Re: Battery connections

[Waldmeister]

connecting a battery to MP3 - will that work? I assume I can just squeeze the power cords onto the cable using a pair of tongs? I know this post may seem silly - just don't wanna mess things up...

Second, I was wondering if I'd have to disconnect the controller from the battery when charging?
More dumb questions still to come unless I will find the answer to them in previous posts.

[Bikemad]

Hi andto the forum.

Unless you use the correct crimping tool for the Anderson connectors, you will end up with a much better joint if you solder the wires instead.

Soldering the wires also allows the connector to be reused at a later date if you want to replace or upgrade the wiring.

As long as your battery is switched off, you can charge it with the power lead connected if you wish.

Alan
 

[Waldmeister]

Awesome - thanks for the advice!
I was promising more dumb questions, so here we go:
What about soldering AND crimping it with a regular pair of tongs (just a little)? Crimping tools seem to be deadexpensive... I reckon I won't need any special solder, will I? 

I've never really gotten into electronics, I'll let you know about the outcomes of my rookie project.

Oh by the way, my battery doesn't have a switch, so I best disconnect before charging, don't I?


 

[Morgen 3Eman]

When I was a troubleshooter (I guess I still am), 80-85% of all the problems I resolved were due to poor electromechanical connections.  Bad solder joints, corroded connectors,  bad crimps, etc.   The reason there are special crimp tools is to ensure proper crimps.   If you don't have the right crimp tool, solder them. You need to use rosin(or resin) core solder. Smaller diameter is easier to use.    Don't even think about using acid core solder!!!!!   Tin the wire before you make the connection to improve the chance of making a good solder joint.    Make sure you get the connection hot enough to boil the flux out of the joint.  If you try to hold the wire with your fingers, you will burn them, drop the wire and make a bad joint.  Don't wiggle the wire to see if the solder is still melted. Let it cool undisturbed.   ( I used to be NASA certified to solder on space craft)(Wire wrap, too.)


Your battery will charge faster if you aren't powering up your Pie, too.

And it isn't dumb to ask about things you don't know.


TTFN,
Dennis

[Morgen 3Eman]

When he can't jump start his Land Rover in a few years, take a look at the black wire connection.  He didn't tin the wire, he boiled all the flux out the connector with too much heat before he inserted the wire, and then he wiggled it till it didn't wiggle any more.  A trifecta for an unreliable solder joint.   Guys like him kept me very nicely employed for a long time.....

TTFN,
Dennis

[Jemen]

Hi !
I have add XT60 connectors to my power line so I can plug in my watt-meter.
XT60 works very well in my RC models. Very easy to solder. Impossible to put together wrong.
I know people use over 100 Amps through them. Max for me is 80 Amps in a 1/8 RC-buggy.
Here is a pic on XT60  (yellow). Red are a Dean.
Jemen out and bi.......

[Morgen 3Eman]

Are the XT60 contacts gold plated?  That really improves reliability. What size wire do they take?  I'd like to get a physically smaller connector to use.

TTFN,
Dennis

[Jemen]

Hi!
XT60 is gold plated.
A few pictures of what they look solder and sample of different cables solder to connector.
My batteries deliver 50C to 80C. RC-lipos.
10 AWG is 5.26 mm 2 so 6 mm 2 will also work. 4 mm 2 fits well.
Jemen out and ....

[Waldmeister]

Again, thanks a lot for the useful advice.

I'm gonna go to town tomorrow and try to find myself a suitable crimping tool. However, if should end up soldering that thing....technically, how do I do it? Would it best to solder the plugs, heat power pole contacts (see picture above) and stick them in there? Or do I drip the solder into the power pole contacts heat the plugs and put them in.... Hm, maybe I should just get the darn crimping tool.... I'm learning a lot though and it's fun to acquire new skills....
I really appreciate your guys' expertise and helpfulness!

P.S. I do own resin core solder (or Kolophoniumlötdraht as its called around here), though! So that gives me a fat chance of still being able to fire up my Land Rover with no trouble in a few years, don't it?   

[Waldmeister]

....I finally soldered my battery contacts and connected it via the Andersen. I reckon it was a bit naive to trust the Chinese wire coloring so I got a little firework       ..... I resoldered the whole thing correctly, connected it again and got the MP3 running (on my hanging bike with no tires and brakes). Does that mean my failure to properly check the poles was left without any consequences and I got away with it or could the reverse polarizing have cause damage like reducing the power of the motor (I am still far from putting my bike on the street? 

Regards, Mr. W.

[Bikemad]

As the motor still runs, hopefully you won't have caused any permanent damage to either the controller or the Battery Management System (BMS).

Am I correct in assuming that the Pie's battery cables are correctly coloured (Red = Positive, Black=Negative) , but the non-GM battery leads are not?

Alan
 

[Waldmeister]

Yes, that's right. GM parts were labelled correctly. The others unfortunately not

[Waldmeister]

Hey guys,

finally got a few days off and hooked erverything up. Today I went on my first ride and it was awesome! Really more than I had expected torquewise (I'm 196 cm and weigh about 100 kg). Two newbie - worries I'm still having on my mind:

1) My battery doesn't have an on/off switch, I suppose I will have to disconnect it each time before charging? And if I do so via the Andersen plugs will it hurt my Pie if there's a little spark each time I reconnect (I do follow Dennis' discussion and Alans experiments in the other thread)?

2) How hot does the Pie usually get? I could have fried an egg on mine after a thirty minute ride today .... does a disc break disc affect the cooling negatively?

Cheers!

[Morgen 3Eman]

When my MP3 was running, it only got hot when I climbed a pretty steep hill several times.  Just driving on flat streets it got warm. 

For reference, the Morgen and I weigh close to 190 Kilos.

TTFN,
Dennis'

[Waldmeister]

Thanks Dennis. I guess I'm just being paranoid. We had well above 30 Celcius around here. So it may have just been the sun... I'll try riding today again....