Novak Tech Talk "Mistakes to Avoid - Battery Packs and Connectors"

 

Our good friend and technical genius, Charlie Suangka of Novak R/C, has once again put together another interesting and informative "Novak Tech Talk" article. This time Charlie shares some "Mistakes to Avoid" when it comes to battery packs and connectors to ensure the highest quality performance and long lasting life of your electronics.

 

  

  

As battery technology and system power demands progress, many factors change in regards to the basic trouble areas to keep an eye on. A common thread we've seen has been related to two similar areas—bad connections and weak battery packs. The right combination of minor oversights can lead to some BIG problems for your electronics. These problems can lead to overheating, failures, and sometimes catastrophic damage to the speed control and other electronics. After reading this article you should have a good understanding of what to avoid, and have good practices that will help keep your rig running without problems.

 

Battery Connection Issues to Avoid
It is important to have good quality, genuine connectors that have a tight connection and installed on good-quality power wire with good-quality solder joints. Here are some of the common mistakes we see in customer installs—all which can lead to severe over-heating problems and damage to electronics due to a higher resistance in the power wire connection.

• Adapters- never use them!
• Long Power Wires- keep wire as short as possible
• Imitation "Brand" Plugs- replace with a genuine-brand connector
• Loose/Worn/Dirty Plugs- check often and replace
• Bad Solder Joints- even if the connection "looks good", make sure all solder joints have a good connection

Ditch any adapters, lose the "universal" fit plugs, or any sort of non-genuine plug. Most of the imitation plugs are fairly difficult to identity, so when they are in question, replace them. Some of the bargain basement battery packs you will find have terrible connectors installed. Even if they look new, if they are suspect of being an imitation of a genuine brand, replace them immediately.

Next, look at the basic length of the wires. Most speed controls come with more wire length than required for most installations. Generally, long wire length and high current spikes lead to radio noise, severe heating, and voltage spikes during braking which cause steering servo or ESC glitches. Keeping power wires as short as possible will help your rig run correctly, and will help ensure that your electronics can provide the power on demand that custom builders and racers require. If the wire length needs to be extended, you will want to pay close attention to how this is done and make sure that splicing wire is minimized and solder joints have a good-quality connection. Any solder joint should also be protected with a good-quality heat shrink.

Battery Pack Issues to Avoid
It is important to use good quality battery packs from well known brands and be sure that the connectors and solder joints are good quality to prevent operational issues and potential damage to the battery pack and electronics. Here are some common mistakes we see with customer installs:

• Using Low C Rated Packs- a high C rating will help prevent overheating issues and damage to the electronics
• Using Off-Brand Packs- it is important to use packs from known R/C car brands
• Bad Solder Joints- using a proper wattage soldering iron with a clean tip and flux will help make good solder joints
• Loose/Dirty Connections- inspect regularly and replace with clean connectors with tight connection
• Excessive/Oxidized Solder Joints- remove excessive solder and check regularly as overheating can cause oxidation

Let's review the C rating of the battery pack first. When the speed control and motor require lots of power, the battery needs to provide this. A low C rated battery pack is not capable of supplying the high current demands and acts like a weak connection or bad wire. During braking, a low C rated battery pack cannot absorb the power dump from the motor and causes the battery voltage to spike extremely high. This high voltage spike can cause damage to the speed control and power capacitors due to over-voltage application. It also leads to overheating of the battery pack, wiring, and connectors. This all happens quickly and leads to operational issues and damage to other electronics. It is extremely important to use high-quality battery packs with a high C rating from well known brands that have specific R/C car experience and products.

Clean Solder Joints are also very important. Many plugs are easily disfigured during install, and often lead to poor plug connections. Keeping power plug installs clean and tidy, as well as plugs in good physical shape is important. Motor solder joints at the power tabs, and any bullet plug connections should also be examined closely. Too much solder on the surfaces or oxidized solder joints caused by overheating will lead to extra resistance that equals a bad connection. It is also important to use enough flux during soldering as well as using a proper wattage soldering iron with clean tip to ensure a good solder joint. Keeping solder surfaces clean of solder build up as well as removing excess exposed surfaces is also critical. Plugs on battery packs, and any bullet tubes should be looked over. It's not uncommon for battery leads to be worn out quickly from one or two hard runs, or from dirt build up.

Following these recommendations for battery packs and proper connections will help prevent unwanted performance issues and damage. Once you have the right connectors in place, the proper wire length, good solder joints, and a good-quality, high C rated battery pack, it is important that you regular check the system to make sure it stays in good operation order. 

  

 

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