charging connectors to pl8

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charging connectors to pl8

Postby biscuit » 16 Apr 2019, 11:01

Can anybody point me to the parts I need for a combination d-sub type of balancing connector? In the UK. I need the male and the female ends and the casings, (I think!) for a balance and charge cable from the chair and from the pl8. I already have a variety of pl8 cables and parts but have always been too scared of my ignorance to get it together with making a LiFePO4 pack. But, I have to start somewhere as I'm well fed up with my lead batteries. It's going to be for an 8s LiFePO4 pack for my Vienna, and I can't twist my head around what I need to make the plugs.
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby Burgerman » 16 Apr 2019, 15:41

Theres descriptions and links here from when I did mine a long while back.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1813&start=570
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby flagman1776 » 16 Apr 2019, 16:05

You will need various tools & supplies but the connector you want is a sub D 13W3. You'll want both male & female and there are screw on covers needed to protect the back side of the connectors. It's a good idea to buy both sides from the same source / same brand so they plug together easily.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... +Connector
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby swalker » 16 Apr 2019, 16:49

Here is what I used. I purchased these from Digikey, which is a US vendor. You should be able to find these part numbers from someplace more local to you.

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/ ... ND/3078431
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/ ... ND/3078433
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/ ... ND/1104243

Steve
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby biscuit » 16 Apr 2019, 18:34

Thanks for the input. I've ordered a m/f pair of the 13w3 connectors, but the housings are hard to come by. I'm not sure how to specify them generically so as to get the right size for the plugs I've got on order.
So, can anyone please advise me on that?
And I've another question: Which is normal to connect on the battery side, the male plug or the female plug?
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby steves1977uk » 16 Apr 2019, 20:16

I have the female connector coming from the battery pack on my chair and the male plug from the PL8 side. :thumbup:

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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby swalker » 17 Apr 2019, 00:06

I also have the female side on the chair. I figure there is less likely of shorting across energized pins that way.

I also cover that female connector with a strip of no-residue duct tape when not charging to help keep debris and moisture out as well as to further reduce the possibility of a short. I could not find a reasonable rubber cap for it that had a lanyard, so settled on the duct tape as a temporary solution. It works so well I plan to "stick" with it.

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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby swalker » 17 Apr 2019, 00:09

biscuit wrote:Thanks for the input. I've ordered a m/f pair of the 13w3 connectors, but the housings are hard to come by.


Be sure the 13w3 connectors you purchase are rated for 40 amps. The parts referenced in my post above are.

Also, the shells referenced in my post above work fine with the 13w3 connectors I purchased.

I simply followed the suggestions of others here, so can't take any credit for finding these parts. I can, however, say they work great!

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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby flagman1776 » 17 Apr 2019, 01:52

It's nice to have all the charging wires in a single plug.
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby biscuit » 17 Apr 2019, 14:44

Yes they are 40A, I got these https://uk.farnell.com/norcomp/680s13w3 ... dp/2294339
and https://uk.farnell.com/norcomp/680s13w3 ... dp/2294341 with it, but the backshells (see - new vocabulary!) are out of stock at Farnell and the visuals are confusing on online purchases. I don't know if that's the same as the Digikey ones, I await the surprise of having the Farnell ones so I can see how big it is etc. So getting a shell the right size from anyone else is difficult. I am not a boffin, I need to get the measure of things by looking at them and holding them!
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby Burgerman » 17 Apr 2019, 15:09

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/d-sub-co ... s/0460979/
Backshel, metal.

Banana connectors. Safe, cannot be shorted, and are the ONLY ones safe at 40A and that wont melt.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10Pcs-Red-Bl ... Sw~SJcdUnb

Use with 12guage SILICONE cable.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Flexible-Sil ... ctupt=true
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby biscuit » 17 Apr 2019, 15:25

Got those already Burgerman, from a link you put up last year. It's not such a pain in the wallet if you buy bits & pieces & then breathe deeply while saving up for a few months, before you buy more bits. But very difficult to get a picture of what you have to do next...
drunk2
Will the charging side (or the chair side, but I'm not quite there yet) need fuses?
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby Burgerman » 17 Apr 2019, 18:07

I have non, you could fit a 40 or 50A on the pos wire near the battery if you worry about such things. A midi fuse is best.
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby shirley_hkg » 18 Apr 2019, 04:35

13W3@£10 seems expensive .

Scooterman's bigger 13W6 is ≤ £2.5 here.


viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6510&start=660
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby Scooterman » 18 Apr 2019, 08:43

shirley_hkg wrote:[b][size=150][color=#400000]

Scooterman's bigger 13W6
'tis a good connector :thumbup:
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby snaker » 18 Apr 2019, 09:40

@Shirley: can you give me the taobao link of the seller selling these connectors?
IMG-20181228-WA0015.jpg
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby biscuit » 18 Apr 2019, 09:49

Yes Shirley I agree it is very expensive! Especially as I will no doubt make a big mess of the soldering, since it is my first try to solder. And Farnell has not delivered it, despite their generous service standard of free same day delivery for orders over £20, which seemed unlikely to me - even Amazon doesn't do that.

Water under the bridge. Anyway, I'll think more easily when I'm holding the plugs in my hands.

Scooterman, what is your 13w6 solution? I couldn't follow Shirley's link properly to see what you did. As my hands are quite weak, a fatter plug will probably do me better than the Farnell plugs. I forgot about my pinching difficulty, I got so full of enthusiasm for making leads!
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby snaker » 18 Apr 2019, 10:36

@biscuit: you should buy a load of dozen DB9 connectors (very cheap, just $1 for all) and practice soldering them. After you are able to solder a perfect DB9, it is time to solder DB13W3 connectors. Without a lot practice, you will easily ruin all your expensive DB13W3.
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby shirley_hkg » 18 Apr 2019, 11:43

snaker wrote:@Shirley: can you give me the taobao link of the seller selling these connectors?

cheers
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IMG-20190418-WA0001.jpg
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby flagman1776 » 18 Apr 2019, 18:45

Since you are going to replace your too small battery box with it's built in plug, you'll need a "power out" plug that you'll disconnect by hand for each disassembly of your take apart WC that travels in your auto boot. Either a SB50 or an XT90? Be aware, with the SB50 type connectors pictured above the grey or black housings interchange but other colors are made to only mate with same.

You'll need a separate charging cord from the PL8 to your battery pack with the 13W3 connector. You can't finish that charging cord yet because you haven't got a new box or decided on cells for your battery pack.
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby biscuit » 18 Apr 2019, 20:40

Yes I agree. They're to be a pack for my granny chair (a Shoprider Vienna), not too heavy, so maybe 30-40Ah which I think means they have to be a high C rate so I'm not stressing them . Ali Express prismatic LiFePO4 ones I've seen take 5C bursts or 2C continuous. IDK if that's high enough.
The 13w3s arrived and I tried them in my hands and don't like them, so I think DB9s are better for me to use as well as to make and I have cheap ones on order. As to batteries, I don't know what to get.
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby flagman1776 » 18 Apr 2019, 21:14

The 13W3 is the only plug I'm aware of that can do recharging with a single plug. With the 13W3, two of the big contacts are used for the "big" charge leads. The small contacts are used for the smaller balance wires.
The DR9 plugs lack the contacts for the big wires. You could use a "2 plug" system. The DR9 for the balance wires PLUS a big connector like the SB50 for your main charge leads. Most people prefer the symplicity of one plug... easier to teach an assistant too.
With the cover on the back of the 13W3, you'll have more to get a hold of.
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby biscuit » 18 Apr 2019, 22:51

I was in love with the idea of a simple system. Lipo, XLR charging, etc, or just stick to lead and have a boring life not trying out things, but in the end it's going to be better with a proper system. However, I struggle to unplug my controller to remove the seat for car rides and it's about the same dimensions as the13w3, so I think a 2 plug system will be easier to manage.
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby flagman1776 » 19 Apr 2019, 01:22

You can't compare the force based on the size of the connectors... you can't compare the connector minus the cover which forms the grip surface.
Standard SB50 connectors are tight... requiring a firm 2 hand grip unless you find the low force contacts. I don't know how difficult the ST90 connector is... I've never tried one.
There should be no force on the charge leads because the chair won't be moved while charging. The power leads need to be secure in use.
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby snaker » 19 Apr 2019, 01:48

shirley_hkg wrote:
snaker wrote:@Shirley: can you give me the taobao link of the seller selling these connectors?

cheers


Thanks Shirley :thumbup:
https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=531543350008
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby biscuit » 23 Apr 2019, 10:34

IMG_20190422_201423.jpg
Vienna battery connector

Does anyone know what kind of connector this red plug is, please? I would like to make a short lead, Anderson to this. Then I won't need to cut anything off my chair.
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby Burgerman » 23 Apr 2019, 10:55

I dont. However connecting to those is simple. They are stock blade type terminals in a fancy housing (that you dont need).
You can just use stock blade terminals and heatshrink. They come in large and small sizes.

Image
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Re: charging connectors to pl8

Postby flagman1776 » 23 Apr 2019, 14:56

The red plug looks exactly like the battery connector used on older TravelScoots. Makers don't willingly reveal their sources. TravelScoot does off adaptors between their old batteries and new which uses a different connector. I did cut one end off an official TS adaptor to make my own with a Red Plug to SB50.

In the USA
https://shop.travelscoot.com/us/accesso ... ter-a.html
https://shop.travelscoot.com/us/accesso ... ter-b.html
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