Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[CompactTractorFan]

Uh, just use a voltmeter.

Yeah, you can get them for free...:thumbsup:

 

[patrick_g]

I can see the lack of the ability to upload or find a diagram of wiring the T-105 six 6v batteries in parallel for both a 12v/315 amp output and and in series for a 36v/105 amp output is confusing you and Skyco.

It may be better to say the diagram might be helpful to you and Skyco point out where my thinking is incorrect.

If you have an electrical golf cart go take a look at what I am talking about. The cart people have been pulling 12 volts and 36 volts at the same time for many years. Paralleling the three 12v configurations to give a balanced draw on all 6 batteries at the same time is the only new twist I am adding.

I am planning to put the 12v/315 amp output on the opposite side where the standard 36v/105 amp output is already.

I do not plan to use the golf cart as a welder.

Pat: we have six 105 amp rated T-105 6v batteries. Does my math add up correctly? I do plan to do some fusing to be on the safe side. Our 48v bank at work on the UPS for the server room has a huge inline fuse. To note again this 12v/315 amp output is to power a 12v DC to 120v AC 2000/4000 watt inverter to give us mobil AC source around the place. Using the electric pole saw is the first reason for it plus it is a lab for the kids to learn about electricity.

You did fine. Six each six volt batts in series or three each twelve volt batteries in series, same thing.. If you have two sets of the above, you can cross connect the equal voltage points for added ampacity (double.) If you bring out a connection from the 12 volts above ground connection you get, dare I say it, 12 volts with respect to ground.

A down side of this is that the batteries being used to supply 12 volts will be discharged more than and faster than the rest of the batteries not doubly tasked. Whether or not his is significant depends on how much 12 volt draw there is compared to the 36 volt draw. If the 12 volt draw is say no more than 10% of the draw at 36 volts then it is not a disaster.

It it were me I'd rotate the batts every so often so they took turns being doubly tasked to even out the extra wear.

This would be just so much easier to understand if there were a magic conveyor belt available.
Pat

 

[Mahindra One]

I've had good luck with their nut drivers and side cutters. As for the wire brushes, a couple of good grill cleanings and their gone.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Johnbro I will use the volt meter and light gauge wire both before I tie the three + cables together then the three - cables from the three 12v batteries which are made up of two 6v each in series. :thumbsup:

Again I do not desire to do any welding with the batteries.

We are looking at getting more snow Wed but be about 50 the weekend and 60 the next weekend. I have a used set of battery cables that came to the office today that I may go in tomorrow and pick up. Some guy had upgraded from 6 to 4 gauge cables on his cart then turned around and upgrade to 2 gauge and sold me all 11 of the 4 gauge cables for $50 but I have not seen them yet.

I will install the test parallel set of cables when I install this set of 4 gauge series battery cables. With input from cart, tractor and rv forums my head is dizzy.

 

[California]

If your golf cart is hooked up and running with the standard series wiring for 36 volts and you try to add configuration 3 wiring to it, there will be a direct short the second you hook up any one of the wires shown in configuration 3.

To prove my point, take a small gauge wire and touch it to any two of the connection points as seen in configuration 3. There will be an electrical arc that will immediately burn out your small wire. Be sure to wear welding gloves and have on a full face mask, helmet and jacket when you do this because one or more of the batteries may explode.

We love pictures. Have your wife there (at a distance) with a camera if you try this.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

We love pictures. Have your wife there (at a distance) with a camera if you try this.

Sorry over on the CART forums they talked me into using a volt meter instead.:thumbsup:

See I am just across the river from MO. :laughing:

 

[sixdogs]

We love pictures. Have your wife there (at a distance) with a camera if you try this.

This could be one of the best one-liners in a long time.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

It takes 5 series jumpers to make up the 36v pack but only 3 series jumpers to make up the six battery 12v pack.

When tying the three 12v backs together if the two unneeded jumpers are still in place needed to make it a 36v pack then a direct short occurs as I now understand it.

I will have to see if a reasonable design can be worked out that gives us the 12v/315 amp and 36v/105 amps options from the golf cart battery bank.

 

[kencunningham]

I would like to hear from anyone who owns, or has used one of the hydraulic pipe benders. Will it create a descent bend without alot of distortion? Also i am insterested in what the radius of bends would be using 1 inch pipe. I have been toying around with building a go cart from scratch and this would be the only way of making the curved pieces of the frame without having to pay someone with a high dollar bender to do it. Thanks.

 

[tallyho8]

It takes 5 series jumpers to make up the 36v pack but only 3 series jumpers to make up the six battery 12v pack.

I will have to see if a reasonable design can be worked out that gives us the 12v/315 amp and 36v/105 amps options from the golf cart battery bank.

Very simple: But a couple of corrections first. It takes 3 series jumpers and 4 parallel jumpers to make up the six battery 12v pack that you want as seen in Figure 1 below.

To make this work with both options you will only need to add two series connections as seen in figure 2 and 6 battery cutoff switches.

The 2 series connections that you add are shown as green lines. The 6 switches you add are seen as red and blue dots. You put the switches inline on your cables as shown on figure 2.

To run your cart on 36 volts you turn off the 4 red switches and then turn on the 2 blue switches. To use your 6 battery 12 pack, you turn off the 2 blue switches and then turn on the 4 red switches.

You can get these switches at Harbor Freight: Heavy Duty Battery Cutoff Switch - Battery - Automotive & Motorcycle

VERY IMPORTANT.........YOU MUST TURN ALL SWITCHES OFF BEFORE EVER TURNING ANY ON. Never turn on a blue switch while a red switch is on and never turn on a red switch while a blue switch is on. Doing so will cause a major short.