas. NY'ers close to NJ would actually drive to NJ, tolls and all to fuel up and shop. NJ was that much less$. \
That has all changed now.
LI NY is among the highest property Taxed.
NJ has a failed budget and has upped their taxes across the board. Gas included. Like elsewhere.

 

[Diem Turner]

Actually there was a documentary in regards to full serve gas stations. NJ does it for other than tax reasons. Stating safety reasons. Which is BS. Has to do with the NJ Gasoline industry and weird business incentives to have full service pumping. Labor security/jobs according to the NJ State.
And up until several years ago, NJ gas was the cheapest due to Little tax on gas. NY'ers close to NJ would actually drive to NJ, tolls and all to fuel up and shop. NJ was that much less$. \
That has all changed now.
LI NY is among the highest property Taxed.
NJ has a failed budget and has upped their taxes across the board. Gas included. Like elsewhere.

Or perhaps NJ had a Nostradamus moment or concluded through other means that the future would yield galaxy brains like this and they were actually considering the safety of their denizens.

 

[SrC]

I saw one Guy cleaning his whole car down with the Window Squeegy and its slop water at the Gas station.
I also saw one guy washing his whole car down with Windex Spray and a small Dish sponge, using the scuff side trying to get off Bird Crap under a tree while the birds were still crapping on it. His fairly new car was all scratched up, when he was done. He kept rubbing it, not realizing it was damaged paint, not dirt. My neighbor. Some young guy in his 20's. BMW. It was Dark blue. What $damage$ he did.
My coworker had a brand New Infinity QX. It snowed and freezed to thick ice that morning before coming to work. When he got to work I noticed his hood and roof was gouged out. I asked him what happend. He didn't realize that using an Ice scraper on his new cars paint ruined it, completely. He said he had to chisle off the thick ice...He was pissed at himself, and sold it after a few months. And he was upside down on his Car note also.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

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.

It looks like this thread went off topic but wanted to throw my 2 cents in.
What I don't care for about how SMC did this.... is they didn't optimize the copper-to-solder cup surface area. I always expose the wire so that it reaches the end of the cup. Also if you use 7awg it will fill it in the sides as well leaving little room for the solder.

I am no expert on the subject but every run I make is over 600 amps and never had a solder joint fail me with the basic cheap Amazon solder.

 

[Diem Turner]

It looks like this thread went off topic but wanted to throw my 2 cents in.
What I don't care for about how SMC did this.... is they didn't optimize the copper-to-solder cup surface area. I always expose the wire so that it reaches the end of the cup. Also if you use 7awg it will fill it in the sides as well leaving little room for the solder.

View attachment 310539

I am no expert on the subject but every run I make is over 600 amps and never had a solder joint fail me with the basic cheap Amazon solder.

Yeah, that's a fair criticism. I don't have any 7AWG (except for the leads on my ONYX Modified LHB packs) so what I started doing was cutting my 8AWG wire diagonally so that it would form and point and then curl that point back up again into the wire which forms a curvature on the outside that fits iperfectly into the curvature at the bottom of the QS8 cups. I haven't x-rayed it or sawed one in half but, I'm pretty sure that this also helps to ensure a large contact patch of the long side of the wire with the plating of the cup. Theoretically.

 

[ZooKeeper]

I always expose the wire so that it reaches the end of the cup.

Yes!

I do this as well. As much wire contact with the cup as possible!

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Yeah, that's a fair criticism. I don't have any 7AWG (except for the leads on my ONYX Modified LHB packs) so what I started doing was cutting my 8AWG wire diagonally so that it would form and point and then curl that point back up again into the wire which forms a curvature on the outside that fits iperfectly into the curvature at the bottom of the QS8 cups. I haven't x-rayed it or sawed one in half but, I'm pretty sure that this also helps to ensure a large contact patch of the long side of the wire with the plating of the cup. Theoretically.
View attachment 310543

Yes, that seems like a good way to do it.
While I do love 7awg wire the 8ga seems to handle the power just fine.

 

[Diem Turner]

Yes, that seems like a good way to do it.
While I do love 7awg wire the 8ga seems to handle the power just fine.

8AWG has been fine for everything so far. I like the 7AWG wire too but, can anyone explain to me what the point of 7AWG wire on the battery is if the positive and negative terminals on the ESC are outfitted with 8AWG? What about doubling it up in a parallel setup? Now you have two 7AWG wires being reduced down to a single 8AWG. This makes sense...how exactly?

 

[LibertyMKiii]

8AWG has been fine for everything so far. I like the 7AWG wire too but, can anyone explain to me what the point of 7AWG wire on the battery is if the positive and negative terminals on the ESC are outfitted with 8AWG? What about doubling it up in a parallel setup? Now you have two 7AWG wires being reduced down to a single 8AWG. This makes sense...how exactly?

Exactly... any system can only flow as much as the weakest point in that system.
The key thing for large connectors and wire is that they can "handle it" for a longer duration, but we are not pushing 600 amps for more than 2-5 seconds and 8 awg is fine.