How to solder Deans connectors.

[TiM!]

Hi guys. Here is my guide on how to solder deans plugs.

First of all you need a tidy work space.....

Um... Yeah.

10mins latter and its tidy again. (Sort of.)

The things you will need:

Left to right. 1. Soldering iron 2. Soldering iron tip cleaner. (A damp sponge works as well.) 3. Wire strippers/side cutters. 4. A pair of pilers/multi tool. 5. A solder sucker in case something goes wrong. 6. Some good quality solder (60% tin 40% lead in my case.) 7. Heat shrink for covering the exposed joint. 8. I find a blob of blu tac helps to keep things from moving about. 9. The deans plug and the wire you will be putting it on,

Step 1.

Tin your soldering iron tip with solder. It should look like this:

Nice and shiny.

Step 2.

Strip 5mm of insulation off your wire. Then tin it by heating the exposed part of the wire and melting the solder on to the wire. Not the iron tip. It should look like this:

Again nice and shiny.

Step 3.

Tin the deans plug. Hold the soldering iron on to the deans contact end for about two seconds. Then with the iron still on the deans plug feed solder on to the contact. Not on to the iron. It should look like this:

Shiny.

Step 4.

Slide a 1.5cm piece of heat shrink on to the wire. Move it as far away from the plug as you can so it does not shrink too quickly.

Step 5.

Heat the solder on the deans and the solder on the end of the wire until they liquefy. Then place them together like this:

Heat the top of the wire, (where the arrow is) until the solder on the plug and wire flow into each other. Once they have flowed together, take the iron tip off and hold the joint. The solder may stay liquid for up to 10 seconds. So you must keep very still. (Red is +, black is -, the correct polarity is marked on most deans plugs, the top of the "T" is +)

Step 6.

Let the joint cool completely. Then slide the piece of heat shrink over the joint. Now heat the heat shrink. You don't have to touch the iron on the heat shrink, just hold it near to it.

Now do it again for the other side.

Hope it helps.

Any questions please ask.

Edits and extra information:

This guide shows a female deans connector. The technique for soldering a male one is exactly the same. Make sure you put the female connectors on your battery packs, and the male ones on your charger and ESCs. A male deans on a battery pack will lead to a short, maybe destroying the pack and causing a fire.

Edited October 17, 2010 by TiM!

[53HRA]

Great guide mate

[kwik-kid]

thats brilliant, great tips there, very usefull, especialy the blu tac...

[nitrorhys]

Good guide matey

[rc-racer-kirby]

you shouldnt really hold the wire until the solder hardens should you?

i use pliers as burnt my hand once

[badger906]

blue tack! you are a genious! im always faffing around with the croc clip setup things you get with soldering irons half the time i end up doing a balancing act with the deans and wire in one hand and soldering gun on the other (i prefer a gun as the heat up instantly and cool down jsut as fast )

adam

[hide]

I was taught to use blue tac when I first learnt to solder. Its a great idea, except that it does go a bit sticky and you have to let it cool.

[Matt B]

I use a lighter to heat up the heatshrink, not keen on using a soldering iron for that though my 100W one should do it quick

[ArtyRC]

Hope it helps.

Any questions please ask.

Hi,

What kind of solder do you use? I recognise the RS reel, but is it Lead based or not? I tried soldering using Lead-free solder, and even with a 100W iron I couldn't get it to melt properly =(

[hide]

Arty, you want 60/40 lead tin solder. Hard to come by, but worth it. The silver stuff is ok but I had trouble getting it to stick to surfaces, never have that problem with lead.

[TiM!]

Some good quality solder (60% tin 40% lead in my case.)

Yep I use 60% tin and 40% lead.

[TiM!]

you shouldnt really hold the wire until the solder hardens should you?

Yes you need to keep the joint totally still until the solder sets. If you don't it will weaken the joint.

[C3PO]

Dude -- superb tutorial!

[bb2120]

Blu-tac... genius

[mad-wolfie]

Blu-tac... genius

nah, stuff blu-tac, this is what you want;

or they do a newer / more modern version.. with a built in soldering iron stand.

[TiM!]

^^In my opinion those just make a fairly easy job just a little harder. ^^

[Pavster]

Hey guys, first post!!! Found this tutorial on the internet. The guy uses locking pliers, and they work a treat, does away with sticky blu tack...it basically says what you did but there is a video for anyone a little unsure. Good tutorial, did all my deans plugs today. Clean solder tip is a MUST!

Enjoy,

Pav

PS is there a buy and sell area on this forum? Wondering if people have stuff i can buy?!?

[TiM!]

PS is there a buy and sell area on this forum? Wondering if people have stuff i can buy?!?

There is indeed.... http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/index.php?showforum=7 There is also a off topic for sale section.

Thanks for the link and welcome to the forum.

[mad-wolfie]

Hey guys, first post!!! Found this tutorial on the internet. The guy uses locking pliers, and they work a treat, does away with sticky blu tack...it basically says what you did but there is a video for anyone a little unsure. Good tutorial, did all my deans plugs today. Clean solder tip is a MUST!

Problem is though, the locking pliers tend to act like a giant heatsink, so all the heat from your iron just disappears up the pliers instead of on the bit you want to heat to melt solder to it & usually the heat just melts the plastic part on the plug & nothing else - i.e. the solder doesn't flow properly.

Likewise, with blu-tac when it gets hot it gets very soft, the more you warm it the softer it gets (oo-er missus), so it's not so good if you bung your iron on, then the blu-tac gets all squidgy & the connector ends up on the floor!

Best thing for a clean soldering tip is a damp sponge (not a washing sponge, but one made for the job - that sponge you wash your dishes or clean the car with is no good), just keep cleaning the tip each time before & after you apply it to the joint. Best to buy a soldering iron stand & a pack of sponges from Maplin

[mrklaw]

might give this a try on some spare wire first, then move onto a cheap 2000mah battery before trying my speed controller. Moving from tamiya to deans. Couple of questions:

1) if you wipe the soldering iron with the sponge before and after, doesn't it wipe off the solder you put on to tin it? Do you have to re-tin it?

2) do I need special wire, or can I just use the wire already attached to my charger/esc/batteries? is it just the tamiya plug part thats the weak link?

3) are there different sizes of heatshrink, and if so, what should I go for? will probably get them from maplins when I pick up some solder and a sucker.

4) really muppet question this - which end do you put the male deans on, and which the female?

[TiM!]

1) if you wipe the soldering iron with the sponge before and after, doesn't it wipe off the solder you put on to tin it? Do you have to re-tin it? Nope.

2) do I need special wire, or can I just use the wire already attached to my charger/esc/batteries? is it just the tamiya plug part thats the weak link? No special wire needed. Tamiya pugs are the weak link.

3) are there different sizes of heatshrink, and if so, what should I go for? will probably get them from maplins when I pick up some solder and a sucker. Just get a big bad with lots of sizes to fit all wires.

4) really muppet question this - which end do you put the male deans on, and which the female? Male on the ESC. Female on the battery. Get it wrong and you could short your battery.

Edited May 14, 2009 by TiM!

[mrklaw]

did one, seemed ok. Used a DIY clamp to hold the deans in place while soldering.

Is there a reason to use 60/40 tin/lead? maplins only sell lead-free solder which is 95% tin or higher

[TiM!]

did one, seemed ok. Used a DIY clamp to hold the deans in place while soldering.

Is there a reason to use 60/40 tin/lead? maplins only sell lead-free solder which is 95% tin or higher

Its just much better, easier to work with and is stronger. They put lead in solder for a reason, then some fool comes along and says it's "dangerous" and they take it out. As a result it does not work.

[mrklaw]

so where do I get some from?

[RC_NuB]

Nice guide mate

just been doing some of that myself resently

I like the blue tack idea

Regards