Installing the electrics

[colt_seavers]

I have been building my DEX 410R since mid-July (!) and am now at the stage where I am ready to fit the electrics. I am seriously lacking confidence when it comes to this as I have no idea how to solder. I have watched online videos etc, but don't really feel good about taking the iron to my new Tekin ESC/motor.

What is the best approach? Should I solder the wires onto the motor before fitting it in the car as the tabs are going to be at an awkward angle?

I think I have settled on the layout (Tekin ESC and small KO receiver help), but I am concerned about the soldering procedure.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Sometimes I think it would be nice if I could just pay someone to do it for me but that is defeating the object I suppose as I have got this far on my own! Plus I don't know who I could pay!

[grapejuice]

Have you looked at the "Electrical Install Pics" thread? Take a look at that and see how people are running their wires and decide how you want to run them. I have my motor positioned so that I can solder it in the car but still have the wires go under the drive shaft to the esc.
As for soldering, do you have a good quality iron? Soldering is much easy with a quality iron and find something to practice on first like a battery connector before you do the esc/motor if you are worried about messing it up.

[colt_seavers]

I have a gas soldering iron coming from Nimrod Direct - they were mentioned in another thread on soldering irons so I thought I would give it a try. I ordered some 60/40 solder too, although some people seem to think 63/37 is better (I am on research overload!)

I've looked at the Electric Installs thread and I am quite settled on the layout, but it looks like the motor tabs could be tricky if I have the motor in place to start with.

One other thing I have been thinking about is the servo. Should I try to hook up the servo before finally installing the electrics? I say this because it might not be centred and by connecting it up I assume it will automatically centre itself. If it's not centred I will need to rotate the servo horn to a suitable place which will be impossible once the electrics are in situ...

[brooksy]

When your soldering the hotter the better for the iron, if you have a low watt iron it will take longer for the wire and the tab to warm. The heat will then move through the wire and could damage your esc.
Use flux aswell if you have some,the solder will take quicker.
As for the servo,center if first,then put the horn on before fitting it. That way you don't have to keep taking it in and out of the car.

[slowjun]

If you are not that sure of your soldering skills, back in college when we are soldering IC's to the Circuit Board, one trick we normally do is get an alligator clip and attached it to the leg pins of the IC so that when we apply the solder to the pins, the heat of the gun will transfer to the clip and not to the IC.

Do not prolong the gun to the ESC.... see to it that the gun is hot enough to melt the lead , apply a small solder to the ESC and the tip of the Gun and also the wires... place the wire (with soldered applied on the exposed wires) then placing the wire in between your ring and middlee finger (an extra set of hand may be needed ahahha) and the lead on your index and thumb, apply heat on the the wire while slowly applying lead on the wire (esc and wire) the lead will slowly spread to the ESC poles when solder lead is melted correctly. Once you see the lead spreading to the ESC poles, you can now back down on the gun/iron.

better to practice first before you do it on your esc.....