So... Why aren't my Deans plugs melting?

[FighterCat57]

Am I reading this right that you have been using the deans in cars at 100A? There is a big difference in the discharge between cars and boats, I run 1/8th scale cars as well as boats and having datalogged both I can say they are not at all comparable, while my cars pull 120A peaks that peak lasts less than half a second and then it steadies to a decreasing burst for as long as the throttle is held and there are frequent periods of no throttle at all, so the average amp draw is about 25A, in boats set up for the same 120A peaks the peaks are much more frequent and the whole run is the burst either not lifting off for the entire run or just lifting for a split second twice per lap depending on the hull, I will average about 80A putting over 3 times the load on the connectors.

I guess the context might be confusing a little since I referenced my cars in this. The original question is asking why the Deans connectors don't get hot or melt in my boats pulling 139+ amps peak on 10 minute runs. Don't know the constant, my meter only holds peak and current, but can't be more than 50-60c, that's all the packs are rated for.

Curious why they have held up so well.

One thing they do really fast here though is turn green from the moist salt air. Anything with positive ionization starts to grow in minutes around here...

I'm most likely going to use a dielectric grease on the bullets to help prevent this.
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American Dad! Dicussion

[NativePaul]

10 minute runs are the key here, what capacity batteries are you using? if you running 5000mah 1p a 10 minute run is only an average of 30A if your running 5000mah in 2p for a total of 10,000mAh its still only 60A, just within the spec of deans.

The patina forming may just be the chinese deans gold plating being too thin and getting scrapped off, you might find actual deans have a thicker layer of gold and last you longer, gold itself is inert and wont oxidize under any conditions, which is why it is used for connectors despite its cost and poorer conductivity compared to the cheaper alternatives, silver and copper.

[FighterCat57]

Oddly enough the cheap knock offs don't develop the patina as the genuine ones do... and it's not on the gold portion rather the spring where the two dissimilar metals join. The genuine deans use a different material on their female plug, the knock offs use gold on both sides.

The oxidation caused by the dissimilar metals combined with sodium ions magnify the cation production in this oxidation-reduction reaction. Creating a beautiful patina growth...

Cool stuff. I love Chemsitry...
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FORD MOTOR COMPANY LAMP FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS

[NativePaul]

While I can't condone theft of intelectual property, sometimes a knock off is better than a rip off.

[FighterCat57]

While I can't condone theft of intelectual property, sometimes a knock off is better than a rip off.

I'm watching quite a bit of "higher quality than the original" copies coming from China in recent years. It seems the products they make for US companies are less quality and higher price than the copies they make (steal) and sell themselves.

... just an observation...

PS- I bought the knock offs, not knowing they were knock offs. I just saw the words Deans Ultra, most of the site was in Chinese!
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RACING

[JohnZ]

I'm watching quite a bit of "higher quality than the original" copies coming from China in recent years. It seems the products they make for US companies are less quality and higher price than the copies they make (steal) and sell themselves.

... just an observation...

PS- I bought the knock offs, not knowing they were knock offs. I just saw the words Deans Ultra, most of the site was in Chinese!

I'm surprised the label didn't say "great happiness and success" type connectors

[FighterCat57]

Ah, close grasshoppa!

It said, "Many Connector, Many Happiness"
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Marijuana test

[JohnZ]

Ah, close grasshoppa!

It said, "Many Connector, Many Happiness"

[Krusher]

I would reason with the Chemist's (FighterCat57) observation about oxidation. The Deans plugs have less surface area and as long as you keep them very clean, you're fine. From a resistance measurement in another thread, pulling 120A on a Deans is only 1.3 Watts of power loss in the plug. (P=I^2*R).

But, if that connector gets dirty, the power goes up, and the plug melts. Keep it clean!

[Simon.O.]

I have run deans style connectors a lot and still use them for my RC Crawler and slow boats. I have tested a few to destruction with a hilux ( forerunner ) starter motor too !! I did that just to see if they could.
IMO if you want to run this type of connector then they are fine for about 80A max
They begin to degrade at this amperage though so best to run them a bit lower.
These are my findings and some folk have a lot more success with them.

Below is photo of a lot of deans type plugs ! There are some 4mm bullets in the mix too, from the divider out of the esc to the motors.
This is in my new FERV. FE Recovery vessel.

[FighterCat57]

Ha! I finally did it!!!

OK, it took an 80c (120c burstable) setup to finally melt a connector!

No problem on 60c (80c burstable), but 80c was over the top.

Many happy many melted. =)

Up until now, I've been quite disappointed that they were not melting. I had expected them to melt in a 60c setup.

[vasy]

Wow crazy. I run my "deans" made in china at 70-80 constant draw and no melting yet.
Will try to do more and will see :)

[crabstick]

by C are you meaning amps ?

[FighterCat57]

Wow crazy. I run my "deans" made in china at 70-80 constant draw and no melting yet.
Will try to do more and will see :)

Yeah, this was a 10 gauge 4 x 3s1p 20-30c harness hooked up to a 180a/Castle setup.

The only reason I had it on there was to run the amp meter. Which peaks at 139a, so isn't much use anyway.


OT- has anyone used the HK polyquest connectors?

I had a set of 5.5's that came on a set of Turnigy cells and they quickly eroded, like the plating was very thin. see attachment

If these are the Polyquest connectors, then I'm probably not going to use them.

[FighterCat57]

by C are you meaning amps ?

Yeah, the C rating on the cell packs. I was using four 3s 20c packs in parallel.