Pre-Order Discussions

8 minutes ago, dickson said:

I run one battery bank. mainly with already made batts like power queen.  I got a bunch of diy batts, and will put them into the system later, once I figure out why the stupid solder will not go onto a battery cap when I solder. I can't seem to get the wires on the battery 95% of the time I try.

I  now never solder to battery .   Lead 60/40 solder melted with the heat during summer and the wires arcing  started  a fire  3  different times .     The 400 amp fuse save the battery .   

So how do you connect your packs then?  I spot welded all my cells, other then putting them in series i have to solder wire to connect between them, and then solder a postive wire and the bms to the negative.  Can't afford a $10k lazer welder.

I hydraulically crimped cables with tinned copped lugs on the 8S 24 volt DIY LiFePO4 batteries and used the commercial tinned copper busbars... 

absolutely no soldering involved....

the pressure of a 12 ton or 16 ton hydraulic crimp connection is a cold weld and is the best way to make the cables...hydraulic crimpers cost 50 to 60 dollars.... they also make other types of crimpers that cost less and do the same type of crimping to form the cold weld....

or use copper and make solid copper bus bars or buy copper bus bars...

you can recycle copper pipe and make busbars for cheap....wrap them with heat shrink for less exposed metal or even electrical tape (for a cheap way.... )

I personally recommend the hydraulic crimper with tinned copper lugs to be bolted into place

tinned copper busbars are better as there is no galvanic reaction corrosion between the aluminum cased LIFePO4 cells...or a greatly reduced amount .... 

they use Stainless Steel as it is a lot less galvanic reaction between aluminum and Stainless steel.....

steel and stainless steel are not good conductors.... copper is a lot better. Aluminum is not as good a conductor either ,,, just a cheaper to get metal...

tinned copper busbars are a good way.... they also sell tinned copper busbars that are flexible for the DIY and prebuilt LIFEPO4 cells....

your mileage will vary...

some will argue other ways.... but it is a proven/known issue with solder heating up and the connection coming loose....Loose connections are dangerous and will possibly cause an arc which will generate a lot of heat to cause a fire...

be safe in all you do.... do your research, ask lots of questions from your favorite expert...

cat had kittens,,, and shooting at the racoons that rob the cat food.... always something....🤔🤔

but i agree with Dickson to avoid soldering with battery connections....

59 minutes ago, The Blind Wolf said:

i have to solder wire to connect between them, and then solder a postive wire and the bms to the negative.

are these LiFePO4 cells ??? if you can use a busbar between then drill a small hole and use a crimped on connector with a small screw for BMS wires... still no soldering.... but perhaps is is some other form factor you are soldering toooo....

I can not quite picture your DIY battery needing solder to the cells unless they are tiny cells of a different chemistry some diy worked with...

hope all goes well for you....😎

BYD Presmatic 250ah Fixing?    for   reference 

They came with studs on the ends, and you can't tighten them tight, however, one of the cells, the studs on both ends just well fell off, and from what somebody told me at a welding shop that the ends look like its lead terminals.

You can  drill and tap and replace the stud .      I  do not think the terminal  are lead .   My battery has  flat spade  connecter  and I  drill hole and use  bolt and nut ,   A  copper lug  connecter  can be use  like earlier in this forum .   Solder  melt at  300 degree F  and  my  wire  always  come off  and the arcing  always cause the  insulation on fire .  

I   can not quite picture your DIY battery needing solder to the cells unless they are tiny cells of a different chemistry some diy worked with  .       

I  thought  they are  BYD Presmatic 250ah  and  some studs are broken or fell out .   You can't tighten them tight if they  are made of BRASS  but I do not think they are brass or lead .    

Not what I ment, I have a 20 ton hydralic lug clamper as well, I'm talking about the soldering to the battery cell for the wire, attaching the wire to the battery cell is my issue.

1 hour ago, pilgrimvalley said:

are these LiFePO4 cells ??? if you can use a busbar between then drill a small hole and use a crimped on connector with a small screw for BMS wires... still no soldering.... but perhaps is is some other form factor you are soldering toooo....

I can not quite picture your DIY battery needing solder to the cells unless they are tiny cells of a different chemistry some diy worked with...

hope all goes well for you....😎

Yep these are LiFePO4 cells , 2170 cells.   These are the ones that battery hook up sells. if you think you can drill a hole into one and put a screw, be my guess I'll put my drill press outside and hand you them, to prove it to me lol. . .

No way in a million years will you see me try that on a 2170 cell.

Now if its a presmatic cell maybe, if it has the spot to do such a thing., or maybe blade cells if it has the metal sticking out set screw would work.

Nope I'm afraid these are the kind you got to some how stick solder onto them or lazer weld.

I could be wrong.

I have 8 of the bids presmatic cells yes, those are not the issue, though I posted on that thread asking if you might have a link on amazon of the so called studs you used on them,  but, you never have reply.  No I'm talking about my other types of batts.  I have 2170 LiFePO4 cells  the ones that you can by from batteryhookup, and some k123 2170 cells that I bought in cases of 128 a box I think it was. 

also, wished I stuck with the headway cells, love the heck out of those, I have no issue with those type of cells since they have screws on each end of the cells.  Going to buy some more of them instead of dealing with all the spot welding and soldering crap.

I have 2170 LiFePO4 cells  the ones that you can by from batteryhookup, and some k123 2170 cells that I bought in cases of 128 a box I think it was .

2170 LiFePO4 cells  need  to be  welded .    Drilling  hole will blow it up .    Headway discharge too fast  and  difficult to know the SOC when charging .    Jehugarcia  show how with battery holderrs  .   

Well with my headways, I've had no issue, other then keeping them in balance.  The ones I got are used headways, and well if you use Sid balancer on each of the packs, it solves that issue.   All I know, is I've kind of getting away from DIY battery makeing, once I get all of the batts I have fixed back up, all they going to be is on the back end of the main bank just used as a storage and not being pulled amp wise like the main batts.   

Anyhow, Wonder what Sid and shawn is doing. . . I'm waiting for a video to pop up showing all the new 12k.

All I know, is I've kind of getting away from DIY battery makeing,  

DIY battery  is too  much work  to keep safe  ,    I have to watch the  voltage and temperature   every 2 hours during the summer .   All my 14 banks of  battery are  outside .   This is not pre-order discussions . 

8w seems unlikely for 1 GS6, let alone 2 in split sync. My GS6 after adding an additional loop on the chokes uses about 24W - down from about 31W with 1 loop.

I think i'll stay with my pre-built lifepo4 packs. Just buy some cheap aluminum flatbar, line it up and drill a hole through it for each battery stud. No crimping, no wires, very clean finish.

Well they posted a update, the first six k and 12k has been built.