Deans solder okay?

I am unsure if this is the right way people solder the deans connectors. It seems like the little ball of solder might pop off, but so far it didn't budge with pliers.

I planned to tin the leads, then the wire, and press them together with the iron.

Should I sand the surfaces on the connectors first?

Yup. See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZU9rtACdZY

The only thing he did wrong in that video is he failed to use additional flux when he pressed the wire onto the connector. You need to do that or you may get a dry joint (a weak joint without good electrical contact).

Also: Danger! Danger! Your solder blobs are dull and oxidized. They should be bright and shiny like in the video. If they are not you are doing it wrong. Use more flux and less contact time with the iron. Is your iron too weak? Note the advice of a 40 W iron in the video.

When soldering, a powerful iron for a short time is always preferable to a weak iron for a long time.

Good thing to know. I have a 40W weller with adjustable temperature. I lowered the temperature to avoid possibly melting the plastic.

I am finally now using some 63/37 tin/lead rosin core solder. I just touched the iron on the opposite side of the lead, then quickly pushed the solder wire onto the lead. I saw the flux sort of run (clear yellow) and create a coating over the joint. Next time I will use full power

kuksul08 said:

I am finally now using some 63/37 tin/lead rosin core solder. I just touched the iron on the opposite side of the lead, then quickly pushed the solder wire onto the lead. I saw the flux sort of run (clear yellow) and create a coating over the joint. Next time I will use full power

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No, that is not right. Remember what I told you in another post how you should put the solder wire between the iron and the lead? That is important as it is the molten solder that helps to conduct the heat from the iron to the work. You need to make a triangle with the tip of the iron, the part to be tinned, and the solder wire as the three sides. As soon as the solder wire melts, push it into the gap until enough solder has flowed (should be just a few seconds) and then remove the iron and the solder wire at the same time.

Mr Happy said:

No, that is not right. Remember what I told you in another post how you should put the solder wire between the iron and the lead? That is important as it is the molten solder that helps to conduct the heat from the iron to the work. You need to make a triangle with the tip of the iron, the part to be tinned, and the solder wire as the three sides. As soon as the solder wire melts, push it into the gap until enough solder has flowed (should be just a few seconds) and then remove the iron and the solder wire at the same time.

Click to expand...

I didn't even remember that In my experience it seems like when I touch the solder to the tip of the iron, it just smokes and gets all over the tip of the iron.

So let me get this straight. This is how it should look from the side?



excuse my weak paint skills :nana:

Thanks for the help once again :wave:

Yes, like MrHappy said, you need to use a bit of solder to act as a heat tranfser bridge between your iron and the part to be soldered. Also, make sure your soldering iron tip is really clean and tin it with a bit of solder. If the solder doesn't flow evenly over the tip of your iron, the tip is still too dirty. A bit of Scotchbright can help here to remove any crud.

One thing I like to do before soldering the Deans connectors (and especially the aftermarket versions) is to mate the pair of connectors together first. Then solder the wires to whichever half of the plug you're using. This keeps the terminals of the connectors in aligment... otherwise, the heated terminals (legs) can easily melt the plastic and "lean". Doing it with them connected maintains the alignment, making connecting and disconnecting them easier afterwards.

FlashCrazy said:

Yes, like MrHappy said, you need to use a bit of solder to act as a heat tranfser bridge between your iron and the part to be soldered. Also, make sure your soldering iron tip is really clean and tin it with a bit of solder. If the solder doesn't flow evenly over the tip of your iron, the tip is still too dirty. A bit of Scotchbright can help here to remove any crud.

One thing I like to do before soldering the Deans connectors (and especially the aftermarket versions) is to mate the pair of connectors together first. Then solder the wires to whichever half of the plug you're using. This keeps the terminals of the connectors in aligment... otherwise, the heated terminals (legs) can easily melt the plastic and "lean". Doing it with them connected maintains the alignment, making connecting and disconnecting them easier afterwards.

Click to expand...

Great idea


I just tried the proper way on a couple. Definitely the solder flowed to the edges of the lead more evenly, and they are all nice and shiny now. Sweet

Wiping the tip frequently on a small, damp sponge pad works wonders to keep the tip clean. My Hakko station iron rest came with one built in. Just wet and go.

Worst part is that lead solder is being phased out. The new lead free stuff melts at higher temperatures and stay plastic too long so you can end up with a crumbly joint and the high temps means you're more likely to melt the deans if you're not good at soldering. But you really shouldn't need additional flux if you have a clean surface and are using flux core solder. Especially if it's gold plated since gold doesn't oxidize.

When I said use additional flux it was because in the video I linked to he put a blob of solder on the wire, a blob of solder on the Dean's, and then pushed the two blobs together with the iron. In that case I would prefer to add a bit of additional flux before making the final join since the original flux from the cores will have been lost when making the solder blobs.

kuksul08 said:

Should I sand the surfaces on the connectors first?

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Never sand Deans connectors, they are gold plated for ease of soldering. When using flux core solder never use additional flux. Flux acts as a cleaner and needs to be burned away. The U-Tube video is the proper way to make these connections.

A dull, granulated connection is known as a "Cold" not a dry connection. The connections in your picture are "Cold" connections, they are not oxidized. They look like solder pools glued with flux to the connector. Reheat the connectors, let the flux burn away and they will be fine.

A damp sponge or towel (Old one) is necessary to keep the soldering iron tip clean and free of of burnt flux and oxidation. The tip should always be shiney when soldering.

Lead free electronic solders require more heat and are best suited to automated assembly. For manual/hobby soldering with standard equipment, lead alloy solder will work best.

Hope this helps.