Image Discuss: 190 Welded Battery Connectors

[CD47-Bot]

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[Joe Ross]

This is why our team decided to use these and #4 wire.

[Adam Y.]

Eeeeeepppppp You actually tried to weld something to those plastic batter connecters???? Ackk

[ColleenShaver]

Weld something to the connectors...... no.

We were playing a match at the UTC scrimmage and the robot lost power. We had just taken a hard hit so we figured the battery had become disconnected. We got back to the pit and could smell the burning plastic.. We looked down and the battery connectors had welded themselves together.

A lot of pulling and prying and we finally got them apart and replaced.

[Rob Colatutto]

how many amps were you running through them

[Madison]

Well, if I recall what our electrical genius said to me, those Anderson Power Products connectors are rated for something a lot less than 120 amps.

So, if the robot's drawing a whole lot of current, that's the end result?

Joy.

[WernerNYK]

Eric from FIRST was there; we showed him the connectors and he gave us a big long technical explanation of why it happened (something about the motors inducing a magnetic field, and doing something else.. I dunno, I wasnt there). But basically what it all boils down to.... is that those FIRST supplied connectors are only rated for 60 amps!! Not to mention that they also gave us 120 amp breakers.

FIRST kept our power connectors and will supposedly be posting an update about it because it is a SERIOUS safety issue.

(Why is it that 190 is always the one to find FIRST's problems? PS... their new drill motor ratings are incorrect)

[Harrison]

Yeah we've noticed some serious heat coming from the battery connectors and the wires going to the breaker as well. After running the bot for 5 or so minutes, it gets almost too hot to touch...altho we havn't melted anything yet.