S646se - Full LITHIUM Pack Project - First Attempt

[expresso]

The finer wires are starting to look really good. Burgerman's last remarks refer to your attempts to tin the AWG8 - the lumpy solder says "the wire wasn't hot enough". For 8AWG a torch is probably a better tool than an iron, though I've done OK using even a small, but hot, iron held to the wire a long time before bringing the solder into contact. Except for a little bit of solder melted on the tip to conduct heat, the solder should touch the wire, not the iron. You won't need to use a torch for AWG 12, but you will have to hold the iron on the wire longer than you needed for the finer wires before touching with the solder. Ciao, Lenny

yes will have to practice that some - and after all the fuse about the thinner solder - turned out - it was too thin for me to use - i hardly can see it - and took longer to get it done which give me more time to make mistakes - but it is good if you can hold it longer and take more time etc, -

turned out the way i figured out how to do it that works for me - it worked with the same solder i had before - its thicker size - which is good once i get it to melt - enough melts to tin the cup faster - which makes it easier for me that way - less time i have to hold my hands in a certain position - i am sure i find other uses for the the solder in the future now -

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Really good is even better after I fixed your photo. What on earth are you using as a camera?

thanks - cheap samsung galaxy - not the S7 of course - - sometimes the photos are Ok and most times not really - not going to stress it now - i can use my digital camera also - once i charge the batteries

i actually used it last summer to record my rides - i mounted it on my armrest bar near my leg and worked pretty decent - its not a Go pro - but i had it and figured why not - maybe now i may just upgrade to a good Go pro and record my rides

for another day


so i can consider myself almost ready to make the cable - small wires - i can repeat i feel - once i get the large wires tinned good enough - i can then start -

BM - i noticed on your cable you made from the charger end - - how long did you make that cable - ? 3 feet the same size as the balance extension arrives ? or did you extend it more - reason is when i seen your cable - the small wires were black and red - there werent the same wires the balance cables arrive - mines are all white balance cables - there the black and the red - rest in between are mostly white - since i dont recall seeing those on your cable - - you must have extended them ?

if you did - why ? - just needed or wanted a longer cable ?

never mind - i noticed the wires are white - you used the balance cable as it is - - my mistake

[expresso]

Ok i did a few 8 AWG wires today to test - i think i got it pretty much - i will be using 12 AWG on the Real cable so should be easier - here are the photos - some not so good at first - but then the last ones i think are good enough - but the helping hands not good - they dig in the wire for sure - and i have to find another way to hold the wires while i tin them - both small and large wires - large wires harder because it gets very hot - the new Iron works great - i had it on 850 degrees with a flat tip wider to use on the big wire -

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few more

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last few - now i think i will start to get all the items in order - to build the cable - heatshrink - etc, everything that would be needed - so i can think about doing it maybe friday ? or next week - any more ideas - tips - suggestions ?

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more

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volt meter i have - i need to use to test the wires - which setting would i need to turn the dial to in order to test them ?

[Burgerman]

Ohm.

200 range.

Touch test leads together, in an ideal world it would red zero. No resistance. It will read .1 or similar. A good cable wil be the same. Thin balance cable will read slightly more. But well below .3 or .4 ohm.

Are those cables tinned? They need enough solder to leave a shine so that it just needs some heat alone to melt the solder you add to the connector and the cable as one. Considerably more solder for this job but not so its bulbous or bigger. But fuly "wetted".

[expresso]

yes those are tinned i was trying not to overdo it - i think theres a few that are better than the others - i can add more solder for sure - i was really tying to not over do it with the solder -

ok will try it later to check with meter - i already did and it did show zero or nothing on my screen or .1 i think - cant remember - i though something was wrong or i wasnt do it correctly -

i touched one end of the connector i made and the other end to the wire itself - - is that how you do it ? i will try the other setting with the line going down - suppose to make a noise maybe with that one - will do both - and see

i am looking for nothing on my screen - just zero or a number lower number better ?

[Burgerman]

Yes no resistance is good! But impossible. Hence .1 or some low figure. Even the test leads have some! Thats why you touch together to see what your base reading is.

When doing those large wires, I make sure they are well wetted with solder, and that the cup on the connector is about 1/3rd full of solder when tinned. So when I add heat alone, the solder melts, runs, and is adequate without adding extra solder. Although I may add more if I think it needs it. Getting the cable and connector hot enough is the hard part. It helps to have a tinned iron, with some solder on it to transfer heat well.

[Burgerman]

Yes no resistance is good! But impossible. Hence .1 or some low figure. Even the test leads have some! Thats why you touch together to see what your base reading is.

When doing those large wires, I make sure they are well wetted with solder, and that the cup on the connector is about 1/3rd full of solder when tinned. So when I add heat alone, the solder melts, runs, and is adequate without adding extra solder. Although I may add more if I think it needs it. Getting the cable and connector hot enough is the hard part. It helps to have a tinned iron, with some solder on it to transfer heat well. It doesent need to be super pretty, but solid and smooth/shiny.

[expresso]

maybe i just pulled off the impossiable haha - with the zero - i think it showed 1 -

yes the new iron should be fine at highest setting 850F - i will fill the cup nicely enough - tin the wire more than i done today - i will give it another shot tomorrow to tin them again - -

the iron tip i used is flat and larger area that helped - i can add more flux also - i added some - but maybe need a bit more - i can also try a different solder i have which i used for the SB50 - its thicker and may be better to get more on the wire faster once heated up -

i will try to heat the large cup either from the bottom of the cup touching my iron - sideways holding the iron and having the wire ready to go straight in - if i cant do it that way - i may have to do it the same way i did the small wires -

its not the correct way that i seen others doing or the instructions from the link - but it worked fine for me - now when you strip the large wire to fit in the cup - its best to keep it as close to the cup also like the small wires i did ?

was it hard to bent the wire after you done it to make it fit with the case over it etc, - i will do all the work with just the bare connector and then fit the case to it after i am done -

[Burgerman]

Yep.

[Burgerman]

If you REALLY have zero resistance you can do this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3asSdngzLs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPqEEZa2Gis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXHczjOg06w

[expresso]

i checked again real quick - depends where i put the meter on - just turning it on - at 200ohm setting - it shows just 1 - doing nothing -

now i touch the wires - both ends - it goes to 3 digits O O 2 - it settles on that - it may start off showing 4 3 and then settles on OO2

now if i put the meter on the other setting - the one with the line triangle i think - it dosnt beep or make noise - maybe mines dosnt have a speaker for that - that shows all zero OOO

my guess is the 200ohm setting is correct ?

i may be doing it wrong also - - i touch one end with one tip - the other end with the other tip - with the small wires it can be hard to get it right on the wire end -

with the larger wire - its a short wire - that shows OOO -

[expresso]

If you REALLY have zero resistance you can do this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3asSdngzLs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPqEEZa2Gis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXHczjOg06w

cool vids - thats how those trains work that speed across off the rails -


if i get a OO2 or OO3 , OO4 - anyone one of those should be fine then - what would be a bad number OO8 and higher ?

[Burgerman]

You wont get a bad number if you are soldering them. Its mostly so you will know how to test which wire is which when you do the actual SUB D connector.

[expresso]

oh - i was going to put labels on each cable to make sure i connect them right - before i solder them - i will lay them out flat and label them -

then solder them - i can leave the label in there or on the wire - or remove it i guess -

what if all the cables are the same number - i wont known which is which that way - - once i start i will make the whole cable - just one cable - charger side for now - Male end -

[expresso]

another try at the larger wire - i found that if i use flux to wet the wire first - i end up getting the wire too stiff inside past the exposed wire and makes it hard to bent it afterwards - so i will make the bend first before i Tin it - just in case -

i used thicker solder - which has enough flux already - i am trying not to hold the iron too long on the wire so i dont over heat the cable itself - i am just using cardboard over the wire and then duct tape it down on the wood so i can solder it easier for me - not using helping hands - i am going to assume when i use the real cable 12 awg silicone kind - should be easier to solder - but have to watch how hot i get that cable ?

i think the Red Cables are just about right - the black ones in person are OK - but in the pictures you can see it could use more solder - any other tips before i go for it ? i am done practicing - i will get all the needed items together tomorrow - balance cable - 12 awg cable which i will extend to 3 feet - heatshrink - tie wraps if needed - braided loom - the connectors and going for it on Friday -

here they are - i think i will pre bend the power wires so they will fit in the connector - just in case after i tin them - i found a few were very stiff another inch lower - which means the flux got in there and drew the solder in also - pre bending it helps in case that happens - at least its already in position

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more

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i think these are the better ones

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last batch - -- i feel about ready to do the real deal - what do you think ?

[Burgerman]

I woud add enough soder that its hard to see the strands, and so it ooks like its coated and shiny. Because it makes it easier to solder. Also add plenty to the connectors. So more on these thicker wires to make your job easier later...
Like below.

[expresso]

Ok got it - will do my best on friday - thanks

[Burgerman]

Because if both parts have a little exsess solder, it melts and helps heat transfer to both parts, and runs and may not require you to add more. Everything happens faster before anything gets oxydised. Esp if theres a small coating of flux around.

[expresso]

Getting it together today so i have things ready to start tomorrow - i know this isnt needed - but i heatshrinked this end - so i have a spot to hold and pull off the cable when needed - with out pulling on the wires - i may not always remove it - others also so trying to make it idiot proof - as much as i can -

i hope to not remove the balance cable at all - but when i got to charge the ADD ON - i need the Charge ports- - RED and Black - i will see if i just unplug those and leave the balance cable connected in the charger end but not attached on the other end -

then i just plug in the RED and BLack cable from the ADD ON to the Charger to charge that way - without having to remove the Balance cable from the Charger

if that works - or else i have to either remove it all the time - or make another DSub Female end to connect to the ADD ON - will have to redo that pack and remove BMS at that point - i rather leave it now and hope it works the first way i mentioned - leaving the Balance cable connected and just use the Power leads only

what do you think ?

[Burgerman]

Me? I think spring has arrived!

Yes you can use the power only part. Or make an Anderson/4mm banana cable.

[expresso]

Me? I think spring has arrived!

Yes you can use the power only part. Or make an Anderson/4mm banana cable.

i already have a cable made from the ADD to the PL 8 banana ends - all i will do is plug those in the PL 8 to charge my chair with the ADD ON - leaving the Balance wires connected to the PL 8 - so when i am done - just unplug it and plug it the other bananas from the SubD cable i hope to make tomorrow and leave it -

hoping to not have to unplug the balance wire end all the time from the PL 8 - assuring a long lasting cable hopefully -

[expresso]

Ok all done - not that great looking - but should work once i finish it - i over did the heatshrink - which make all the wires thicker and harder to made fit in the case - I was not able to make it fit - so i gave up - and cant use the covers i have so i stopped and ordered different covers - flat exit in the back - - but they are ABS - - one is not shielded and another one is - i have no choice - all i could find and there was no way my wires were going to fit -

overall its OK how it came out - i had some trouble with the large Neg. wire to solder - i had a bit too much in the Cup there - and didnt make it to wipe off the extra flux enough in time - i checked it with the Volt meter - they both were 003 on the power lines - - the balance wires - i wasnt able to check - - the end that goes in the PL8 - cant fit my needle in there to make any contact - i cant imagine them being bad - unless there bad from stock form - arrived bad to me etc, -
i soldered them good enough - - i actually found them easier now to do that the larger ones

so its not finished - next week will add the covers once i get them - and will make the Chair end of the Cable also - - this time - either with NO heat shrink or very little a short amount - and can try to use the metal covers i have again and see - or else - my new covers

http://www.digikey.com/product-search/e ... 3m15405-nd


http://www.digikey.com/product-search/e ... 6-25rpe-nd

keep in mind now - this is my first ever doing this - i have to say - BM's Cable is near perfect - how you made it fit in there - !! i though the hard part was over with the soldering - every step is just as hard as the previous -

[expresso]

pics i cleaned up most of the flux - after the pic was taken -

i know its not pretty - but hope at least should work - once finished - cant see inside