RE: (ET) Time to check your batteries!

["Elie, Larry (L.D.)" <lelie ford com>]

If EITHER type is properly made you should not have a problem.  IF indeed 
it 
is hot you DO have a problem.  Just a few watts dissipated at the 
interface makes 
things hot.  There are 12 contacts.  If each gets 5 extra watts that 60 
watts 
of waste power... a light bulb!  Now you can't touch a 5 watt connection, 
but you 
can touch a 1 watt connection, and you could blow 12 watts pretty easily.

The taper is harder to do right (people don't keep the things clean and 
you 
end up with a fraction of the surface area available) but can be made 
right.  
Some posts have taper with flat and you can even do a flat right with 
clean 
washers; just make sure you have something like a Belleville washer or 
lock 
washer to take up the different expansion between the lead and the bolt as 
it gets warm.

Larry Elie


-----Original Message-----
From: Don Barry [mailto:Don Barry kmtc com]
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2001 7:08 PM
To: elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
Subject: RE: (ET) Time to check your batteries!


Dwight,

Don't know what to say.. but I do have the recommendation from both Bill 
Gunn and Trojan Battery to use those connectors.

Apparently the taper that is on a universal post is problematic with the 
clamp connectors.  According to the Trojan engineer, automotive clamps 
make a poor connection, and don't fully clamp across the pole (the 
automotive terminal doesn't have a taper).  Trojan did say the connectors 
must be soldered or clamped (using a 5 ton clamp press).

The pics don't show it very well, but the connectors are made of metal 
between 1/16 and 1/8 of an inch thick.

I would suppose the ultimate connector would be one that had flats for 
both sides of the post, but I've never seen one!

Interesting discussion though, I'll have to dig out my temp gauge and do 
some mowing!

Don

Don Barry
Infrastructure Manager, IT
Kirby Corporation
E-Mail: don barry kmtc com
Phone: 713-435-1032
Fax: 713-435-1070

>>> "Hazen, Dwight L" <hazen indiana edu> 06/25/01 04:50PM >>>

Don,

 I am not sure the ring terminal is up to the job of supplying the high
amounts of current that is needed during heavy use. I originally used a
setup like you have on the web page but found that after a hour of mowing
the connectors were getting warm. I went back to the original automotive
type connector that came with the tractor. It's all a matter of cross
sectional area, the ring connectors narrow down just as they go into the
ring and that is what causes the heating. Any heating at this point is lost
power and could damage the plastic case post seal.

 I like the old connectors because the wire is leaded into the connector
body and has lots of lead around the battery post. I did have to clean and
replace all the bolts on the old connectors. I will try to get a picture of
my modification to the battery post to keep the connection tight. What I 
did
was use some ss nuts, washers and lock washers on the stud on top of the
post . The washers keep the clamp from working off the top of the post and
provide more area for current to flow. The battery connection stay nice and
cool now. If you over tighten the lead battery clamp it will deform and go
bad, but with the extra washer on the top of the post pushes the clamp down
on the post keep to keep it nice and tight.

 Any connection that gets warm/hot to the touch after using your tractor
needs to be looked at as it is wasting power and could damage something.
Your hand works very well for this test but be careful the first time, the
connection may be quite HOT..

  Dwight 




Dwight L. Hazen, Indiana University, UITS 
Bloomington, In. 47408-7378 Phone 812-855-5367 hazen indiana edu 
http://php.ucs.indiana.edu/~hazen/ Ham Radio wb9tlh arrl net 
NetMeeting Directory server for IU ils.iu.edu



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Don Barry [SMTP:Don Barry kmtc com] 
> Sent: Monday, June 25, 2001 3:56 PM
> To:   elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu 
> Subject:      Re: (ET) Time to check your batteries!
> 
> Make that "real hot" down here in Houston..... on the battery subject,
> last night I posted up on
> http://www.elec-trak.org a FAQ (with photos) on how to convert your
> battery cables for the Universal Post batteries. According to Bill, it's
> the way to go and avoid "arc welding lessons"!
> 
> Don
> 
> Don Barry
> Infrastructure Manager, IT
> Kirby Corporation
> E-Mail: don barry kmtc com 
> Phone: 713-435-1032
> Fax: 713-435-1070
> 
> >>> "Hazen, Dwight L" <hazen indiana edu> 06/25/01 03:45PM >>>
> 
> 
>  Group,
> 
>  Hot weather has made it appearance to most parts of the country now and
> ET
> activities should be in full swing. So now would be a good time to check
> your water levels and look for any loose connections.
> 
>  
> 
>   Dwight  
> 
> 
> 
> Dwight L. Hazen, Indiana University, UITS 
> Bloomington, In. 47408-7378 Phone 812-855-5367 hazen indiana edu 
> http://php.ucs.indiana.edu/~hazen/ Ham Radio wb9tlh arrl net 
> NetMeeting Directory server for IU ils.iu.edu
> 
> 
> 
>