Best Way Solder Additional Lead or Connector to Lipo?

[dmitry100]

Hi,

Is it worth soldering an additional wire to the existing lead of a lipo at the very end before shrink wrap starts? instead of going the route of messing with the aluminum tabs... which can be risky

[Bp9145]

????

[RaceMechaniX]

Not unless you are really really good at soldering. It’s not easy and high risk you overheat the cell.

[NativePaul]

Not to me.

[Moonie]

I use a resistance solder. It don't get hot like the irons.

[Speed3]

I think soldering a connector to the lipo is your better option.

[Speed3]

Don't forget the flux. One more thing you need a hot soldering iron.

[Hydrocarbon82]

This extra connector will be to power something like a UBEC I presume? If just need an extra connector, adding it to where the existing wire terminates at the connector (5.5mm, xt90, etc) is best. You'd only want it at the tab if both loads will exceed that of the existing wires.

Putting it just beyond the shrink wrap to preserve the existing solder joint is not a good idea. It will almost certainly liquify being 1 inch or less away, and that could mess up that join w/o you seeing it. It's also a bad idea since you can't properly shrink wrap that new joint, and elec tape has been known to remove itself and allow your wires to short out.


I've soldered a few tabs directly and it's not that difficult. Then again some people have issues with tiny deans & try using 15w irons. I use Kester no-clean liquid flux and a 150w iron & add as much solder to the wire before hand as it can safely take. Then I warm up the tab, then press the iron to the wire on top of the tab. That way the tab only stays hot for a few seconds.

[dmitry100]

I was thinking to add the extra lead to use it for the dual conductor wires from ESC but I suppose I'll just shorten the lipo wires as much as possible and use 1 connector. That is if 6mm LMT bullets will do ok at 500amp regardless. My ESC is sitting in the catamaran sponsons and the 4s + 4s lipos in series sitting vertical.

[Hydrocarbon82]

500A is something you shouldn't be leaving out of your question lol. 6mm is viewed as 150A capability, so it highly depends on your battery setup. Are they four individual 4S1P batteries, or one super-pack in a 4S4P config with just a single pos/neg lead? You'll be using something waaay thicker than the typical 10awg I presume, which also completely changes direct-tab soldering suggestions.

Help us help you, spend 20-30 seconds listing some of the important details or answers will be as lacking as your details.

[dmitry100]

8 cells total for each motor, so 2 of 4s lipo in series.

You don't think the Lehner 6mm bullets would handle the 400a as mentioned on their site?

[RaceMechaniX]

The latest LMT 6mm plugs can handle 400A, but there are some of the tightest connectors to pull apart.

[dmitry100]

they're not so bad... they're alot easier when you have wires soldered on them and they wiggle off fine. i suppose its better than having them pulled apart in a crash

the hardest bullets to pull apart are the big 8mm from H&M