ORIGINAL: chemie
The wing in a 60-size build (GP Extra) I plan to build is long enough that the existing wire on the servo (for the ailerons; 11" wire) will not reach to the exit hole at the wing center (about 16" on the plans). I see two options:
1. A single extension which runs to the Rx. However, I will need to plug it in every time and I am worried about breaking a pin if I fat finger it one time and that's a $100 ouch.
2. Use two extensions. One to get to the outside of the wing; the other to get from Rx to the wing saddle area. Is there an issue with either total length or having too many connections?
What is best solution?
Your #2 is what I use. The total length, is related to wire gage. If you have a long run, use a heaver gage extention. It really isn't an issue though unless you are flying the big guys win 150+ in/oz digitals.
I use some button thread to lace the extention to the servo. It add about 0.1 grams to the weight. You don't really need it other than pulling the wire through the wing may unplug it if you pull to hard.
The idea of the short extentions off the receiver is also what I do. Little 4" ones. Being an old computer repairman, big iron from the 60's throught early 90's, pluging cycles on circuit cards was an issue. Seeing as our pins on the receiver are just like the pins we plugged our cards onto, the continuious pluging and unpluging that takes place with our aileron and flap servo extentions would start to wear the pins in the receiver if you pluged into the receiver every time. The extentions from the receiver do two things, The make pluging the aileron servos easier, and they spare the reciver from all the pluggin and unplugging. If the pin or socket on the extentions wear, you are out a few bucks, less if you crimp on new ends, vs a repair to your receiver that may excede the value of the receiver.
By the way, I use four small cable ties for my color coding of the extentions. A black and a white one. Match the colors and you are done. Again less than a gram additional weight. I'm not a fan of tape as it leaves a lot of goo on things. I pulled the aileron servos out of an older pattern plane I bought the the builder and wrapped the servo leads and extentions in masking tape at each rib, then glued the tape to the ribs. What a nightmare it was to get that out of the wings. The extentions were trash as there was a lot of leftover glue that I couldn't get off. Always think about a repair or replacement of a servo when you are installing them.
Don