Soldering wires directly to batteries in a DIY box mod. Yay or nay?

[Metaloco]

So I'm thinking of building a DNA30 based box mod. I plan on using two Sony VTC5 18650 batteries and since I got the USB charger board there's no need to remove the batteries from the box. I have battery holders but I was thinking if I soldered wires directly to the batteries I could save some space. Is this a bad idea since batteries are sensitive to heat? Has anybody done (or seen) this?
Thanks in advance for your help guys

 

[vapero]

Just an idea.
Why don't you solder wires to a magnet and then attach it to the bats

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[Metaloco]

Just an idea.
Why don't you solder wires to a magnet and then attach it to the bats

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That's a good idea vapero!
I'm thinking that's the way to go.
Thanks loco

 

[icky]

Seriously never thought of that, innovative thinking. I am going to use that one, then heat shrink the whole thing incase it gets dislodged.

 

[iamthevoice]

Talk to RC hobbyists, who will all tell you that soldering directly to the battery is the most efficient (least resistance and voltage drop) manner to get power to something (in their case, an ESC). The magnet idea is interesting but magnets often become wonky after heat applications. Check out some RC forums topics on building battery packs for tips on soldering batteries and making battery packs! This guys really know batteries in a way that could really be useful in this hobby!

 

[Tom Fuller]

You also limit the life of your device to the number of charger/discharge cycles the battery can take. Magnets do change resistance with heat. Good luck.


Live Long and Vape!

 

[exnihilo]

Yeesh, I'd rather solder to some keystone connectors and then, at the least band it together somehow, even a rubber band is better for longevity. IMHO.

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[Tom Fuller]

Yeesh, I'd rather solder to some keystone connectors and then, at the least band it together somehow, even a rubber band is better for longevity. IMHO.

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Great point you could use a few thin zip ties to bind the keystones to the battery allowing it to be changed.


Live Long and Vape!

 

[something_vague]

Soldering directly to the batteries is certainly an accepted practice. I have done this a lot in my lifetime on electronic devices and have never seen any ill effect.

 

[DetraMental]

The solder cools so quickly I can't see how the heat would cause any damage to the batteries.

 

[Killowatt]

I've done it many times for RC cars, but they were nicads. At the time they were pricy as we all used the best we could get for longer run time. Never had a problem.

Tap'n on my S5

 

[Jazzman]

Soldering directly to the battery is the lowest resistance connection you can get... if you solder well. You will want to make sure to use a very good quality solder iron that can produce a good stable temp and maintain it fairly well. I find 800~900deg works best so you can get a good solder connection quickly. You do not want to heat your battery for long while soldering. Best to have equipment that will solder quickly, but still give a good connection. High heat for prolonged periods can degrade or damage the battery.

You might want to add a switch to be able to quickly disconnect power since you won't be able to pull the battery if a problem happens. Use a very good quality switch so you don't add resistance to the circuit, that would defeat the purpose of directly soldering to the battery.

 

[Rapture]

Personally I would not do this but I'm a paranoid freak.

Something about having a Li-ion battery permanently connected to a circuit makes me feel uneasy.

 

[Metaloco]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm gonna have for sure a couple of resettable fuses in line with each battery. Still trying to figure out a second way to disconnect power in case of a problem. A switch needs to be small but able to handle the current. I'm thinking some type of quick connector might do the trick


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[DrMA]

Another RC hobbyist here confirming that soldering to batteries is a well established and widely used practice. You might want to consider using a small connector in between the batt wires and the DNA board. I use 2mm bullet connectors in my small mods, and Dean's T plugs in larger mods.

OTT, you won't be successful with the magnets, as they are usually coated in a recalcitrant material to which solder does not stick. Also the heat will remove the magnetic properties of the magnet leaving you with an unsoldered and useless bit of rare earth alloy.

 

[Rapture]

Another RC hobbyist here confirming that soldering to batteries is a well established and widely used practice. You might want to consider using a small connector in between the batt wires and the DNA board. I use 2mm bullet connectors in my small mods, and Dean's T plugs in larger mods.

OTT, you won't be successful with the magnets, as they are usually coated in a recalcitrant material to which solder does not stick. Also the heat will remove the magnetic properties of the magnet leaving you with an unsoldered and useless bit of rare earth alloy.

I do feel better about the quick connect but I would not recommend solder to them without some kind of quick connect in case something goes wrong. Better safe than sorry

 

[rolf]

That's a good idea vapero!
I'm thinking that's the way to go.
Thanks loco

used magnets in building switches 10 mm by 1.5 mm ..soldering directly destroys the magnetic field . also needed to dremel to grind some magnet ..also drasticly reduced the magnetic field......ended up using a 45 cal bullet casing ..cut a ring off it ..solder wire to it ..epoxy the magnet into that ring after soldering ...now the important thing ..clean the epoxy off the edges and sand clean because the brass ring is making the electrical contact ..worked out great happy modding

 

[Tom Fuller]

used magnets in building switches 10 mm by 1.5 mm ..soldering directly destroys the magnetic field . also needed to dremel to grind some magnet ..also drasticly reduced the magnetic field......ended up using a 45 cal bullet casing ..cut a ring off it ..solder wire to it ..epoxy the magnet into that ring after soldering ...now the important thing ..clean the epoxy off the edges and sand clean because the brass ring is making the electrical contact ..worked out great happy modding

Excellent solution!


Live Long and Vape!