Voltcraft Li-Ion Battery Holder - Newbie Modding Guide

[BVH]

Lux, I've not found silicone high strand count wire with a higher strand count. I really like using this stuff. I've wondered why they don't offer a 10 ga?

When you strip off some insulation on the 12 ga and then cut the remaining bare wires into your hand, the "fallout" on your hand feels like a soft powder - almost.

At McMaster-Carr, I found ultra-high strand count welding cable by Caroll. It's called Vu-Tron. There's battery cable, then there's welding cable and then there's Vu-Tron welding cable. In looking at the Ampacity charts, you can usually use a full 2 ga sizes smaller Vu-Tron cable to meet your current flow requirements as compared to their regular welding cable. A finer cable has a higher density cross-section - less air gap between the individual strands so it can carry a higher current load. This is what I used on my VSS-1 Tank light rig. Links don't seem to work to this page so go to McMastercarr.com and search for "Welding Cable". The Ampacity chart show the two types of cable in the same chart so it's easy to make a comparison. The Vu-Trom is extremely flexible cable.

 

[petrev]

Lux, I've not found silicone high strand count wire with a higher strand count. I really like using this stuff. I've wondered why they don't offer a 10 ga?

When you strip off some insulation on the 12 ga and then cut the remaining bare wires into your hand, the "fallout" on your hand feels like a soft powder - almost.

At McMaster-Carr, I found ultra-high strand count welding cable by Caroll. It's called Vu-Tron. There's battery cable, then there's welding cable and then there's Vu-Tron welding cable. In looking at the Ampacity charts, you can usually use a full 2 ga sizes smaller Vu-Tron cable to meet your current flow requirements as compared to their regular welding cable. A finer cable has a higher density cross-section - less air gap between the individual strands so it can carry a higher current load. This is what I used on my VSS-1 Tank light rig. Links don't seem to work to this page so go to McMastercarr.com and search for "Welding Cable". The Ampacity chart show the two types of cable in the same chart so it's easy to make a comparison. The Vu-Trom is extremely flexible cable.

Hi

I have some Silicon Muldental Elektronik 6sqmm (10AWG?) 1548 strand

It's great

Cheers Pete

 

[LuxLuthor]

Hi

I have some Silicon Muldental Elektronik 6sqmm (10AWG?) 1548 strand

It's great

Cheers Pete

Holy Moly!

Well I ordered a Red/Black/Yellow 25 foot 3 pack of the 655 strand 16AWG which ends up being cheaper than the CBP 280 strand. Thanks guys! It is not easy to find affordable, high strand, silicone quality wire. I wonder how many strands is in the 12AWG Dean's "Wet Noodle" wire I have. I don't find a need for larger than 16AWG for hardly anything I do.

 

[BVH]

Petrev, where did you find the 10 ga (6mm) silicone wire?

 

[petrev]

Petrev, where did you find the 10 ga (6mm) silicone wire?

Hi BVH

UK sellers of Muldental Kabel

Model Power . New Link
Al's hobbies

German Muldental Website Silikon-Litze Page 5

Cheers
Pete

 

[petrev]

Hi

Just had a PM about wire guage and current and thought I would post my thoughts for my future reference !

Hi

10AWG or 6qmm is right for 1000W Thor main wires (well it's what I used anyway !)

Don't worry about voltage at these low levels - only really relevant at high voltage for casing/insulation breakdown.

Current and length determine appropriate wire gauge / cross sectional area - length because power dissipation (heating) is due to resistance of wire (µΩ/m)

ModelPower page gives .75qmm as 15A (out of stock)

I tend to over rate my cables so would use 31A 2.5qmm for a 15A build !

This site shows AWG : Current rating
http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

This site shows AWG : sqmm but has lower A ratings than usual
ayenbee.com

note: Muldental Elektronik GmbH use qmm as abbreviation for square millimetre (sqmm or sq mm or mm²)

Cheers
Pete

e&oe

 

[petrev]

Hi Kent
. . .

This is how my latest "KEY" alligns to the Spring Posts for cutting if you happen to have one !

.

Hi All

Lux has now got a "KEY" in the US and this is how the KEY works in my local Key-Cutting (Pattern-Copying) Machine

Overview


KEY in Left Vice - Shallowest Jaws (Jaws-B) - Leave loose and adjust from the Post-Cutter positioning (see Below)


Contact-Post in Right Vice (Jaws-B)
Rear Edge(Back) alligned flush down into shallow jaws and located as far right as possible (on this machine). Lock in position.
Baseplate of Post touching side of vice (Face C )


Present Post up to the cutter blade (not running) and move bed so that top Pip of Post almost touches the cutter blade.


Slide KEY in from left to right so that top Pip just touches the Guide. Lock in position.


Check all looks correct . . .


OK ! Start Position. Start cutting from Left to Right - Slow and steady - Multi Pass if necessary . . .


Cutter Blade as fitted in my local machine !


Key Cutting Machine by Kind Arrangement with Mike
Langbridge Hardware, Larkhall, Bath, UK :thumbsup:

Hope this helps
Good Luck All
Pete

 

[LuxLuthor]

LOL! How in the world did you get such nice close up photos from a locksmith? They do make it clear.

This above post came after sending a PM to Petrev, because I was going to modify a number of these voltcrafts for people here in the USA, and figured I would save time getting the key pattern from Petrev. Took the contact piece and key to a local locksmith shop who said his machine only cuts brass and would need a carbide cutter to do these steel pieces. Another older machine he tried would not work with the perpendicular bottom (Voltcraft) guide getting in the way.

I'll try a couple other hardware/key making shops.

 

[petrev]

LOL! How in the world did you get such nice close up photos from a locksmith? They do make it clear.

. . .

I'll try a couple other hardware/key making shops.

Hi Lux

Key Cutting Machine by Kind Arrangement with Mike
Langbridge Hardware, Larkhall, Bath, UK :thumbsup:

Mike Langbridge, owner and locksmith, is a great guy who knows that helpful service and advice really works. His traditional hardware shop is keeping up in the digital world but still has the good old values of a local shop too.

He and his staff have been more than helpful over the years.

Cheers
Pete

 

[donn_]

...I was going to modify a number of these voltcrafts for people..

Lux...what is the status of this project?

 

[Anders]

Hi there.

Anyone tryed the newer one:



Number: 200055 on Conrad
3A max

Anders

 

[SafetyBob]

I would love to try the new one or get some more old ones. Since Conrad doesn't ship to US, any of you guys over there willing to play host for a group buy or something?

Please...............

Otherwise I will be forced to integrate charging jacks on all my flashlights which will require work and effort on my part that I seem to have problems with right now.

Bob E.

 

[Aircraft800]

Hi there.

Anyone tryed the newer one:



Number: 200055 on Conrad
3A max

Anders

I'm in for one, can someone get a few and ship them to the states? It's H-Tronic P/N 200055 - 62 at Conrad

It looks like the Voltcraft is still there too, P/N 512034 - 62

You can purchase it directly from the manufacture here

 

[Anders]

Hi

When buying from Conrad here in sweden it cost 23.47$ plus shipping.

When buying from http://www.elv.de it cost 18.37$ plus shipping. I dont know if they ship overseas.


http://cgi.ebay.de/H-TRONIC-Ladesch...34360QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262
Only ship to Germany and Austria

http://www.neuhold-elektronik.at/catshop/product_info.php?cPath=195_289&products_id=3073
It looks like they ship to USA.

Anders

 

[Aircraft800]

Here is the manufactures store
http://www.h-tronicshop.de/artikel.aspx?sid=Q5QF28kKj1AAs3bIl93LGpcEiDhv9RxawrWbCkrYeZE%3d&art=192254

I need a transulation.
USAAufschlag:20,00 €Mindestbestellwert:0,00 €Nachnahmegebühr:6,50 €Versandanbieter:---Zahlungsarten:Vorkasse Überweisung

 

[petrev]

Hi there.

Anyone tryed the newer one:



Number: 200055 on Conrad
3A max

Anders

Hi

From the look of it you cannot mod it to fit longer 18670 type cells as there is not the spare room as available in the older one. These would be fine for upto D size ! and no doubt upgradeable to higher current capacity ! ! !

Babel-Fish Translation !!!

What about those old NiCad-NiMh chargers ? they were readily available in the US and seemed fairly easily modable ?

Pete

 

[QtrHorse]

So it is $41.91 to ship it to the US from Neuhold?

 

[Mr Happy]

I don't know if anyone has tried it, but this might be a suitable host for modding:

It is only $7.99 from Harbor Freight Tools (ITEM 95017).

There is also a slightly more elaborate one for $14.99 (ITEM 47618):

 

[Aircraft800]

Either of those can be nodded, I've done a few, but I was hoping a all-for-one solution for the same price if it was avaliable:

 

[LuxLuthor]

Lux...what is the status of this project?

Donn, sorry.....I dropped the ball after taking Petrev's key to 5 Locksmiths who all looked at me and my request like I had 4 eyes and speaking Klingon. The few that could do it with an older machine say their cutting blades are not designed for steel. I did the ones I'm using on a grinding wheel, and isn't that hard to do.

Oh, I also got an update from Tronic a couple months ago who has to charge a bit more because of changes in currency/shipping prices. I think he is in Switzerland.

They are handy as hell. I have three of them in series, and frequently do 12s balance charging with a pair of networked Hyperion LBA-10 6s balance chargers that are an addon to the Hyperion 1210i.