Most multicopters use ESCs that do not have a BEC, which saves space and weight (and the red wire).

Instead they use a single BEC, usually built into a power distribution board (PDB) that can be stacked under the flight controller.

It's also increasingly common to integrate 4 ESCs and the BEC on one board, replacing the PDB.

If you have ESCs with built-in BECs, the usual practice is to only connect one of them.

You're correct that connecting them in series would provide far too much voltage, but it's not a good idea to connect them in parallel either (and connecting them all to the + and - pads of the flight controller would be a parallel connection).

You can either cut the red wire in the other servo plugs, or pull the pin out of the plug after lifting the retaining tab with the tip of a knife. In either case you should ensure the exposed wire can't touch the frame or any other electronics and cause a short circuit. If you're soldering the servo wires, you could remove the red wire entirely.

The reason for this is that BECs are active devices that adjust their output based on demand, and they aren't designed to be connected in parallel.

Anecdotally, I've tried paralleling BECs, and it seems to work but just one BEC will provide plenty of power and you risk a voltage fluctuation that causes the receiver or flight controller to reboot in flight, which could easily cause a crash.

Most multicopters use ESCs that do not have a BEC, which saves space and weight (and the red wire).

Instead they use a single BEC, usually built into a power distribution board (PDB) that can be stacked under the flight controller.

It's also increasingly common to integrate 4 ESCs and the BEC on one board, replacing the PDB.

If you have ESCs with built-in BECs, the usual practice is to only connect one of them.

You're correct that connecting them in series would provide far too much voltage, but it's not a good idea to connect them in parallel either (and connecting them all to the + and - pads of the flight controller would be a parallel connection).

You can either cut the red wire in the other servo plugs, or pull the pin out of the plug after lifting the retaining tab with the tip of a knife. In either case you should ensure the exposed wire can't touch the frame or any other electronics and cause a short circuit. If you're soldering the servo wires, you could remove the red wire entirely.

The reason for this is that most modern BECs are active 'switching' devices that adjust their output based on demand, and they aren't designed to be connected in parallel. Older BECs used linear regulators which could be paralleled. Linear BECs are usually only rated for 1amp, and comes with a warning that you should limit yourself to two servos when running from a 3s LiPo. If your ESC has a 3amp or larger BEC, it's a switching BEC.

Anecdotally, I've tried paralleling BECs, and it seems to work but just one BEC will provide plenty of power and you risk a voltage fluctuation that causes the receiver or flight controller to reboot in flight, which could easily cause a crash.

Most multicopters use ESCs that do not have a BEC, which saves space and weight (and the red wire).

Instead they use a single BEC, usually built into a power distribution board (PDB) that can be stacked under the flight controller.

It's also increasingly common to integrate 4 ESCs and the BEC on one board, replacing the PDB.

Most multicopters use ESCs that do not have a BEC, which saves space and weight (and the red wire).

Instead they use a single BEC, usually built into a power distribution board (PDB) that can be stacked under the flight controller.

It's also increasingly common to integrate 4 ESCs and the BEC on one board, replacing the PDB.

If you have ESCs with built-in BECs, the usual practice is to only connect one of them.

You're correct that connecting them in series would provide far too much voltage, but it's not a good idea to connect them in parallel either (and connecting them all to the + and - pads of the flight controller would be a parallel connection).

You can either cut the red wire in the other servo plugs, or pull the pin out of the plug after lifting the retaining tab with the tip of a knife. In either case you should ensure the exposed wire can't touch the frame or any other electronics and cause a short circuit. If you're soldering the servo wires, you could remove the red wire entirely.

The reason for this is that BECs are active devices that adjust their output based on demand, and they aren't designed to be connected in parallel.

Anecdotally, I've tried paralleling BECs, and it seems to work but just one BEC will provide plenty of power and you risk a voltage fluctuation that causes the receiver or flight controller to reboot in flight, which could easily cause a crash.