Tamiya Plugs

[whahooo]

Hello,

a lot of People say that Tamiya Plugs are bad and you should change them to Deans.

 

All of my Cars have Tamiya Plugs, why should they be bad?

[joeling]

It's the current rating. If you are on brushed motor that is not so hot then should be ok. According to google, tamiya plug is rated to around 15A only. On the other hand, Deans or T plug is probably good for 60A.

[nel33]

from what i understand, the Tamiya plugs dont take high amperages. stock electronics work just fine but when you get stronger motors and power supplies the Tamiya plugs wont hold up as well.

[InsaneJim69]

Try running a hot motor, I remember I had one Tamiya plug melt and fuse together. Ended up having to cut the thing off. That was back when I had no idea they couldn't take high currents. They are Def a bottleneck if you run any kind of hot motor imo.

James.

[whahooo]

I think the hottest Motor i use is an 19x2 brushed Motor in a Ford Baja racing Truck.

Or 2 Super Stock BZ 23 Turn in aWild Dagger.

Or 2 GT tuned 25 Turn in a Clodbuster.

 

 

Are they Safe?

I think i never felt hot Connectors, but maybe i never touched them.....

[Wooders28]

They do this.....

 

 

[Juggular]

If you are using a stock 540 motor with NiMH 7.2v, Tamiya connectors are perfectly fine.  

When you go beyond that, Tamiya connectors become a bottleneck.  Even with silver cans, I cooked up Tamiya connectors with a 8.4v NiMH battery pack. You could see the brown spots on the milky-white plastic casing. They'd get very hot, obviously.  (That was Wild Dagger, using regular silver cans) 

Tamiya connectors are designed for 1A constant, 2A burst (that's about 14 watts).  Back in 1970s when Tamiya started out with 380 motors and 6V batteries.  By the time I started RC in the middle of 1980s, these were already vintage batteries.  Super Stock motors, 100A ESCs, 100C LiPo batteries were not invented yet when Tamiya connector was chosen for RC cars.    

It still held up okay when 540 motors + 7.2v packs became the norm.  

(Old chassis like Blackfoot, Frog, Fast Attack Vehicle, Wild One have a space for the hump to poke through)  

That's why this dude is driving around with an empty box under his right elbow.  

When LiPos showed up, the weakness of Tamiya connectors became obvious.  

Tamiya ESCs can handle up to 60A burst. 13.5t brushless motors can withdraw 4A constant, 6A burst (about 48 watts).  LiPo batteries can supply 10-30A on demand.  14 gauge wires can handle up to 20A.  You can see how the 2A Tamiya connector from the 1970s could be the weakest link.   

Tamiya does recognize this problem...That's why they are selling the 6.6v LiFe packs with Deans connectors. It's not the voltage, it's the current. (10,000v static spark from your blanket won't kill you because the amp is so low. But 12v 60Amp =720 watt could kill.)  

XT60 can handle up to 60A burst. I heard that Deans can handle up to 100A (probably due to the use of copper, rather than having more contact area).  In either case, they can handle some 30 times more than Tamiya connectors can.   

For dual motors, you might be using 80-100A ESCs?  And Superstock motors on top of that?  I would not feel safe using Tamiya connectors.  I would use either Deans or XT60.  

 

[whahooo]

Thanks for your Input.

Now i think i have to change all my Plugs

I just have to learn how to soilder and get the Idea of otger Plugs in my head.

other Plugs than Tamiya ones aren't right for my eyes.....

[Busdriver]

XT60 is my go to choice. Easy to solder. I’ve never had one actually melt but on a rather overpowered boat running 8.4NiMh the plug used to get very hot. Had to wait a while to change batteries.

[DeadMeat666]

2 minutes ago, whahooo said:

Thanks for your Input.

Now i think i have to change all my Plugs

I just have to learn how to soilder and get the Idea of otger Plugs in my head.

other Plugs than Tamiya ones aren't right for my eyes.....

It's usually a good idea to standardize your plugs across all your cars, or at least the ones you use often.

There are several options, and they all have advantages and disadvantages.

Deans: Very small, so easy to fit in tight spaces, but a little fiddly to solder and kind of a pain to plug/unplug for the same reason.

XT60: Larger, easier to solder, but make a big lump due to their size.

There are also other types. Just consider carefully, choose one and stick with it.

[alvinlwh]

If you are new to soldering, I will recommend using XTs. Deans can get damaged and misaligned with heat and I find that sometimes, some may not pair up with others. Less likely to go wrong with XTs. Also, as pointed out, Deans can be a PITA to unplug. It actually seems that "fake" Deans are actually better in this aspect. 

Having said that I use Deans for my regular cars and XT30s for my smaller cars. The reason is historically, I got batteries and charger with Deans. But I swapped over to XT30s for the smaller cars due to the lack of space and to stop me from being tempted to using the wrong battery in the wrong car (C rating related). 

I had tried ECs, specifically EC2s, never had made them work. They just fall apart for me. ECs have the advantage of not needing heat shrink but the disadvantage of not able to be reused. They, however, are very easy to solder, even easier than XTs. 

End of the day, you can pick up a small bag of each for not much money and try them out yourself to decide where you want to go. 

[Wooders28]

Both XT60 and Dean's are rated to 60amp, but Dean's seem to be more available on the battery in the UK ,and XT60 seemed to be more popular in America.

I use these, and run them on 5s for the Tamiya Speed Runs, so defo unto the job (although, sparky when connecting at that voltage...⚡) ,a bit fiddly to solder, but they look factory once done, with the plastic cover hiding anything 😏

 

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/t-style-connector-male-female-with-insulating-caps-10-pairs.html?___store=en_us

[Mad Ax]

I'd definitely agree with @DeadMeat666, choose a connector first and then standardise.  Some model shops (ModelSport in the UK, for example) will put whatever connector you like on an ESC when you order it, which saves time.

Personally I use Deans.  They are really fiddly to disconnect, especially when they're tight or your hands are cold, but I find them easy to solder.  I have tried XT60s, these are definitely nicer to plug in and out, but I have a hard time soldering them without the plug getting hot enough to melt the plastic and slipping out, which destroys the plug.  I don't know why I have such a hard time with them.  Traxxas connectors are easy to plug in and out but are very bulky, I've never soldered them.

The whole "how to solder a battery connector" is a conversation all of itself, but here's a couple of quick hints to get into your head now before you go buy an iron and some connectors and make some mistakes:

• get a high-power iron, the wire and plug is much bigger than a typical home circuit so you need to get a lot of heat in quickly.  It doesn't have to be expensive, but around 70W makes it much easier to get the heat into the plug without melting it (perversely, the hotter your iron, the less chance of melting the plug - it will get the heat into the joint quickly, do its job and then get away before the plug melts - leaving a lower-power iron on the plug for the 30-40 seconds it takes to get enough heat the flow the solder with a typical 12W iron allows the heat to soak into the plastic and start melting it)
• some cheap irons come with tips that aren't treated - I've had this problem before I understood how a tip should be treated.  If your solder won't flow onto the iron, you'll need some brass wool and tip tinner to treat it
• read some soldering hints or watching some Youtube videos before you start, and have some practice goes using the plug ends you cut off your ESC before you start on your battery or ESC wires
• Top Tip 1: don't cut both wires on the battery at the same time with metal snips unless you want to burn your hand and destroy your battery.  Trust me, I know
• Top Tip 2: having learnt Top Tip 1, thrown out a brand new battery and cursed about it for 10 minutes, don't go and do exactly the same thing on the second brand new battery.  Trust me, I know
• Before you start soldering a plug, remember to slide the heatshrink over the wire.  Trust me, I know
• Before you start soldering a plug, plug it into its opposite plug.  This will hold the terminals in place if the plastic gets hot enough to get soft, so the plug won't be ruined.  Trust me, I know
• You can get a plug holder to make life a lot easier: https://hobbyking.com/en_us/alu-soldering-mount-for-rc-connectors-clamp.html

[DeadMeat666]

26 minutes ago, Mad Ax said:

• Top Tip 1: don't cut both wires on the battery at the same time with metal snips unless you want to burn your hand and destroy your battery.  Trust me, I know
• Top Tip 2: having learnt Top Tip 1, thrown out a brand new battery and cursed about it for 10 minutes, don't go and do exactly the same thing on the second brand new battery.  Trust me, I know

To add to @Mad Ax's advice, a useful tip I learned is to change the battery plug one wire at a time to avoid having the bare wires make contact. Cut one wire, solder it on to the new plug, then cut the other wire and solder that onto the new plug.

 

As for the plug holder (or jig), most of the ones out there are made of aluminum. I bought one, and they work fine for plastic plugs. HOWEVER, if you use them for banana plugs, they're a pain because as we all know, aluminum is a very good conductor of heat. Word on the street is that they even make heatsinks out of them! This means that it is very difficult to get banana plugs hot enough for the solder to stick when they're sitting in the jig lol.

So in summary, plug holders are great for plugs, horrible for banana plugs/terminals.

[alvinlwh]

There are many soldering tips already posted by @Mad Ax and they are all very good tips. In fact, when I first solder, I followed something similar (maybe even by himself!).

Now, since you are starting on a blank sheet, I have a little more suggestions. Get Tamiya plugs with wires already attached and little bags of each plugs to build your own adaptors. This, while not a good or efficient way of doing battery connections, gives you a safe way of practicing soldering and trying them out before committing. It also allows you to charge your existing batteries on your Tamiya charger (NiMHs only!) Also, I regularly use these adaptors when soldering live batteries as they (usually) terminate in a safe end with no exposed connections.

• Before you start soldering a plug, plug it into its opposite plug.  This will hold the terminals in place if the plastic gets hot enough to get soft, so the plug won't be ruined.  Trust me, I know

Normally, if you plug it into an unused opposite plug, the pins (?) will be exposed and live, but if it is already connected to an adaptor, you will be safe.

 

[Ryz82]

My gripe with Tamiya plugs is they can be so dam hard to disconnect sometimes, I've had quite a few occasions where I feel like I'm going to send the car flying with the amount of force I've had to use.

I picked up some new batteries while away camping a while back, didn't realise my existing batteries were dead until arrived at camp ground - thankfully the LHS at nearby town had some NiMH. Only down side, they were ALL XT60 connectors. Thankfully they came with adapters, but now the connectors are massive and either make it real tight fit (XV-01) or hang out in precarious ways even more (Hot Shot, Frog etc)

I do like the XT60 connector however, strong and easy to get on/off, and have strongly considering switching over. Though my soldering skills aren't the greatest - not since high school have I done any - so the thought of botching up and making ALL my ESC (BLK-105s and a couple of HW 1060) *******, has me holding off.

[Busdriver]

2 hours ago, Mad Ax said:

XT60s, these are definitely nicer to plug in and out, but I have a hard time soldering them without the plug getting hot enough to melt the plastic and slipping out, which destroys the plug. 

I find that if you put the other half of the plug together with the one you want to solder, and use a jig if you have one the second part of the plug acts as a heat sink and also keeps everything in shape. Use a minimum 40w iron as well.
The little 15/25 W ones take too long to heat the contact up which can lead to a melt.

*edit* sorry just seen post above saying basically the same thing. 

Edited October 28, 2021 by Busdriver

[hIghQ]

I'd recommend XT60 over Deans as well.

[simalarion]

Also the Tamiya plug is chunky, big and a bitch to handle sometimes.

I completely love all the Nostalgica with Tamiya kits but i think its time they let the Tamiya plug retire. 

[Willy iine]

I run Tamiya plugs on Tamiya cars that run mostly silver or black can which are lower amperage.  I am completely fine with them.

I run Deans on higher amperage motor cars.  Deans as in real Deans connectors, not the Amazon kind.

They're both good for their intentions.

 

[DeadMeat666]

37 minutes ago, Willy iine said:

I run Deans on higher amperage motor cars.  Deans as in real Deans connectors, not the Amazon kind.

How do you know the difference? They all look pretty alike to me. That reddish-brown color with the T-shaped pins.

Do you buy them from Dean himself?

[alvinlwh]

1 minute ago, DeadMeat666 said:

How do you know the difference? They all look pretty alike to me. That reddish-brown color with the T-shaped pins.

Do you buy them from Dean himself?

Far as I am aware real Deans do not have ribs to help pulling them apart and covers over the cable end. So if they have these features they are definitely not real Deans. However, I actually like the fake ones more than the "real" ones. 

[Mad Ax]

7 minutes ago, alvinlwh said:

However, I actually like the fake ones more than the "real" ones. 

I have all manner of different Deans connectors and I've never noticed a difference in performance with any of them.  They all seem perfectly good to me.

I didn't buy any of them off Dean.  In fact I've never met in.  I've never met that Ray Sover bloke either, although he seems to turn up to every race meet I've been to.

[Willy iine]

1 hour ago, DeadMeat666 said:

How do you know the difference? They all look pretty alike to me. That reddish-brown color with the T-shaped pins.

Do you buy them from Dean himself?

If they are black and round, they are all exactly the same tires!  

You can actually tell by looking at them.  The injection color and quality are different, but I do buy the Deans branded ones..   The last batch I bought was like 6-7 years ago, can you still buy them?  I still have plenty in my arsenal somewhere in my parts bin which I don't have plans to consume any time soon like my carbon brushes so I hadn't really thought about it much.  For the motors I run today Tamiya connectors do just fine.   

[nel33]

5 hours ago, alvinlwh said:

If you are new to soldering, I will recommend using XTs. Deans can get damaged and misaligned with heat and I find that sometimes, some may not pair up with others. Less likely to go wrong with XTs. Also, as pointed out, Deans can be a PITA to unplug. It actually seems that "fake" Deans are actually better in this aspect. 

Having said that I use Deans for my regular cars and XT30s for my smaller cars. The reason is historically, I got batteries and charger with Deans. But I swapped over to XT30s for the smaller cars due to the lack of space and to stop me from being tempted to using the wrong battery in the wrong car (C rating related). 

I had tried ECs, specifically EC2s, never had made them work. They just fall apart for me. ECs have the advantage of not needing heat shrink but the disadvantage of not able to be reused. They, however, are very easy to solder, even easier than XTs. 

End of the day, you can pick up a small bag of each for not much money and try them out yourself to decide where you want to go. 

ive misaligned a few XT60s when trying to solder 12 AWG but i see 14awg s the limit for biggest wire on that one. the 12awg took too long to get to temp and the cans misaligned first before it could solder.

using xt60 on 15Tmotor manta and the brushless setup when i get around to it. gonna pass down the 15t to the TD