This description of how we wired our converted Twin 4-Star 40. See the accompanying
article: “How a Four Star 40 Became an Electric Twin.
Note: If you can find a three-way all-male plug commercially available, use it
instead of fabricating the two-way as we did here. See below.
here are several different ways to wire twins. This is only one of them. It is the
setup we used on our
This, of course, implies that the ESCs and batteries have male plugs.
The two motors are paralleled using a three-way plug. The same for paralleling the
batteries. These three-way plugs consist one female and two male ends. The harness
from the motors and ESCs (located in the wing) lead back to the fuselage where
the batteries are locate.
Note: In most cases if wires must be lengthened, it is better to lengthen the wires
leading from the motors to the ESC, rather than as we have it here–from the ESCs
to the batteries. However, in this case the wires leading from the ESCs to the batteries
are only 11-½ inches long. According to THE authority (Astro Bob of Astro Electronics)
12 inches is ok. Long wires leading from the ESCs to the batteries result in undesirable
inductance.
However, we have used wires up to 18 inches with no problem. But, then, we always use big-amp OPTO coupled ESCs.
You can connect the two harnesses by soldering up a plus and minus wiring harness with a male plug on each end. Or, as we did, make a two-way male plug. It makes for fewer wires and is more compact. Three-way plugs are available from Atlanta Hobbies, but we have searched everywhere for a supplier of two-way plugs. No luck! So, we make our own.
When you solder these two male plugs together, if you will place a narrow strip of cardboard between the connector prongs, you will run less risk of getting solder on both. After the soldering is complete fill with epoxy and shrink wrap to prevent shorting.
Wiring
The Twin 4-Star 40
This fabricated two-way male plug was later filled with epoxy and shrink wrapped to prevent shorting.
conversion of the famous 4-Star 40 to an electric twin. The photo below pretty well tells it all, except that we do not always use two batteries; depends on the aircraft. Note first of all that both harnesses, the one from the motors and ESCs (shown on the left in the photo), and the one coming from the batteries, both have female Dean plugs.
