building A123 packs
 

I am looking to build some packs out of a123's and am wondering what the best way to solder up a shotgun pack would be. it is a 6s1p pack with 2 cells going end to end in the shape of a triangle. i just need to know how to make a strong solder joint where the cells are going end to end. Thanks!

This should help:

http://www.skyhobbies.com.sg/HYPERION/A123packassy.pdf

If your cells are coming from a Dewalt 36v pack, you can keep the cells connected together with the stock tabs, and just bend the tabs 180 degrees to make the cells end-to-end. Then you can wrap some strapping tape around the entire pack to keep it rigid.

^^^^^ Simpliest, quickest and prob the best. Def use strapping tape!

I'm getting ready to build 6S1p packs as a shotgun double and plan to start off this way. 3rd cell will be attached with copper braid.

I got seperate cells, and just used a few lengths of copper braid and bent them over.

ya, my cells are seperate, so i will prob. use the copper braid mentioned above. but when solderig end to end how should the balancing taps be attached?

Solder the balance wires before you bend the cells end to end ;)

so it would look like this:

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l5...ingdiagram.jpg

and then i would bend the cells end to end, and this would make a balancing tap for cell A right?

That would work, but obviously the braid would be flat from the end of one cell to the other. You have to be careful that solder does not travel to the middle of the braid where the bend will be. This copper braid is often intended to be used as a solder wick!

ok so cell B that would be on the end of the pack would have a balancing tap soldered directly to the positive terminal, or to the battery bar connecting it to another cell?

Take a look at the photos in my Gmaxx thread- 6s1p packs with balancing taps. There is a posistive balance wire on the most posistive cell, and then a negative balance wire on each negative battery terminal- 7 wires in total.

now that i have the balancing tap setup figured out, i have to ask where you guys get all of your batt building supplies. i need to find where you get the balancing taps, and i need to know what gague wire you use for the balancing taps. and would copper braid grounding wire be strong enough to handle the power going between cells?

I bought my cells plus taps from aircraft-world.com

I get a lot of solder run through the wick, solder is pretty soft though it still bends. I wouldn't solder the wire to the middle of the braid like in your pic (I did that the first few times), I realised its easier to solder the tap wire directly to one of the cell ends.

These guys are Hyperion dealer - here's the a123 balance tap that fits 2 - 6S.

http://www.allerc.com/product_info.p...oducts_id=3169

I got everything here except shrink which came from maxamps.

I soldered taps to the stock connectors using deans solder. Soldered main power wires directly to cell ends also using deans solder - had no probs.

ok, thanks for the link and thanks to eveyrone for the good advice!