4 x 18650 Battery Adaptor

[turboferret]

Guys,

Taking inspiration from modamag on this thread I am in the process of making something very similar, only not specifically to go inside maglite type torches.

Would be designed to take 4 18650 cells, either in 4S1P, 2S2P or 1S4P configuration (I think I've got that terminology right ) and would have soldered leads for connecting to whatever light you have.

Thinking about doing a 2 x 18650 holder too.

I don't have machining facilities, so would be casting these in epoxy resin, hopefully that'll be suitable.

Wouldn't necessarily be of professional quality, but hopefully more than adequate.

Idea is that it would be very cheap, and you could stick in whatever 18650 cells you have, and pop them out for charging.

Anyone interested in some?

Cheers, Rich

 

[Wiggle]

If cost is low enough, I'll take a few.

 

[Jarl]

Not sure about postage to the UK, but I'm definitely interested

 

[herulach]

I'd be interested in at least 1 2s2p - again dependent on price.

 

[HEY HEY ITS HENDO]

fantastic idea!! it would be great to have a 4s pack which you could pop them out to recharge/change
next thing i would like to see is an 18650 smart charger with lcd display of charge status and capacity ....
ok i would have 2 depending on shipping .........

 

[rayman]

I'd be interested in at least 1 2s2p - again dependent on price.

+1 for the 2S2P dependent on the price

rayman

 

[turboferret]

Splendid, good to see the interest :twothumbs

Over on SingleTrackWorld various ideas have cropped up with regards how complete a package people would be interested in.

Initially I had conceived this as purely a battery pack for DIYers, but I'm going to look into some leads and fittings too.

I am based in the UK, so postage would be probably a little slow to the US, assuming people want to keep costs down, but I'll look into that when needed. Are most people on this board located the far side of the pond?

I'm still at the stage of mocking up, so it'll be a little while until I have finished products, but keep your eyes peeled for developments

Cheers, Rich

 

[DaFABRICATA]

I'll keep my eye on this one...

Intersted in 1-3 depending on price.

 

[rayman]

Initially I had conceived this as purely a battery pack for DIYers, but I'm going to look into some leads and fittings too.

I am based in the UK, so postage would be probably a little slow to the US, assuming people want to keep costs down, but I'll look into that when needed. Are most people on this board located the far side of the pond?

Yes the greater part is from the US but there are also many from Asia and Europe. I'm from Germany so shipping should not be the problem . I also really like your idea of a 2 x 18650 battery adapter :thumbsup:. So from what material will the battery adapter be made of?

rayman

 

[turboferret]

Material for the ends was going to be epoxy resin, but after investigation I'll be using a polyester resin instead, as it's more compatible with my mould material.

If I can source all of the right bits and pieces, this pack might evolve into something more similar to these

which would require no tools to remove the batteries, but would most likely be more difficult to produce without injection moulding....

I'll post updates as soon as they develop.

Cheers, Rich

 

[Charlotte]

If you could bring them in at a sensible price (say <£10 each) I'd be interested in one or two.

 

[turboferret]

Price should be fairly low, but I haven't fully quantified all of the materials etc yet - not aiming to make a huge profit, it's something that I want, and it's not much more effort to make several than just a few, so if I can cover the costs of my own, and a bit of pocket money, I'll be happy!

Cheers, Rich

 

[d1dd1]

I'm also interested :twothumbs

 

[Phaethon]

Count me in for a 3-4 pieces of 2X and 4X holders!

 

[turboferret]

Another update on the design front - now that I've found a source for battery contacts, I can make the whole thing without requiring a clumsy bolt through the middle, in much the same way as commercial battery holders designed for AA's and the like.

This will be much simpler, and worst case scenario will require a little bit of Velcro around the batteries to stop them popping out of the holder.

The downside, is that the configuration cannot be changed quickly between 4S1P, 2S2P and 1S4P. I would pre-wire the units in whatever configuration was required, and then they could be re-soldered to change if required.

I think the pros out-weigh the cons though, and it should be much easier to use.

Any thoughts?

Cheers, Rich

 

[turboferret]

And now with some fillets and cut-outs to make it easier to get the batteries in and out

Cheers, Rich

 

[HEY HEY ITS HENDO]

looking good Rich, :thumbsup:
o rings, ...
or a slice of innertube might retain the batteries better than velcro

 

[rayman]

I like your first design of the 2 x 18650 adapter better.

rayman

 

[bluecrow76]

Sounds good. Dimensions?

 

[turboferret]

I had meant to show the spring contacts in one of the earlier images, but accidentally posted a pic of the part, and not the assembly - shown below is the unit with the clips and some dimensions.

Hendo, good call on the a bit of inner tube, which would be easier and cheaper

It'll weigh about 30g, so postage shouldn't be expensive.

The issue with the earlier design, was the need to use tools to get the batteries in and out - the central bolt was what retained the ends, and also put compression on the batteries. I had slight reservations on that idea from the outset, but it was a reasonable starting point to develop the idea from. Using sprung battery clips, you can pre-determine the force on the batteries, and there isn't the potential to over-tighten the bolt, and crack the ends.

I'll do a twin version too, using battery clips, so I'm not dropping that idea.

Cheers, Rich

Cheers, Rich