edited title - Repairing my controller and other fixes/maintenance

calab

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1) Do you use male or female on your battery controller whether be xt's or bullet connectors?
edit - Female connector on the battery side is the safe way.

1a) What would the industry norm, or an E/E would do? Yes I know it doesnt matter.
edit - Female, someone posted about your wall outlet, and I say thats by code/law

*It would be best, I would think, to have the safest (male or female) connector on the battery side, which would probably make the female best for battery side, and male side for controller.
edit - That is the correct assumption


2) Are XT90 Anti-spark only on the female side?
*I have 2 sets of Amass, probably legit as I probably bought from Grintech. But I opened the pacakage long ago and plugged m+f together for storage in my pile of xt's. It looks to me as though the male side has no destinguishing features stating its apart of the anti-spark.
edit - The anti-spark circuit is only in the female side.

3) What is the best material to place between the controller and case when reinstalling?
edit - Any non conductive material, it feels as though it might be parchment paper so there could be an electronic alternative to cooking parchment paper.

4) For the battery side of things, which side of the battery cables should have the fuse?
edit - Fuses go positive side, otherwise, from what I read, there will be a buildup of electrons on one side


4a) Which fuse is best for 36v 35a to match the controller I am repairing and the 36v has always seen that controller.
edit - 40a is common and would work.


4b) Does the voltage rating of the fuse matter?
edit - Any fuse rated for dc, 12v or 24v automotive blade fuses, you can also look at the solar industry.


*Best fuse, 40a? Of course dc rated. I will just buy whatever Grintech has and they probably have the automotive 24v 40a. Lots of others to choose from of course from Mouser and other sources.
edit - Grintech had automotive fuses, I cant remember if they were the 12v or 24v versions but I do not see it on their website for sale anymore.

edit - For question below, I was thinking theres gotta be some compact, outer sides insulated, pcb mounted connectors that would keep the wires unplugged and out of the way. Mouser.com is the place to see if such a thing exists, not seen but theres gotta be.
Just a comment - Be nice to have a pc psu style partial modular system for the nest of wires that 80% are unused. Keep the battery and phases and sense wires soldered on the pcb.
 

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when the battery and controller are fisconnected, the controller is not danger, but...the battery remains very dangerous.

This is why I always recommend to put the female connector on the battery side. Both the power cable and charging cable should be female, and I also recommend that the connecyors should be two different sizes or types.

For instance, I have a battery that uses the XT90 female for power, and the XT60 female for charging.
 
spinningmagnets said:
For instance, I have a battery that uses the XT90 female for power, and the XT60 female for charging.
I have a store-bought battery (from Luna) and this is exactly how it's configured.
 
Thanks Spinning Magnets

Looking at my pile of connectors, got some Hobbyking 4mm, should handle 35a right?
I have lots and lots of 4mm females, one male and lots and male-male adapters.
Well I gotta do something, m-m adapters it is, but safety is key and I will do it proper. Just hope the 4mm HK bullet connectors are sufficient for 35a, then just have to redo motor phase 4mm bullets.

Pictures below
*I havent done bullet connectors in 8 years. 4mm is small, I got big fingers.
Snip phase wires even on the controller and install.
Readjust the locking pliers to hold the 4mm's, dont squish it ;)
Probably doesnt matter with my phases coming off the pcb with stock wires then to my 12awg.
Helpful hint, take your solder and dip it in the bowl to see how deep it is to get an idea of how much wire insulation to strip.
Strip wire, do a test fit with unsoldered conductor.
Tin - twist strands tight and solder. Touch solder tip to wire, apply solder to the wire not the solder iron tip. Though sometimes I barely touch it to wet the tip to get heat flowing properly. Do not apply to much.
Overflow can happen easy on bullets and can ruin your bullet connector.
Test fit tinned wire into bowl
Fill bowl
Heat cup
Dunk tinned phase wire into bowl
You dont have to be as careful with the 4mm bullets as the plastic housed xt's.

Hack job on the normal male 4mm, and guess what? I forgot to slip on heat shrink, not too important on bullet connectors. There are 3:1 shrink ratio heat shrink, cheapest are 2:1.

Of note while doing it, I had a stray strand and my iron touched the flexible part but it came off.

Before shrinking the heat shrink, test fit.

I will be using electrical tape over the gap between the male and female when attached to ebike controller.

Remember safety, phases are conducting lots of amps.

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I messed up, I have a baggie of a different style 4mm, ideally I want them all the same.
I wasnt thinking straight, had the baggy of 4mm's right in front of me when I did it.


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I want all the controller phases male. I wouldnt mix them, one phase male, another female another male.
The connector is a source of resistance and will heat up.

In the above pic, male on right, female on left

Careful dont squish the male 4mm holding it with locking pliers.

Repeat procedure.

Damn I am getting good at it now. Kinda. The wire has to go in straighter, the problem with what I have is the bottom of the bowl is 0.5mm from the open bottom
Remember not to place the heat shrink past the ridge into the flexible part, otherwise it wont slide in properly.

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Now I have a choice, I have only one spare flared male 4mm (bottom) but lots of the other style, so the other style it is.
Gosh that style doesnt take much solder, be careful not to over fill the bowl.

The last one is the best one.
Tehcnique there was to also touch the sides to get full solder overlap onto the bowls sides. It was a one shot deal this one, the other two I had to reheat and do the sides of the bowls. Should be a stronger fit, Oops you see that stray strand?
Not an issue as heat shrink will cover it.
Notice how the wire is straight on the 3rd time, you know what they say, 3rd times the charm.
I am showing you three pics of the same 4mm, the strand and the side walls.
Solder is shiney and smooth which is good :thumb:

Literally takes a few minutes to load each pic for my pc/ispm, 2MB pics.


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It is taking a lot to try to shove the plastic rubber protective grommet into the steel side of the controller.
Quite the finger workout today.
 
So you (SM/Luna) are using an inbetween connector adpater with mixed of XT60 for charger side of the adapter and XT90 for the battery side of the adapter.... to charge the battery. Am I reading that and understanding that correctly?
Another adapter to not mess that connection up, but you cant lose that adapter. Safe, yes.

If I remember correctly, Luna had some great expert/professional help in the beginning and now with their batteries.
Its something for me to consider doing it that way, thanks.


simonov said:
spinningmagnets said:
For instance, I have a battery that uses the XT90 female for power, and the XT60 female for charging.
I have a store-bought battery (from Luna) and this is exactly how it's configured.







As for what got me started today was the protective rubber that wasnt in place. It took me 15 minutes playing with it to shove it all back in. Only question I am asking myself is do I use instant glue to keep it in place, rubber cement, epoxy these are the tough questions of the day for me. I would try to shove that glue on the outside lip first, then see what I can do on the inside flap part.

Pics, yes below, enjoy. :wink:
The more pictures the better is my motto :thumb:

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Iron is an old cheapo 60w Harbour Freight, solder used was Radio Shacks Nextech 60/40 0.8mm. Not the MG Chemical I posted earlier, I am running low on Nextech solder so had MGChemical on standby.
4mm's are Hobby King
XT90 A/S from Grintech.

Potential other posts will be fixing the phases coming off the pcb.
Glueing the rubber protective grommet.
 

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calab said:
So you (SM/Luna) are using an inbetween connector adpater with mixed of XT60 for charger side of the adapter and XT90 for the battery side of the adapter.... to charge the battery. Am I reading that and understanding that correctly?

Here's a photo of the back of my Luna battery pack (sorry it's so big, I found it online):

LUNA_WIRELESS_WOLF_V2_3_of_6__50504.1556187818.jpg


There are two female XT60s for charging, and two XT90s that go to the motor. The lower connector of each pair is covered with a cap. I am not sure why there are two of each, I am relatively new to all this. But in my case I use one of the XT60s for charging while one of the XT90s is always plugged into the motor. I don't use a separate controller, it's built in to the BBS02 mid drive motor. Works fine.
 
I was told that since some of the Luna packs are fully potted, they decided to add redundant connectors, which is also very handy if you wish to add a second controller for 2WD...
 
I use genderless Anderson SB50s, which dont' have easily shorted contacts.


But...if I had to use a connector that did have easily shorted contacts, I'd use the half that shielded them as best it could on anything with a voltage "always" present.
 
calab said:
1) Do you use male or female on your battery controller whether be xt's or bullet connectors?

Think of your wall outlets, and whether they are better as they are, as sockets, or whether having hot prongs extending out from the wall would be better.
 
(for some people I know, the wall outlets actually need a self-resetting switch so that when a device is unplugged from it, it turns the outlet off, and requires you go somewhere else in the room where you cannot touch that outlet to get to the switch to turn it back on. :roll: )
 
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