Small WTC for Battery Connector

[toppack]

I've desided to make a small WTC to house the SLA battery connector using a plastic pill bottle.
They have water-tight caps, so I can melt a hole in bottom of a bottle and in it's cap and RTV the wires thru them, to connectors.
That way I can disconnect battery quickly if needed without having to reapply RTV to terminals.
I've tested the bottles and they seal very well with just one turn of cap. :)
They also have a cap lock that has to be depressed, so they can't be accidently removed.

[Slats]

No- don't do it.
SLAs run fine wet.

Will post photos of how I waterproof the terminals and connect the SLA to the subdriver.

J

[toppack]

No- don't do it.
SLAs run fine wet.

Will post photos of how I waterproof the terminals and connect the SLA to the subdriver.

J

What! :eek: Water shorts out batteries!
Discharging it.
At least the dirty water in our ponds does. :D
I'm talking about a connector between battery and the SD.
The terminals on battery and soldered on wires will also be sealed with RTV.
This connector will also allow the battery to be removed to be charged or replaced.

[Slats]

What! :eek: Water shorts out batteries!
Discharging it.
At least the dirty water in our ponds does. :D
I'm talking about a connector between battery and the SD.
The terminals on battery and soldered on wires will also be sealed with RTV.
This connector will also allow the battery to be removed to be charged or replaced.

Water (if allowed to act upon terminals of batteries) causes electrolysis which can reduce output voltage and available current.

I am not suggesting you run the SLA with the terminals unsealed - and yes use RTV for this

I did miss read your post (its a connector in the pill box not SLA in pill box). But there is a much easier way.
Sorry I don't have the photos on this PC. I will get them however and post them.

What I use is a modification to a Tamiya conncection.
I use only the female inner metal parts for one side of the connection. These are soldered to positive and negative wires from the SLA. The outside of these are covered in Silicon tubing and the back end of the tube to the wire insulation is sealed with SLA. The front end (female end) is open.

The male end of the connector is a brass rod that fit the female end. The brass rod is soldered to the wires from the SD. The brass end once pushed inside the female end makes a circuit. The brass end side is water proofed by having on the end of it closest the wire a piece of tight fitting everygreen tube. The silcon tube is long enough from the female end it creates a friction hold over the male ends evergreen tube.

Hope this makes sense - knocked up this drawing - hope it helps.



best
John

[Slats]

Found the photos - sorry had to reclaim my IP from another website Thumbs Down- pain but necessary.Crack That WHip


Ok first is an SLA with terminal in prep for waterproofing.
Here I have soldered a wire on and have ringed the terminal with evergreen tube.
I cut a small notch in the tube for the wire.


Next the terminal is waterproofed by filling the space around the terminal, bordered by the everygreen tube with silcon RTV.
You can see also the female connectors as per my diagram in the previous post.

[Slats]

Next you see the male connectors from the SD RTV'd terminals.
Note here the back end of the male connectors have a smaller diameter silicon tube on them (I forgot to put that in the diagram -sorry).



Ok the next obvious question is how do you charge the SLA if the wires and conection system are soldered onto the terminals covered in RTV? Well you need to make up a male connection you can plug into your chargers connection. Here I have made up a charging station for this.




Anyway hope all this helps

Best
John:D

[toppack]

Okay, I now understand that you are making water-tight connectors instead of putting connector into a WTC.
Great drawing and pictures, Thanks
I really like the neat way you sealed the battery terminals.
I can see that small connections like that would be needed in a small sub model, but in this one I have plenty of room so that's not a concern.
The main thing I would worry about is that it would loosen with repeated use and might leak or have loose electrical connection.
With my WTC design I think there's No chance of that and it will be easy to connect up to charger since it will have usual type connector inside WTC.
I'll let everyone know how it works out. I about have it assembled.
If it doesn't I'll try it that way.
Thanks again for the Info, John.
Now I need to deside which size battery to connect it to?

[Slats]

Hey Rick,
happy to help.
Gotta love this forum mate. I am still learning this craft and loving it.

and yes please - post what you come up with here for the connectors and WTC.


John