Deans Connectors Vs Tamiya Connectors

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April 20, 2015

Are Deans connectors better than Tamiya connectors? The answer is yes; but then the million dollar question is why? The question does not necessarily involve the connector types themselves, but rather the concept of electrical flow and resistance. Your gun is just a small electrical circuit and your battery is the power source. When you pull the trigger, the contacts are closing the circuit and drawing energy from the battery to spin the motor. In this article I will go deeper into this concept, and the concept of resistance.

In layman’s terms, resistance is how easy (or hard) it is for the electrical signal to move from battery to motor. If you have a high resistance, then the electrical current will have a hard time moving, and vice-versa. The goal in airsoft guns is to eliminate resistance, which will increase rate of fire. There are many points in your airsoft gun that cause resistance: trigger contacts, selector plate (depending on your gun style), wires, and connectors (including motor). The more energy your motor can pull, the faster it will spin; simple as that.

Have you ever bought a gun and noticed that the wires are fairly small (as in thin)? It is all about being inexpensive for the consumer, so companies do not use expensive wire. Most wire that comes with stock guns is 18-20awg (gauge) wire, while in custom-built guns most people will use 14-16awg wire. The lower the gauge of the wire, the bigger the wire. The small wire has a higher resistance, and is limiting the current from the battery to the motor.

Aside from re-wiring your entire gun, changing the connector is a quick and easy way to reduce some resistance in your gun. If you visually compare the two connectors seen below, you will notice that the Deans (right) has a much larger surface area for the connector, resulting in a better contact area.

So what will changing to Deans actually do for your gun? If you were to compare the two using a 9.6v battery, you will notice 1-3 rounds per second increase when using Deans. That may not seem like a lot, but for not touching any internals of your gun that is pretty significant. This example can also show you how reducing resistance can add up. You will eventually see diminishing returns as you begin to replace parts because you will be reaching the max potential of your electrical system. If you are handy with a soldering iron, or you know an electrical professional, then I would always recommend changing to Deans.

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