Wiring connector options

[103Alex1]

Never wanting the easy solution ... rolleyes and seeing how nice the Deans Connector is (I like connectors !) am at it again with the connector options lol.

Whilst I appreciate it may be overkill and wind up concluding same I nevertheless like the idea of being able to use waterproof screw-in connectors at the interface of an enclosed permanent installation of battery/controller, for any incoming wires. No holes to feed wires through would be needed then. If I understand it right these are the ones which will come into the housing, unless I've missed any.

1. Throttle

2. Motor lead

3. Battery Charger cable

4. Lighting (if built-in)

Ideally all these could connect via a socket on a battery box - either one which is a twist-click or one which screws in a bit like on audio equipment.

I took a look at the XML and DC connectors in Maplins today but held off just a bit longer to investigate this.

Have come across a few waterproof connectors of various sorts but not in this application. Some are here :

http://www.bulgin.co.uk/PDFs/Cat83_sections/Buccaneer-2010_400_series.pdf

Waterproof Plugs and Sockets - Accessories, Sockets - Hella Marine

Bainbridge Marine > Watertight Spare Connection W/ Boot F/1189/1190

Mini 3 Pole - 10 - 22 amps - Torberry Connectors Online Shop

Hella Flush-Mount Socket - 2 Pole - DC Connectors & Plugs - Electrical - Downwind Marine

Would any of these be suitable as connectors for 1-4 ? ... or does anyone have any other suggestions for alternative options to check out ? A flush mounted socket (even if the coupling protrudes a bit) to site in a fixed plate would be best and high waterproof rating preferred. In the case of the battery charging socket, a waterproof cover for when not in use would be optimal to save having to cover the panel over and weatherproof it that way.

All ideas welcome

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The most waterproof connector is no connector. Don't forget about the brakes. You might decide later to add a switch to your back brake. If you must have connectors on the outside of your battery enclosure, search for "panel mount waterproof connector". For the motor, you need at least 30 amps capability.Each time you add a connector between battery and controller and battery and motor, you waste a small bit of power and increase the chance of problems. Solder joints can break in time due to vibration. We've even seen them melt at 30 amps. I have phase wire connectors melt in the past. Unless you want to remove your battery box from time to time, extra connectors is a waste of time. Personally, I wouldnt do it.

 

[103Alex1]

The most waterproof connector is no connector.

I hadn't quite thought of it that way lol. But yes that makes a lot of sense. You just have to get your hole properly sealed with a decent grommit or sealant which doesn't degrade and come off in an unreasonably short time - my experience of most silicone products in bathrooms etc is that they don't last very long at all (bit of a bug bear !) but I guess there must be reasonable options for this as so much machinery etc is used outside. Plus will have drainage hole in bottom anyway as safeguard.

Don't forget about the brakes. You might decide later to add a switch to your back brake.

Thanks - I keep forgetting about this. Have ordered the Magura switch - not sure what sort of male / female coupling will come with it and whether any controller connection modification is going to be needed in order to be able to connect to the controller ... bit hard without actually seeing it but there's a photo so maybe that's a clue :

BionX Press Switch for Magura brakes | enables motor cut-off even for hydraulic brakes

For the motor, you need at least 30 amps capability.Each time you add a connector between battery and controller and battery and motor, you waste a small bit of power and increase the chance of problems. Solder joints can break in time due to vibration. We've even seen them melt at 30 amps. I have phase wire connectors melt in the past. Unless you want to remove your battery box from time to time, extra connectors is a waste of time. Personally, I wouldnt do it.

Understood. Those are good enough reasons not to do it. I might have got the wrong end of the stick but do you need all the 3 cylindrical plugs connected to the pairings on the controller controller plus the 5-pin setup you outlined on another thread (so 4 connections in total - 3 single and one 5-way) ?

There is already a waterproof connector on the end of the wire coming out of the motor but it's too short to stretch to the box anyhow and so yes, you're right - an additional connector/socket at the panel would be needed. I guess if it were longer that connection direct from the motor could have been sited at the box instead and swapped over. But it isn't. So hey ho !

If you must have connectors on the outside of your battery enclosure, search for "panel mount waterproof connector".

OK - narrowing it down then and leaving the motor out of it (can disconnect at the waterproof plug along the seat stays for wheel removal anyway) ...

Still leaves these to potentially be joined via socket on a panel (which I am understanding to substitute a "female" or "male" as appropriate so as can be joined on to the controller wires directly without another lead being made in each case) :

1) Throttle - which could be connected to controller via a socket located on the box (socket to be in place of the coupling connected to the controller right now) if I can get the throttle lead to stretch far enough - means throttle is easy to change or replace if ever it broke without accessing the controller.

2) Brake switch - as above - ideally socket female joined direct to controller, and mounted on panel for coupling to incoming cable with male end off the switch in the brake hose.

3) Battery charger socket - as 2) except connected to battery I assume in place of the kettle plug on there at the moment. I'm also factoring in this is completely independent of the forthcoming switch - hopefully I've made the right assumption in thinking this is a standalone connection but just checking to be sure.

4) Lighting - a big ???? as the light unit itself needs modification if it's to be permanently on bike before considering any dimmers etc etc.. May have to come back to this.

I looked up panel mounting waterproof connectors and Maplins list these but they are not available at the moment so will have to find something suitable from elsewhere if I want them :

IP68 / IP69K Panel-Mounting Waterproof Connectors : Maplin Electronics

Is it only the motor coupling which would have needed to be 30Amps ? What about the brake switch connector, throttle connector and battery charger socket .... are there any particular parameters which need to be met for those ?

 

[hech]

Think alot of people doing what your trying to do use big multipin sockets like the scart socket on your video. You prob havtobe handy at soldering and make sure the pins can cope with the current I'd of thought? Really neat but a loada bother!

 

[103Alex1]

I'm getting used to the soldering now after making a connection lead and swapping the kettle plugs on the battery for Deans ones. So not worried about changing the connectors if the end result is really good ones which I can mount in a control panel and get as near to a flush finish as possible.

SCART plugs are really big but I think you can get mini round multi-pin ones in 2/3/4/5 pin versions etc. - hoping to find some micro ones which do the job and are IP68 rated with a screw-on cap/nipple for the battery charger point when not in use as it would otherwise be exposed. They do really nice stuff like this for yacht dashboards etc. which will cope with anything but finding them in this country can be tough. Plenty of this stuff in the USA (same old story !). This bike will be living by the sea and the salt air and sometimes spray does so much damage to your stuff (even cars) you start thinking "boat" about a lot of things ! Am just a bit clueless about specifying stuff as I don't understand the wiring and electrical side of it all yet... and obviously I'm pulling stuff designed for one application into another which you always have to be careful of.

 

[103Alex1]

Pulled this point onto this discussion thread to tie it in ...

What I'm thinking of doing is just putting the controller and the Speedict together in a new housing, one of those plastic hobby boxes you can buy cheap, and then just having two 8-core cables grommeted coming out of it with male DIN plug sockets on end. Then can just have throttle, PAS, brake sensor etc, all on a couple of 8-core cables cable tied down to frame with female DIN sockets at end. Then you'd just have the motor cable and some power connector from battery. That might be a tidier solution so you can just take your kit off quickly and easily with just 3 cables to unplug.

I am still puzzling over this and also working out whether to eventually solder connections straight onto the controller. As you know I rewired my battery connectors already with XLR and Deans connectors.

Short-term I'm going with the standard BMS connectors D8veh is kindly sending me for the brake switch and motor Hall Sensor to enable me to get the bike tested and on the road where they will be in a bag. Then they will be built into a box once everything is working and I know everything that's going in there.

Still mulling over good permanent connectors to go between the controller and various inputs like the throttle(s), Speedict (if used), brake switch etc. I'm guessing lighting circuits and DIN charger connections would run off the battery direct via an inserted step-down converter taken off the line between battery and controller but please correct me if I'm wrong on that assumption !

I've an externally mounted isolator switch to insert too between battery and controller which d8veh kindly made for me and I'm holding back fitting it 'till I'm ready to build into the box ... until then I can just disconnect the battery.

With these DIN connectors, do they have 8 pins accepting 8-core wires then (so can route multiple feeds through the cable and pair to the controller male/female connector (as appropriate) in one simultaneous connection without soldering the wires direct to the controller PCB ?

Until 3-4 weeks ago I'd never seen how any of these connectors work, soldered my first ever cable more recently, have never seen the inside of a DIN/Hella connector and only in the last couple of weeks did I even realize that different connector types could be used or understand what 'x-core' cable was, so am still getting to grips with everything from first principles.

Also looking into Anderson connectors as they can be built into packs up to 8-way :

Powerpole Paks - Outer Shells - Torberry Connectors Online Shop

and seem to come in waterproof versions with 3, 4 or 6 poles for added peace of mind at relatively low cost :

Mini 3 Pole - 10 - 22 amps - Torberry Connectors Online Shop

6 Pole - 10 - 45 amps - Torberry Connectors Online Shop

... but I don't know how bulky the multi-pole assemblies are without seeing some ... or exactly which connections these connectors would be suitable for.

 

[103Alex1]

Some great new socket connectors coming out. The females on these are sealed until a male is coupled with no need for caps or plugs :

NCC Steckverbinder Serie 770 - YouTube

Can't find details of options anywhere though. Might be of interest to self-build projects.

 

[103Alex1]

Couldn't find these anywhere when BMS battery sent my kit without the pair for hall sensor contacts off the Bafang motor lead ... so just logging for future ref :

9 Way Electrical Connector (2.8mm) ALL TYPES AVAILABLE | eBay

6 Way Electrical Connector (2.8mm) ALL TYPES AVAILABLE | eBay

They have most of the types of connector that typically come with BMS kits by the looks of it.... albeit at far greater cost for convenience of getting them fast if in a fix because something broke or was missing.

 

[peerjay56]

Couldn't find these anywhere when BMS battery sent my kit without the pair for hall sensor contacts off the Bafang motor lead ... so just logging for future ref :

9 Way Electrical Connector (2.8mm) ALL TYPES AVAILABLE | eBay

6 Way Electrical Connector (2.8mm) ALL TYPES AVAILABLE | eBay

They have most of the types of connector that typically come with BMS kits by the looks of it.... albeit at far greater cost for convenience of getting them fast if in a fix because something broke or was missing.

A good find Alex, thanks
Definitely another thread to bookmark.