LeeHop

I've got a Telemaster with flaps and flaperons. Ok, it's overkill - I could Y-connect the ailerons and go with just flaps. Anyhow, every time I put the wing on I have to wrestle with the 4 connectors. Is there a better way? I'm thinking one big connector that everything plugs into. Maybe gluing the 4 from the receiver together and doing the same thing for those in the wing? Has anyone done something similar?
Tnx - LeeH

Acs_guitars

My Feedback: (3)

You could do exactly what you are saying to make 1 plug for all 4....
Start out by gluing the 4 stacked female ends togther with CA.
Then warm up a little vasaline to put on the ends of the male connectors and the entire glued 4-plug female connector.
Only dip the male plugs as far as the plug inserts into the female end.
Then plug the males into the females (be sure they are completely plugged in).
Apply a mixture of 5 min epoxy and micro balloons ONLY TO THE EXPOSED TOPS of the male plugs to glue them together. (epoxy alone would work too)
Once completely cured you can unplug the 4 plug connector you just made and clean of all the vasaline with denatured alcohol or a blast of electronics cleaner.

** I have only done this with 2 plugs, but I don't see why 4 would be any different.

The only problem you might run into is if one of the wires/connectors goes bad, all 4 will need to be replaced.

Campgems

An eaiser way is red, green, blue tape on matching plugs and the black will match that black remaining.

I am not a fan of ganged plugs as it is very easy to bend or push a pin trying to align 12 pins up at one time. I'm sure you have had plugs that didn't want to go to gether because one pin was a bit off. You can eaisly feel that and correct for it before you damage or push a pin. With the force required to plug four at a time, it would be easy to push a pin and not know it. Two at at time wouldn't be bad,

Don

airbusdrvr

Another drawback to gluing them together is what happens when a servo, servo extension, etc. needs to be replaced. I color code mine with tape like Campgems said.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I use tape or different colors of Testors paint on the leads.

pkoury

My Feedback: (7)

I use c-grid connectors made by MOLEX. I purchase them from Digi-Key they have several sizes up to 25 pin. They also sell a version with built in locking tabs. Go to http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...name=WM2904-ND this is the six pin female housing with latch. Scroll down to the link to the catalog page and you will see all the connector housings. You will need to buy both the male and female housings, the correct pins and a crimper. I also order the Futaba connector kits from www.radicalrc.com and make all my own extensions. If you have any questions let me know.

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

I use two Y's, flaps and aileron. Then tie a knot in the aileron wire. Plug the knot to knot.
Edwin

rctrax

I have latel [the last two planes I built] been building a set of contacts right into the wing saddle so when I bolt the wing on it automaticly makes contact with the servo contacts in the wing. It takes a little more time and effort to put it all together but when it's done it's really a great improvment over having to hold the wing and plug all the plugs together, sometimes quite difficult if there's a little wind. This way is very convient, when you bolt the wing on all conections all automaticly made.

LeeHop

Thanks to all who responded. Some good food for thought here.

rctrax: would like to see a picture of your built-in contacts!

pkoury: since the receiver connects all pos & neg on a bus (so I have heard), would it be possible to run just 1 pos & 1 neg wire from the receiver to the wing for all 4 servos? They would each have their own signal wire. Thus reducing the number of contacts to 6 (4 signals, 1 pos, 1 neg).

Regards - LeeH

rctrax

That's exactly what i did, making only four connections for a two servo setup and three for a single servo setup. I am not aquianted with what it takes to submit pictures so until I learn how I am afraid all I can do is to discribe it. My first attempt was rather crude but worked flawlessly so I proceded to refine the design. I simply made four brass strips and glued them onto the wing,soldering the respective servo wires to them then fashioned matching spring loaded contacts into the wing saddle to line up with the brass strips on the wing when bolting it on.

cutaway

4 signals, 1 pos, 1 neg

I'd upsize the +/- wires. 4 loads on skinny wire is a lot of voltage drop and resistance heating.

rctrax

It would need upsized wire only as far as the wing contacts[between rx and saddle contacts] as individual wires would then go to respective servos and ordinary sized wire would be adaquate. you would need only five contacts with flaps as both flap servos would be wy'ed together leaving one signal wire for flaps, one for right wing, one for left wing and one each for pos and neg.

rctrax

also you would almost never use all four at the same time thus it would be just two most of the time plus a momentary overlap if you happened to lower flaps at the same time you were using ailerons.