(huge apology if this has been discussed before, but I could not find any such thread)
Hello,
My team has just invested into our first set of brush less motors (rev neo’s). We were planning on using quick connectors to connect the motors to the controllers (spark Max). We were wondering if connectors like MR60’s for example are approved by First, since we cant seem to find anything saying the were or weren’t.
The only rule regarding connectors (except for the battery connectors, which must be Anderson SB type per R609) is that they need to be appropriately sized and rated for the amount of current they are carrying (see R623). A lot of teams use Anderson Powerpoles, but teams also use connectors like XT60s.
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Good to hear, thank you!
Note the MR60 current rating is only 20A-30A continuous per pin (depending on what spec sheet you read), so you shouldn’t use them on paths that have 40A breakers. For 40A breakers I highly recommend using Anderson Powerpole connectors (good suppliers are AndyMark and PowerWerx).
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Powerwerx also has retention clips for Anderson connectors that can ensure that these only come apart when you want them to. Very handy and they make the whole system one of the best connectors going (which is the reason so many FRC teams use them.)
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Though the mr60’s that ive seen can go up to 40A, Ill take a good look at the powerpoles since they’ve been suggested a few times.
Just found some power poles lying around so that will be what we go with. Thanks for all the suggestions!
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Greetings. We have more than three seasons of NEO/SparkMAX use and we like the motor for what it is. Lots of torque and RPM, and it’s lite. However, The NEO is now a tier -2 choice when compared to the Falcon for the same selection criteria. If you can’t get a Falcon then I suggest the NEO/SparkMAX as a comparative/competitive option.
Our termination of choice for all of our motor/controller pairs is Anderson PowerPole 12-GA terminals. We stopped extending encoder wires two seasons ago after a really bad experience with encoder counts and the challenges swapping these motors in a timeout.
Our first mounting choice for the motor and the controller pair is such that we do not have to splice in additional wire lengths to complete the power or encoder connections. That may not be ideal for all situations.
Choosing the right motor for the job is half of the decision. The other half of your decision should be biased with: Can I change that part in a timeout?
Good luck.
Thank you for the thoughtful input!
We have carefully researched the specs and utility of the falcons vs neo and have reached the same conclusion. Unfortunately so have many other teams thus leaving us with neos or bust. Fortunately they are still a great motor.
As far as wiring goes we have wired them without any splicing of cam or encoder wire and plan to leave it as such after similar experience.
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