Story of my life...

Dr. Dickie

Dr. Dickie

Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2020
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363
I though ahead and ordered my Batirum Watchmon 4 back in March. It has been sitting patiently while I have finished building my packs. Now, I am finally almost ready to install the system (I have two more packs to capacity test, then it's go time). Of course, NOW Batrium comes out with the new improved version😫
Ah well, such is my life, not like what I got is bad just not the new and improved it could have been had I waited.
Anyway, as for my question. I have watched a few videos (I watched Batrium's video but not really any info pertaining to my question) and I see folks zip tying the watchmons right to the 18650 cell holders. I know the heat dissipation part of the longmon can get the 75oC, has anyone had any problems with that portion of the longmon directly zip tied to the cell holder?
Thanks
 
I can't answer your question directly but it would seem if you had all 14 mounted like in the video below you wouldn't to have to worry about the heat affecting the cells.
In the video Step by Step supervisor installation with LongMons
they show the longmons in front of the cells all in a row for easy monitoring. Looks to be about an inch in front of the cells seems like the way to mount them so they have air flow around them. Just number the packs and the Longmons.
later floyd
 
There are 2 'notches' in the sides of the longmons that facilitate zip-ties / holding the longmon steady in the longitudinal direction. . The immediate notch areas don't get hot. I believe it's part of the design but whether accidental or on purpose - its works well to zip tie at the notches :)

My WM4 is over 2 years old - and I don't see anything on the 'new one' that would matter to me :)
 
floydR said:
I can't answer your question directly but it would seem if you had all 14 mounted like in the video below you wouldn't to have to worry about the heat affecting the cells.
In the video Step by Step supervisor installation with LongMons
they show the longmons in front of the cells all in a row for easy monitoring. Looks to be about an inch in front of the cells seems like the way to mount them so they have air flow around them. Just number the packs and the Longmons.
later floyd
Click to expand...
Yeah,in several videos (I think even Pete's video) he has strapped directly to the cell holder, with the heater portion against the cell holder. So, guess I will try the same. I think I will try to get it slightly raised up so it is not directly touching the holder.
 
Dr. Dickie said:
(snip) Of course, NOW Batrium comes out with the new improved version😫
Ah well, such is my life, not like what I got is bad just not the new and improved it could have been had I waited.
...
Click to expand...
I would say: New version may have some serious bugs 😅

Just think if you were one of the lucky people buying a brand new Pentium in 1994! LOL My rule of thumb is to never buy the latest version of anything, let other people test it for a couple of years first.

(ref. Pentium FDIV bug: http://davefaq.com/Opinions/Stupid/Pentium.html#glitch or from Dr.Nicely https://faculty.lynchburg.edu/~nicely/pentbug/pentbug.html)
 
This is how I mount my longmons. I use a half inch nylon spacer and super glue them to the longmons.
The spacing is just about perfect to mount them to the cell holders in the void between cells. I drill a small pilot hole and screw the longmons to the packs. Close enough for cell temp reading far enough away so when bypass occurs the cells are not affected by the heat.

If you build a properly balanced battery though you may have a bypass event happen once every 6 months maybe.
Wolf
20210504_211256 (1).jpg20210504_211342.jpg
 
Superglue is hard and brittle. I wouldnt glue and attach like that because the longmon will stretch quite a bit when getting warm! I would rather have holder that just sits around the edged places. Its important the longmons cant get any stress. The black gue is enough to cause stress over time when balancing as to whati have seen.

Either zip tie or as i did 3d print a holder that snugs just around that area and is open to the rest.
 
I think the same as @daromer superglue could crack. Wanting to glue them maybe a silicone based product or something with a rubbery consistence is better, a product which can resist to micro-movements of the board without cracking.
 
daromer said:
Superglue is hard and brittle
Click to expand...
italianuser said:
resist to micro-movements of the board without cracking.
Click to expand...

Very true so with that in mind I constructed the standoffs for that. You see the screw is just marginally tight on one end and somewhat free floating on the other and the spacer has enough room for the screw to still hold so that if thermal expansion of the longmont does occur it will not stress the glue. So in essence the longmon is free floating but secure. Also out of 42 packs so far none have broken cracked or fallen off.
Of course for those that have doubts about the superglue solution you can always use zip ties with mounting holes.
Wolf
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In case you really did not think this is the story of my life:
I began getting the Batrium ready for install (as I finally got my packs all tested and ready to go--a solar grid switch electrical panel should get installed this weekend so I can FINALLY start using all that power my solar panels are making--yeah), I downloaded the software onto my laptop--I may just keep this laptop in the shed for running the solar system-- followed the steps, updated the software and firmware, kinda figured out what settings to use (would be nice if they defined their terms) and even figured out where the pin number was I needed to save everything--would be nice if instructions were listed on the step by step instructions. I then got all the longmons put on the packs.
At the end of the day went back to my laptop (which is just a bit over a year old). It was dead. Nothing. The mouse does not get the light to turn on, the screen is blank, but I could hear the fans running. I messed with it for a hour or so, then unplugged it and left it over night. In the morning, it will show the Dell symbol when I turn it on, but that is just on the screen for a few seconds, then it turns off. Of course it is a few months out of warranty.
Lovely, not I need a new computer before I can install the Batrium BMS🥵
 
Oh my Dr! If It switches off it's probably the heat control. You could open It and check three things: the cooling fan (may be dirty, blocked or something, air should flow nicely out of a side of the chassis); the paste under the CPU (maybe dried up); all of the air grids (must be clean). And also remove RAM and reinsert it and unconnect/connect all connectors.

There's a 50/50 chance It will come back to life and, more important, you will break the negative chain of events:giggle:
 
italianuser said:
Oh my Dr! If It switches off it's probably the heat control. You could open It and check three things: the cooling fan (may be dirty, blocked or something, air should flow nicely out of a side of the chassis); the paste under the CPU (maybe dried up); all of the air grids (must be clean). And also remove RAM and reinsert it and unconnect/connect all connectors.

There's a 50/50 chance It will come back to life and, more important, you will break the negative chain of events:giggle:
Click to expand...
Thanks I was going to open it up tonight and take the battery out, so that it at least completely resets.
I don't think it is heat, as it sat all night, then when I turned it on in the morning, it only came on for a few second (maybe 10 or so).
It shows the Dell symbol on the screen for that time, then just blanks off. No fans running or anything.
I already order a new laptop, or I should say used and refurbished one. I am done buying new computers.
 
Dr. Dickie said:
Thanks I was going to open it up tonight and take the battery out, so that it at least completely resets.
I don't think it is heat, as it sat all night, then when I turned it on in the morning, it only came on for a few second (maybe 10 or so).
It shows the Dell symbol on the screen for that time, then just blanks off. No fans running or anything.
I already order a new laptop, or I should say used and refurbished one. I am done buying new computers.
Click to expand...
It's years, decades, I don't buy new computers, good choice! If your Dell switches completely off it's one thing, if screen blanks out and it stay switched on it's something else. The first case IMHO is better because it's often related to high temperature, and it's quite easy to make some tests (like open the computer and point a ventilator on the motherboard and see if it stays on).
 
italianuser said:
It's years, decades, I don't buy new computers, good choice! If your Dell switches completely off it's one thing, if screen blanks out and it stay switched on it's something else. The first case IMHO is better because it's often related to high temperature, and it's quite easy to make some tests (like open the computer and point a ventilator on the motherboard and see if it stays on).
Click to expand...
It shuts off, not just blank screen. But hard for me to believe that it overheats in less than 10 seconds from being turned on. I am going to try to get into it this weekend, but I am also going to install my battery and get my system going this weekend, so it may have to wait.
Thanks for the tips though
 
My current desktop is a Dell. It will boot (show Dell) and hang... have to unplug all the USBs from it till it get's past the initial boot. Maybe you have Batrium USB plugged in?
 
OffGridInTheCity said:
My current desktop is a Dell. It will boot (show Dell) and hang... have to unplug all the USBs from it till it get's past the initial boot. Maybe you have Batrium USB plugged in?
Click to expand...
Yeah, I thought of that. I unplugged everything and same thing. I am going to try unplugging the battery and let it do a complete shut down.
OffFGridinTheCity, I am going to have to beat you up about your settings for Midnite Solar.
I AM COLLECTING SUN POWER, finally!!
 
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