Cases A new charger build

[vimy]

Do a quick search on:

rc lipo fires

and look under images.

It makes your skin crawl to see what damage is possible.

I plan to use 50mm ammo/incendiary boxes for containment if a LiPo fire does occur. The ceramic pipes that one modeler uses, are a good idea too.

The other thing is to use a good quality charger that has the correct charging characteristics and safety shutdown circuitry.

There can never be enough safety with LiPo cells.

Anyway, good night. I am trying to sleep, but my insomnia is getting the better of me.

 

[murankar]

Don't worry vimy I take my charging just a serious as others. Safety is always on my mind.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Forum Runner

 

[vimy]

Don't worry vimy I take my charging just a serious as others. Safety is always on my mind.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Forum Runner

I don't doubt that M, I was just commenting on what I regard as a dubious charging practice.

It may look "spectacular" if that's the correct word, for camera shots, but from a safety and gear saving point of view, putting batteries on the deck of a charging station whilst being charged is just a bad idea.

And so many modelers do it. =/ ??

 

[Tony]

I will admit, I'm one of those that sets it up on top of the charging station. But, I'm always around when they are charging and I'm constantly looking at them. About every 5 minutes, I reach over and touch the packs AND the wires going to the para-board.

 

[vimy]

I will admit, I'm one of those that sets it up on top of the charging station. But, I'm always around when they are charging and I'm constantly looking at them. About every 5 minutes, I reach over and touch the packs AND the wires going to the para-board.

Yes, I saw the photo.

Please don't take it the wrong way. I'm not having a go at anyone, just what I see as a needlessly hazardous practice.

The last thing I want to see is someone injured attempting to save their expensive charger, trying to clear burning LiPo cells off it's deck.

LiPo fires are very intense and hot, because of this, they are difficult to put out.

Something that does not need to happen if the para board with charging cells are placed some distance away.

 

[Tony]

You are exactly right, and I never took it that way. Safety has to be first with these things.

 

[SIXFOOTER]

A Simple solution is to use a Charging Bag, its designed to be fireproof and use connection leads for the bag to be outside the case.
Thats my plan anyway

 

[murankar]

While lipo bags are good, they are only so good.

One thing I am looking at is the PRC fused parallel charging and balance boards. This add a level of safety but not full proof.

One thing for sure is I don't want to scratch the deck or blemish it. I know in time it will but it will be a long time coming.

As for the rig, I am still planning.

Today I managed to remove both breakout boards and got on PSU full working off the ribbon cable minus the load balance and voltage adjustment. I am now looking at closing the hole left by the break out board and solving the power leads from inside the PSU. With the power posts in the PSU I can add a bunch of options but I need to find the best one for me.

I found a 5v lead which can be used for a USB device. So I need to look at that option now too. Anyhow I have some pics and info to add later tomorrow.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Forum Runner

 

[vimy]

Hello M,

I've been looking for a coating that can be sprayed onto acrylic or polycarbonate to toughen up the surface, but no luck so far. I don't think it exists in spray pack form, you can only buy acrylic that has been already treated.

I know it doesn't look as good and it isn't available in clear, but have you considered a textured, solid colour for the deck of the charger?

For fixing the chargers in place, I'm using that 3M heavy duty Dual Lock tape:

3M Dual Lock Reclosable Fastener SJ3542 170

It has a better holding strength for the same amount than Velcro.

I've finished purchasing all the "ground support" gear. Now I'm assembling a charging station from 2 Revo PL8's, two Proliant 12V 100A PSU's and an old flight case I found on ebay for $40 AUD.

The first thing to do is gut the flight case and plug up all the holes with panels and stop putty. It's a large one, bigger than the Pelican cases that PRC uses. I got it because it was cheap. I don't particularly care what it looks like on the outside, it's what is inside that matters.

It's less than pristine exterior will attract less attention from people anyway. That's what I'm hoping for.

I'm going for a premium build internally though. Nothing will be left to chance or built with cheap components and safety is non-negotiable.

 

[murankar]

I have only seen one site that had the pre treated stuff. As for scratch coating for diy, Tony or Matt would be the guys to ask. They make their own fish tanks and work with the stuff the most. I am only needing a 13x11 inch piece.

I am trying to make the best setup possible inside. I am going through and planning the entire build first and trying to build the parts list. I am still looking at switches and connectors. I know I need a few ring ends and a few spade connectors.

I have made some minor progress on the conversion. I need to make some diagrams up for the end caps. I have till June to get the diagram made up. I have a machinist that will cut, bend and drill the pieces to fit the PSU. I am going to measure the breakout board and use that as the reference. Just want to dress up the out put side a little. Then to solve the binding posts. Not sure how I want it done yet. I think I just might mount two sets of posts connected by a piece of Cooper. Then that will allow me to do what I think I want to do. I am going to run one 12v line off straight to the charger and have the two binding posts for 12v. I know the PL6 comes with an EC5 connector for the power input. So I think I may just match that setup just for the charger and go 10g for the rest if the build.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Forum Runner

 

[vimy]

Hello M,

I'm particularly interested in your PSU conversions. Although I'm having a little trouble visualising it. I'm not with you when it comes to the break-out boards and the end caps, what are they? In your second to last post (#28) you described break-out boards and removing them from the PSU.

Sorry M, you'll have to take my word for it, I'm not really that dumb.

Are you removing the PSU enclosures and putting the PSU boards in a custom made enclosure? Do you have pictures I can look at?

The approach I'm taking is attempting to do as little as possible in modifying the HP Proliant FB1200 power supplies. I hope to get away with using a combination of heatshrink and nylon screws to isolate the board from the existing mounting standoffs in it's enclosure. I don't want to cut of file these standoffs if I don't have to.

Both PSU's are going to be mounted on an acrylic chassis along with fabricated connector boards, using the correct edge connector socket, soldered to modified Veroboard and all interconnecting wiring coming off that. This will allow a simple change over if a PSU fails. There will be no soldering on the PSU's edge contacts. This whole chassis will be mounted as a complete unit and bolted into the case. Cabling will be terminated with heavy brass terminal blocks like the ones used for car sound systems.

 

[murankar]

The breakout board essentially the black socket sticking out the back. That black socket is attached to a circuit board, that board is the actual breakout board. Its the central location for output power and psu controls.

When you short any pins to ground, your tricking the psu into thinking its in a server. I will attempt to do a video on Friday on what I have done. I have yet to find a good visual or instructions on this process.

Real quick; the first three wires will connect to the JGND post on the main circuit board. Wires 4&5 will connect to any of the JGND leads. I would probably run this from the same location as wires 1-3. If I remember (I am at work) wire 9 connects to wire 9 from the second PSU. The rest of the wires are not all that important. If you want to adjust the amount of your output then you'll need to use one more wire off the ribbon cable.

To power your equipment from this setup you will run some 10g wires with loop ends from JGND and J12V posts off the main circuit board. For 24v run a 10g wire from the JGND post in one PSU to J12V post of the other. Now does it matter what PSU has the 24v neg wire, I really don't know.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Forum Runner

 

[murankar]

I'll try and post some pics tonight and still try and do a video on Friday.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Forum Runner

 

[Tony]

these are the a me psu's that gaba and I used, there are two articles on how to wire them. I think this is what you are asking anyway.

Rc-Help - Chargers

 

[vimy]

Hello Tony?

Now I understand what the pin arrangement is.

My power supplies are completely different, they are the same type as Kevin uses:

A new power supply

 

[murankar]

Yeah that one is way different. You need to know what pad does what. I know there is info on the web just not sure what sites will have it.

The DPS 600pb is a popular psu for this application. So there is way more info on those.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Forum Runner

 

[murankar]

Okay so I said I would post some pictures of the HP DPS 600PB project as it stands, without further ado here's the pictures.



This is the JGND (left post) and J12V post (right post). This is where the brakeout board receives its main power for the copper spades in the black housing.



This is the bottom of the breakout board. You can see the lower traces and where they go. Upper Middle pins (4 rows of three) are the pins used to short out the switch and fan. the bottom set of three pins connect straight to a +5V cable you will see in the next couple of pictures. The lower left coner set of through pins are for the ribbon cable. Ad the right center through hole points are the J5V and -J12V (-12v from the JGND, I presume based on the silk screen) The upper left and right sets of through hole pins are the main positive and negative copper blades that Tony soldered his female bullet connectors to.


This is just showing the +5V and -12V lines fro the first three pins.




Here is a top shot of the board. This is so that you can get a better view of the 5v rail (for a lack of a better term.



This is the ribbon cable I am working with. the red line as most of you may know is pin 1 or the starting point for the pinout of the cable. So the first to wires (the red one on the one right next to it) need to connected to JGND or the PSU wont turn on and it will make a clicking noise. If you want to do the fan mod just include the third wire into that bunch. Wires 4 & 5 and a JGND wire will be used to power on and off the PSU. Lastly to load balance the PSU while in series connect wire nine to wire 9 on the other PSU. If you wanted you could find a socket to fit this plug and solder wire to the socket but that defeats the purpose of removing the breakout board, kind of. Wire 8 is current output adjustment in case you want to adjust your output. Wires 6 & 7 are currently unknown as to what they do. These could be used by the server for monitoring and play no role in our application. I am not positive on that since nothing has been put out by the community, so I can't verify wires 6&7.

Once all this is done you will need to tidy up the new hole and start wireing the PSUs for there new use as a charging solution.

 

[vimy]

I see, M.

The break out board just plugs into the main board via the ribbon cable and you have removed it.

Are you going to bring these connections out to a more convenient place so you can change the power supply characteristics more easily.

 

[murankar]

I just spent the better part of the day doing just that. Making wires longer and wrapping them with electrical tape.

The next step is to get some AWG8 and AWG10 wires. The AWG8 will link the two PSUs together and the 10 will do the rest. I also need some ends, bind posts, switches. I need to figure out what exactly i need for ends and the amount of cable. I am also thinking of using copper stock to connect the binding posts to and then connect the cable to the copper stock.

Just more of my thoughts that run through my head on this project.

 

[vimy]

Hello M,

I have the same problem, thoughts going through your head of concepts and ideas. Best write them down.

As far as ends go, and by that I'm assuming what sort of terminals you're contemplating using, I made the decision to use EC connectors exclusively.

It was a decision I made simply because of the EC connector used on my PL8's input leads.

The Revo parallel charger boards are a pain in the arse. They use Deans connectors on the 6 heavy current feeds and I will need to make up adaptors to change to EC connectors.

I will be using all sizes of EC connectors including EC5, EC3 and the EC2 connectors for small planes and batteries.

Once the heavy cable is stripped, I was thinking of using copper tubing for crimping on the bare ends so that they don't fray. They can then be put into screw terminals and clamped with the screw without damaging the copper strands.

This is the kind of terminal block I'm going to use for the PSU outputs for positive and negative:

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mv8hfipg3Yl-ee7j-NrzfSA.jpg

It is a single 4AWG input to four 8AWG outputs. These along with the PSU's will be mounted on the acrylic chassis.

Thanks for updating your thread, M. It's interesting to follow what's happening.