In the RC hobby, the proper combination of wires, connectors, and batteries is crucial as it determines the amount of current delivered to the ESC and motor, ultimately affecting the performance of your RC models.
Below, we will provide information on commonly used wire gauges and RC connectors, including important details about their current handling capacities. Based on this information, we will offer recommendations for the optimal pairing of these three components.
Wire Gauge Chart
| AWG | Continuous Current | IR |
| 8AWG | 209.5A | 4.2 Ohm/km |
| 10AWG | 140.6A | 6.3 Ohm/km |
| 12AWG | 88.4A | 9.8 Ohm/km |
| 14AWG | 55.6A | 15.6 Ohm/km |
| 16AWG | 35A | 24.4 Ohm/km |
| 18AWG | 22A | 39.5 Ohm/km |
| 20AWG | 13.87A | 62.5 Ohm/km |
| 22AWG | 8.73A | 88.6 Ohm/km |
| 24AWG | 5A | 97.6 Ohm/km |
| 26AWG | 3.5A | 123 Ohm/km |
| 28AWG | 1.25A | 227.2 Ohm/km |
Tips:
- The larger the wire gauge number, the thinner the wire, resulting in higher internal resistance and a lower current-handling capacity.
- Wires can handle short bursts of overcurrent, but prolonged overcurrent can cause them to overheat and even melt the insulation.
- Due to differences in manufacturing materials, the above data may have some variation.
RC Connector Type Chart
| Connector | Max. Wire Gauge | Continuous Current | Burst Current |
| Micro Deans-T | 20AWG | 10A | 15A |
| Deans-T | 10AWG | 40A | 60A |
| XT30 | 16AWG | 15A | 30A |
| XT60 | 12AWG | 40A | 70A |
| XT90 | 10AWG | 60A | 100A |
| QS8 | 8AWG | 110A | 500A |
| EC2 | 14AWG | 20A | 40A |
| EC3 | 12AWG | 60A | 75A |
| EC5 | 10AWG | 120A | 150A |
| IC2 | 14AWG | 20A | 40A |
| IC3 | 12AWG | 60A | 75A |
| IC5 | 10AWG | 120A | 150A |
| TRX (Traxxas) | 10AWG | 30A | 60A |
| Tamiya | 12AWG | 40A | 60A |
| Tamiya Mini | 14AWG | 10A | 30A |
| PH2.0 (JST-PHR-2P) | 18AWG | 3A | 4A |
| JST-SYP-2P | 18AWG | 3A | 4A |
| JST-XHR-4P | 20AWG | 3A | 5A |
| Molex (Molex-51005-2P) | 22AWG | 2A | 3A |
| Banana (2.0mm) | 18AWG | 10A | 20A |
| Banana (4.0mm) | 12AWG | 30A | 45A |
| XT150 | 8AWG | 80A | 120A |
| AS150 | 10AWG | 100A | 150A |
| GNB27 | 18AWG | 9A | 15A |
| A30 | 20AWG | 9A | 15A |
| BT2.0 | 22AWG | 9A | 15A |
The above includes most of the connectors used in the RC hobby. You can flexibly pair them according to the actual current requirements. It is recommended not to exceed the Max. Wire Gauge, as wires that are too thick can be difficult to solder.
The Best Pairing of Wire, Connector, and Battery
The type of wire and connector paired with an RC battery depends on the battery’s actual continuous discharge current and burst discharge current.
- Continuous Discharge Current = Battery Capacity (Ah) x Discharge Rate (C) x 1/2
- Burst Discharge Current = Battery Capacity (Ah) x Discharge Rate (C)
In practice, measuring the current of a battery typically requires specialized testing equipment. If you don’t have access to such equipment, you can estimate the required wire gauge based on the scale of the RC model. Here are some guidelines:
1/5 to 1/8 scale RC cars usually use 10 AWG wire, with some high-power RC cars using 8 AWG wire. 1/10 to 1/12 scale RC cars typically use 10 to 12 AWG wire. 1/16 to 1/18 scale RC cars generally use 14 to 18 AWG wire.