My first build

Aborn

Active Member
I'm building this http://www.instructables.com/id/Inexpensive-Wooden-Tri-copter/

And i ordered the 3 Motors

But im not sure about what i need according to connectors and wires


This is what i have for now
I upgraded the battery from:
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__8851__ZIPPY_Flightmax_3000mAh_3S1P_20C_.html

To:
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=7634

Will that work?


So this is what i got but i still need wires, battery connectors, bullet connectors and maybe more idk i hope someone can help me with that
 

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That battery should be fine since it's the same number of cells and same discharge rating. The extra mAh should get you a bit more flight time, but it's also going to add weight, so it's not going to be as much as you think. Also, with the added weight, the copter may be slower/ less agile, but that's probably a good thing if you're just starting out - and I doubt it will even be noticeable.

I think you have the wrong connectors.

The battery uses 4mm bullet connectors according to the comments on that page (and that size normally would use 16awg wire/ 4mm connectors. The motors are almost for sure going to need 3.5mm bullet connectors. They may come with connectors already on them, but the ESC's most likely won't.

From your setup, I'm seeing:

Battery - 16awg wire/ 4mm bullet connectors (one female, one male) *if you go with the original battery, it has deans or T connectors. You could always cut those off and replace with bullet if you prefer.
ESC to Power - 12awg wire (x2), no connectors installed - use 3.5mm bullet connectors
ESC to Motor - 12awg wire (x3), no connectors installed. - use 3.5 bullet connectors
Motor to ESC - 12awg wire (x3), many motors come with all male 3.5mm bullet connectors installed, but if not, you can do them yourself.

You're going to need:

1. 4mm bullet connectors with protectors (the protectors with male/female).

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__9283__HXT_4mm_Gold_Connector_w_Protector_10pcs_set_.html

This is only for the battery to power spider connection, but you want a whole pack to be safe in case you mess up. Also, the "protectors" need to go on before you solder on the connectors. You can slide them up the wire, then snap them back into place once the connectors are on. Alternatively, you can save yourself a lot of time and soldering by going with one of these:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...ullet_Multistar_ESC_Power_Breakout_Cable.html

If you go that route, you'll need to plan ahead to make sure all your wires will have enough length so you don't have to extend them. This could be tricky since batteries and ESCs don't always list the length of their wires in their specs.

OR you could do something like this:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...King_Quadcopter_Power_Distribution_Board.html

If you do that, you'll still need the 4mm connectors because you'll have to chop off the deans connector and replace it.

2. 3.5mm bullet connectors with protectors (or without protectors). You'll be using these for ESC to power and ESC to motor connections. You'll most likely use heat shrink rather than "protectors", so you can get them without protectors instead to save a few cents. You could use the protectors though - it's up to you. You'll just have to make sure to get the right male/female combinations for your setup.

3. 12 and 16 awg wire. I like the silicon wire from either HobbyKing or RC Timer. You can probably get away with a meter of each size in any color, but you may want to get a meter of red and a meter of black in each size so you don't confuse power connections. You can also buy spools of silicon wire from other places.

4. Heat Shrink - I think you'll need 4mm for 3.5 connectors. I'm not 100% sure though - I buy a lot of different sizes and just eyeball them to see which one will fit over the connector. 4 should slide right over a 3.5 though and the wire is much smaller. You'll need a heat gun to get this to shrink. A lighter also works. Heat guns are $10 at Harbor Freight.
 
So this is all i need right?

I though i wont need the wires since i bought the cable thingy

So if i have all this will i be able to build and fly it?

And btw it says it will cost 88 $ in shipping .......
 

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What country are you in? If in the USA, you might want to see if some of these parts are available in the USA warehouse. Also, you could find stuff with similar specs at RCTimer. Their prices are a bit higher, but shipping is much, much lower. It's really just a balancing act to find the cheapest price + shipping. Sometimes I order things from multiple warehouses at HK or even multiple websites in order to get it for the least price.

Also, look at the shipping option. Sometimes they suggest a more expensive shipping option. There may be one cheaper in there. It will take longer, but most of the delay is in customs and whatnot, so it's usually not significantly longer than the more expensive options. It's really hit or miss though - sometimes it takes a week and sometimes it takes multiple weeks to receive items.

Is the charger you're getting the one with a PSU? If not, you'll need to buy one separately. Sometimes they don't come with them, so make sure it does. Also, the charge cables you're buying don't look like they're for bullet connectors. The charger comes with a cable for deans connectors. you can probably cut that off and put bullet connectors on it. Or find one that has bullet connectors. That one is for xt60 connectors. The 4mm banana plugs on it are what plug into the charger.

Also, if you're buying the power distribution board, you don't need the breakout cable. It is essentially the same thing. With power distribution, you have some options: power distribution board (either integrated into the frame or separate), power spider (build yourself by soldering all the wires together), or pre-built breakout cable. You only need one of these though.

Also, your battery has bullet connectors, not xt60 - so you'd need this one if you went with the breakout cable:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...ullet_Multistar_ESC_Power_Breakout_Cable.html

You should probably buy some 16awg wire just in case you need to extend anything. From the battery to the power board, you should be good, but to be safe, I'd grab some 16 gauge wire in case your ESC or motor cables aren't long enough to reach. Better to spend 2-3 bucks now than wait 2-3 weeks for a part if you need it.

The other thing is that for your motor to esc connections, you'll need 9 (3x3) 3.5mm female and 9 male connectors. So make sure you'll get that many and some extras. I think the ones you have listed come with 5 pairs x3 male and 3 female, so you should be good.
 
Hobby King stuff always comes in and out of stock. A lot of times, you can find similar stuff on Ebay or from other vendors. Just make sure the specs match. Every time I've ever planned out a copter based on HK parts, I've always ran into stuff that was out of stock. You could also check other warehouses. Search for whatever you're looking for and add "NL Warehouse" to your search. You can also choose your country as Denmark and it will show you stuff from that warehouse.

The cable you added was an xt60 connection for the battery, not a 4mm bullet. You'd have to cut it off and replace it. The wires are also not as thick to the battery. That shouldn't be a big issue though.

If the one Is originally sent is out of stock, you can buy this one:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...ullet_Multistar_ESC_Power_Breakout_Cable.html

And just not use the fourth connection.
 
Looks good, but a couple of things:

1. Do you have a receiver for your transmitter?
2. You don't need the xt60 to 3 x 3.5mm connector
3. I assume you ordered the other motors and will be building the frame from scratch.
 
I got the receiver out of the helicopter and it looks like it will work

And the cable well guess i forgot to remove it

And yes i will build the frame

And yes i ordered the motors

Oh yeah and i added a bit of 4mm heat shrink
 
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