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Lipo pack output wire


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The lipo packs I ordered came with 20 awg on the output, so I was wondering how I would upgrade it to at least 18 or 16 awg. I assume this would involve at least removing the wrapper and removing the wires that came on the cells.

I got a turnigy nano tech 0.95mah 25-50C and a Zippy 1000mah 25C.

I know this is the minimum recommended wire gauge per the datasheet, but I still need to make sure even if it would handle the output.

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Are you planning on vaping near 200 watts? 20 is a bit light, but it is silicone insulated, so unless you're a serious cloud chaser, I wouldn't worry about it too much. You're more likely to damage the cells replacing it than you are likely to damage the wire using it. 

A reasonable alternative would be to splice in heavier gauge wire as soon as it comes out of the pack. 

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Immediately I would say just procure a power source that fits each criteria you have. Second option, be sure to understand the the elements of the LiPo pack you are going to be working on. Remove the branded PVC wrapping, be sure to save any installed fixtures used to separate or guide the packs output. Eleminate as much residual charge on the pack. Either use discrete removal of any pins that will need to be returned to the junction connector or order new ones. Work one lead at a time, making sure to not have any others exposed or potentially expose. Remove the Leads you do not feel are adequate and replace with those you do. Rinse and repeat for each lead. Resolder JCT pins to new leads and reassemble connector. Use a good quality PVC Shrink wrap to return everything back to the way it came (save what you newly installed). If it were me, I would just spend half the time I would doing a rework like that researching the perfect LiPo for my application though :)

image.jpg

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If you're familiar with soldering and working with lipos, it's fairly simple to replace the 20AWG with 18AWG with the Turnigy nano-tech 950mAh 25C lipo pack as the +/- wires are easily accessible.

Here's one I did... just make sure you always have the lead you're not working with covered and protected.  Then heat shrink the pack when you're done.

turnigy-wiring.png 


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mamu said:

If you're familiar with soldering and working with lipos, it's fairly simple to replace the 20AWG with 18AWG with the Turnigy nano-tech 950mAh 25C lipo pack as the +/- wires are easily accessible.

Here's one I did... just make sure you always have the lead you're not working with covered and protected.  Then heat shrink the pack when you're done.

turnigy-wiring.png 


Thanks for the post mamu, what size of wrap do you use for the Turnigy 950mAh pack?
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Last night I bought an E-flite 30C 800 mah 3s pack with 18awg output wires. A little better so I won't have to open up the pack. I've also been trying to find the fully max cell used in the reference mod but no luck so far. Anyone have a link to it?

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Vap3on said:

Thanks for the post mamu, what size of wrap do you use for the Turnigy 950mAh pack?



I used 56mm (flat width) - it's what I have on hand and close enough to the calculated width that it form fits the pack aok when shrunk.

The equation is circumference / 2 + 5mm.

The circumference of the 950 pack is 90mm.

90/2 = 45 + 5 = 50mm
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mamu said:

If you're familiar with soldering and working with lipos, it's fairly simple to replace the 20AWG with 18AWG with the Turnigy nano-tech 950mAh 25C lipo pack as the +/- wires are easily accessible.

Here's one I did... just make sure you always have the lead you're not working with covered and protected.  Then heat shrink the pack when you're done.

turnigy-wiring.png 


I got a couple of these exact turnigy 950s coming. I have had experience soldering these before with 2s packs so this wont be too hard. I just need to get correct heat shrink for them. Is 18g silicone wire good or would 16g be even better ? I am putting together this with a 1590a and your faceplate from shapeways so I knows its going to be a somewhat tight fit already but I want to be able to use 200w at least for preheat. Other than that i doubt i will go over 80w in tc mode if its even possible lol.
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I'm using the recommended size that the datasheet lists - 18AWG for input and 14AWG for output.

I was working with the Turnigy nano-tech 950 lipo pack build with the 1590A and faceplate this week, and it will not fit without some major dremel work to the case along the side wall and also removing the lower corner post unless you offset the 510 to the side. The packs I have are 21mm in depth, not 20mm as advertised, and with the way the case slants inward from front to back it's a definite no go without some major dremel work. The case needs just a mm more in width. It's a lot of work to dremel out the case to widen it a mm more to fit the lipo pack and also to remove the lower corner post if you want the 510 centered. :(

The MaxAmps 800mAh 40C and FullyMax 900mAh 30C do fit without needing dremel work except for the faceplate cutout and 510 connector hole.
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mamu said:

I'm using the recommended size that the datasheet lists - 18AWG for input and 14AWG for output.

I was working with the Turnigy nano-tech 950 lipo pack build with the 1590A and faceplate this week, and it will not fit without some major dremel work to the case along the side wall and also removing the lower corner post unless you offset the 510 to the side. The packs I have are 21mm in depth, not 20mm as advertised, and with the way the case slants inward from front to back it's a definite no go without some major dremel work. The case needs just a mm more in width. It's a lot of work to dremel out the case to widen it a mm more to fit the lipo pack and also to remove the lower corner post if you want the 510 centered. :(

The MaxAmps 800mAh 40C and FullyMax 900mAh 30C do fit without needing dremel work except for the faceplate cutout and 510 connector hole.



Well unfortunately I already have them being shipped.  I don't want to waste my money on battery's I will never use and have to buy more.  I got everything else here today in the mail.  I also ordered the v4 FDV low profile short. It got here and I noticed it's not much shorter than the normal v4 low profile. I noticed from your picture it looks like you were using the v3 FDV which has an even shorter 510 inside the case. I wonder if once the battery's get here that I will be even able to use anything but a v3 FDV connector.  I don't mind keeping the v4s I have for future projects but I just like moving away from the high profile v3s if I can help it.  Do you think I can use the v4 with the 950 if I go ahead and offset the 510 to the side of the battery.  So now I have the wrong battery which I was thinking was the right battery till now. Also I have a longer 510 then it shows as well. So if I just offset the 510 enough but not too much to were it overhangs off the edge at all obviously will that solve some of my problems with the 510 and battery I plan to use.
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Our reference connector is a good 3mm shorter than a fat daddy V3 if I'm doing my numbers right. We don't have a ton of them, but there are some left over from the beta. You could hit up Brandon and see if he will sell you one. 

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I also tried to find someplace to buy the FullyMax 900mAh 30C batteries before I got the turnigy one's but I couldn't find anywhere in the USA to buy them at all.... Unless you know somewhere. I really don't want to drop to 800mah if I don't have too so I don't want to go with max amps battery if I can help it.  Also I looked at he max amp ones but the price on those I found was crazy really. They are $33.99 plus shipping each. So out of the 3 your PDF said would fit I went with the one that I thought made those most sense. I will make it fit lol. I will figure it out but if I can find a 510 that's gonna help the situation more I will get it.

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The FDV v3 is only about 10.5 if you aren't counting the part that sticks out above the mod and the v4 low profile short it 11.5 plus the part that sticks out where the wire is soldered onto plus the wire but I guess that part goes for both.

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Yeah ours is 11mm tall including the center pin. It is wider, uses an expensive spring and takes a costlier CNC machine to make than the FDV design, but is higher performance. 

Hopefully someone will take the reference files and start banging them out in quantity at some point. 

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alee132 said:

I also tried to find someplace to buy the FullyMax 900mAh 30C batteries before I got the turnigy one's but I couldn't find anywhere in the USA to buy them at all.... Unless you know somewhere. I really don't want to drop to 800mah if I don't have too so I don't want to go with max amps battery if I can help it.



Don't get too hung up on the capacity rating, they're mostly guesstimates. Some companies are more optimistic than others. 
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Well if they were somehow was one available and didn't cost a small fortune it sure would help because it sounds like this build is going to be a fun now that I know I have the worst of the 3 batteries as far as fitting goes that were recommended.   I am just glad mamu gave such detailed instructions on the build. It didn't say it was an issue on the PDF I had downloaded at first but I am guessing Mamu updated it since she found out it would fit but can take dremmel work. For me unless I find a battery source that's feasible before I get my shapeways print of the faceplate in. I am going to work with the turnigy 950 somehow. Because Max amps battery is crazy in price and the other option either was from I think Australia or japan for the fullymax

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KTMRider said:

[QUOTE=alee132]I also tried to find someplace to buy the FullyMax 900mAh 30C batteries before I got the turnigy one's but I couldn't find anywhere in the USA to buy them at all.... Unless you know somewhere. I really don't want to drop to 800mah if I don't have too so I don't want to go with max amps battery if I can help it.



Don't get too hung up on the capacity rating, they're mostly guesstimates. Some companies are more optimistic than others. [/QUOTE]

I might even consider it if it was so crazy expensive really. Costs $33 and shipping vs the $10 and shipping of turnigy.  I guess it would be close enough like you said but its just not worth it to me unless I absolutely have no other choice.

Well I was looking at other batteries that might work that aren't quite as expensive. I found one called E-Flite EFLB8003SJ its E-flite 800mAh 3S 11.1v 20C which may be an issue because I know 25c would be barely enough but 20c might not be enough amps. But its supposed to be 70X25X19 which seems like it would fit.  I also found a source for it in the US and for $20 shipped.

I also found E-Flite Blade 200 SR X 800mAh 3S 11.1V 30C LiPo Battery 18AWG JST EFLB8003SJ30 which is also supposed to be the same exact dimensions as well but 30c and for a couple dollars more.  But I don't know E-flite is a good brand or not and if like the turnigy they are actually what they say they are size wise once you get them in hand.

I guess I will wait till I get my batteries and my faceplate before I go and spend anymore money and see how bad it's going to be. Because I do have a really good dremel and I have had to do similar case modifications in the past so I might just shave some case away if I can get away with it and save myself more money throw at this. Part of the point of building my own was to save money and if I end up buying 2 more batteries than I am getting into the area of why didn't I just buy a premade box like the opus. 
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I posted these on this thread before:

E-Flite LiPo Battery 11.1V 800mAh 3S 30C 18AWG JST EFLB8003SJ30
Flight Power FP30 11.1V LiPo 800mAh 3S 30C FPWP3083

Both very good batteries (as good or better than Turnigy) and both under $30 shipped. The Flight Power has a 2 yr warranty. 

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alee132 - It's doable to fit the 950, just a lot of dremel work goes into it. Both inside long edges need half mm or so dremeled off to widen the width and the lower corner post needs removed. Another option, but not sure one I would recommend, is removing the white plastic underneath the heat shrink tubing that wraps around the 950 lipo pack as that takes up about a mm, but you still may need to dremel some along the inside edges to widen the width a bit.

Also, the Varitube 510 connector is 2mm shorter than the FDV V4 shorty.

Here's my build with the 950 lipo pack.

turnigy950-2.png 

Here's the build with a Fullymax 900mAh (top) and MaxAmps 800mAh (bottom).

1590a-build.png 


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