Motors came with copper wires? Is this normal? cheap build

[saleezy]

Hello friendly people of this forum!

I recently bought parts to build a cheap 180 quad so that I wouldn't mess up my main flyer flying it in questionable locations. My soldering skills are not too bad but im having an issue with these copper wires. I honestly didnt even think that motors came with copper. Here are the exact motors and ESCs from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/HOBBYMATE-Br...=8-1-fkmr2&keywords=hobbyking+esc+motors+1806 The casing on the motor wires is very stretchy and the lines are very thin regardless -- only 3 small wires twisted. They are Hobbyking 1806s.

They initial came with tinned silver wires at the end but when i cut to down to solder directly to the ESX, i noticed that some of the wires appear copper and don't really tin or stay to the solder very well. Take a look at this image from one of the soldering below. Not sure why, but only the CCW motors have the copper -- the CW motors are normal silver and soldered immediately.

Is there something I can do to get the solder to stick better? Right now im just making a big dot of solder and trying to stick these thing and cool it shut. Never seen this before... what do yall think? Is this normal? My PDB comes in the mail today so im hoping to test later this evening if I have some time to complete the build. Do yall think it will be OK...? I dont want to fry everything. I miss my red bottoms....

Here is the picture.

Thanks in advance yall! WOOOHOOO!

 

[JimCR120]

If you want solder to stick you need clean metal and you need the metal to heat the solder not just bringing hot solder into contact with metal. Do you have soldering flux?

 

[ElectriSean]

Flux is key, as well as the proper tip for the job.

 

[rockyboy]

Definitely get some paste flux. Makes life a whole lot easier. Here's my process for these:

Dip the wire tip in the flux - a little goes a long way - heat up the wire and apply a little solder to tin the end of the wire. Then get a little blob of solder on the ESC pad. Then hold the wire on the solder blob and apply heat for just long enough to get the tinned wire end to merge with the little solder blob.

If you do put flux on a circuit board, before powering up you'll need to clean it off with isopropyl alcohol (ketchup or other slightly acidic liquid also works according to Wilsonman's tip). Too much flux paste left near little surface mount chips can short out a board. Ask me how I learned this. :black_eyed:

 

[saleezy]

Awesome yall! Thanks for the tip! I normally do that process -- tin the ends and tin the pads and then just heat them together but I was unable to properly tin the copper and get it to do that so I was just trying to stick it in to the solder I dont have a separate flux stick or anything so ill have to pick one up on the way home from work and give it a try. The only flux im working with is the 60/40 solder im using.

Ill pick up a flux stick and see how that helps! Thanks again!

 

[zoltron55]

flux is your friend I wipe down the joint with alcohol after no corrosion problems

 

[mikeporterinmd]

A number of motors use epoxy coated wire, too. Every time I have had trouble getting resin core solder to stick to generally clean, small wire, it was epoxy covered. Some of the Emax motors use epoxy coated wire. Use an X-acto blade to scrape off the epoxy. You don't have to get it 100%, just pretty close. All the other tips for using resin may also apply.

Mike

 

[TEAJR66]

A number of motors use epoxy coated wire, too. Every time I have had trouble getting resin core solder to stick to generally clean, small wire, it was epoxy covered. Some of the Emax motors use epoxy coated wire. Use an X-acto blade to scrape off the epoxy. You don't have to get it 100%, just pretty close. All the other tips for using resin may also apply.

Mike

Yes. The wires are similar to the wire winding in alternators. They are enamel coated for insulation. Otherwise the wire winding would be a shorted copper blob.

Use your knife to lightly scrape the ends of the wire till they are shiny. This will only take one or two passes per side. If possible, rotate the wire and scrape again. The more shiny copper you expose, the better the solder will stick. Do be careful, they are fragile.

 

[cranialrectosis]

Enamel coated wires like these used to be all we got in the small sizes like 1806 and 2204. You can sand, scrape or burn the enamel off but you MUST remove it to get a good solder connection. Flux is key.

I burn it off with a chisel tip iron until the enamel turns black and comes off in gobs.

Failure to remove the enamel often results in motor 'jitters'. Pushing jittery motors may result in smoked motor or ESC.

The reek of burnt enamel goes away pretty quickly. The stink of burnt motor lasts for days.

 

[makattack]

I use a lighter and rubbing alcohol to burn off the enamel, but do be careful with that if you go that route