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How to Connect ESC to a LiPo Battery

Electric RC planes, boats and cars use batteries and Electronic Speed Controls (ESC) to control the motor. The ESC has two sets of leads, one runs to the motor, the other set to the battery pack. While it can be advantageous to solder the motor to the ESC, the same is not true for the battery. LiPo battery packs are rechargeable and need to be removed from the RC vehicle before charging. Some LiPo packs come with a connector already installed, others with nothing but a pair of wires.

Things You'll Need

Connector(s)
Soldering iron
Solder
Volt meter
Heat shrink tubing

Instructions

- 1
  Use your volt meter to determine which lead is positive and which is negative from the battery. If you reverse polarity to the ESC it will either damage the ESC or simply not work.
- 2
  Look at the wires attached to the ESC, there should be a + and - screened onto the board to indicate the proper polarity. Brushless ESC's will have three wires running to the motor and two wire to the battery, however, brushed ESC have two wires to each device. Be sure you are working with the battery wires.
- 3
  Select the type of connector you want to use, most hobbyist use Dean's connectors. There is a male end (has prongs protruding) and a female end (has sockets that accept the prongs) connectors. It is common to place the female connector on the battery and the male on the ESC.
- 4
  Strip about a quarter inch of insulation off each of the four wires. Place a 1-inch long piece of heat shrink tubing on each wire. Place the heat shrink as far from the bare end of wire as possible.
- 5
  Solder the connectors to the wires. Make sure the prongs and sockets align properly to keep the polarity correct. Once the solder has cooled slide the heat shrink tubing over the solder. Use a match or lighter or even your soldering iron to shrink the tubing tight.

Aviation