Guest host video on Dave’s channel, what video would you like to see survey.

[Scottjd]

So I don’t know if I will be feeling up to it since every day can be a challenge and different for me. But I think I’m going to try. Since I’m going to try and do a new video for the possibility of Dave’s guest hosting, and since it’s Daves channel, and this is Dave’s forum. I figured this would be the best place to ask the question for what video would you want to see if I was selected as one of the guest hosts.

So I went through the lab and came up with the above ideas. What I was using for micro soldering died, so I found a Hakko FX-951 and the micro iron option I could afford on eBay, and added some simple mods as well.
And the first battery spot welder didn’t do that good, so I bought another also. If you saw my older video then you also saw the one spot welder I had nothing buy problems with, and it died in a puff of smoke. I was going to replace the triac and transformer, but decided I still couldn’t review or recommend it. So I decided to buy another one and give that a try.

I have a few things I’ve been using for a month or more that I haven’t done any videos on. Like the Hakko FX-951, the electric spot welder for batteries, and a few projects I’ve been holding off on. I figured these could be good videos for,the guest host videos.

Those that follow me also probably know I don’t review or recommend any equipment until I’ve used it thoroughly for at least a month. Is something I keep and continue to use, and something I would recommend to a family member of a friend. I also try to keep the cost down when recording things so the casual hibbiest can afford decent things that still get the job done. after all if your not using it everyday professionally and depending on it for your job or a bisuness the cheaper things can work just as good for use as a hobby.

Unfortunately like the first spot welder sometimes to cheap is bad and you won’t see me use these items or review them.
Like the first 5 car dash cams I’ve tested over the last 6 months, but I think I found one I like now. The difference is the other 5 were under $50, and this one is $129. Still cheaper then the top line $350 dash cams, just not as cheap as I was looking to recommend. But I couldn’t find one under $50 I would recommend.
A lot of testing other brands goes on before I decide to review and recommend a single product, sometimes you need to spend a little more for even an acceptable quality of that item. Some items i take a loss on, some I return.

Note: I’ve turned all of these one before I took them apart. And I can’t take apart the electric spot welder since I purchased an extra warranty, this way I won’t be at a loss for testing these spot welders if they didn’t work out. I took over a $100 loss on the first one, these spot welders are a little expensive to be loosing on so now I have the warranty to cover re-imbustment if it doesn’t work out. But I also can’t break the warranty seals for this reason. I have bought 97% of everything I’ve jsed in the lab, reviewed or showed. I don’t mind taking a loss on cheaper items to find one to recommend, but the more expensive items would add up fast.

Well let me know what above video you might like to see. I’m going to need to confirm the calibration of the HP43301A anyway after 2 years to review a new DMM comming out. You may have heard of it, it’s called the 121GW?  It’s a good thing I still have the same voltage reference, same 0.005% Vishal resistors andmother items I used for my last DMM review.

Thanks in advance for the suggestions and voting input,
Scott

[Electro Detective]

I voted for  "Electric Spot welder for lithium batteries like 18650 cells, and why spot weld instead of soldering." because it's a new curiosity for me
and a small cheap 'gets the ocassional job done' spot welder would have bailed me out of a few repairs easier in the past.


But this topic will always pull in viewers 
Why I bought a 20yr old bench meter? Is it still in spec and calibrated after 2 years? Why I prefer older test gear over new test gear?

[Cliff Matthews]

I voted for  "Electric Spot welder for lithium batteries..

You may want to see these video's (same channel for the 2nd one, but I think it's his girl friend talking now..)

[Scottjd]

I voted for  "Electric Spot welder for lithium batteries..

You may want to see these video's (same channel for the 2nd one, but I think it's his girl friend talking now..)

Interesting. I currently have 3 microwave transformers, a lot of high powered lithium cells for RC cars. Single cell, 2s, 3s. One broken spot welder, heave gauge wire to re-wire the transformer to to fix the broken one. But for the same reason I’ve stayed away from lithium battery videos, is the same reason I stay away from transformer videos. I don’t want someone don’t something and being injured, or worse.
But as I’ve sat back and watched more lithium battery videos pop up, people blowing them up, cutting them open, using cells they shouldn’t that have formed internalmshunt shorts from overtraining and go into thermal runaway. I finally decided that people will do what they want despite the risk or following videos with wrong information. So it’s better that I do some videos and try to keep mine accurate and informative. If someone watches a video that conflicts what I’m saying, then they might decide to do more research before doing something that could burn down the house over night.

But as for using microwave transformers, and mains voltage videos. I think I will still stay away from them. So I’m not making a spot welder, it’s more of what one will work for your project. The normal research a product, buy, test, test some more. Decide the best bang for the money with accessories it comes with. Most of them work great on 220V, but on 110V seem to have issues or die after a few uses. This is what I was looking for was one that woildmwork good for everyone. But if people still decide to build one, they can. I just won’t being doing that video.

Even on those videos he melted through two strips of 0.2 nickel plated steal, that’s enough to put a whole in the battery and cause a chemical reaction.  There’s a lot of fake 18650 cells also, and only a few real sellers that I know of. Even big Clive unwrapped a cell and parts of the inside started to catch fire from the reaction to being exposed to the air. If this was contained in a metal tube with a smalll whole thenlresjre would build up. Then AVE tried a home made one from a 12V car battery and out a whole in a 18650 cell and it got hot fast. People think packs are discharged because they read 0V and tear them down with metal tools and some cells shorted out and were to hot to touch , but that’s the cutoff circuit on the pack. Then they discover the cells still had power after the tear down.

So a lot of bad videos with bad info on these batteries, some chemistries are safer then others. Some release  hydrochloric acid fumes when exposed to air and people are wearing dust masks that don’t block any fumes and burn the inside if their lungs.

So if I do this video I think I want to recommend a decent spot welder for 110V and 220V mains, has extras included, and address some of the myths and safety concerns people should know before building that new pack for a electric bike.
Scott

P.S. I might also be receiving a Tesla module as well.  It’s in the works, I hope it works out. Should be interesting to explain how these packs are built like bricks.

[Inverted18650]

Cool little spot welder. I made a couple from 2.7V Super caps, a Nano, and a handful of power Fets. I still prefer to solder 18650s, for me it’s easier and I don’t have to worry about slipping up and dumping a couple hundred amps into a cell( which a guy recently did and the cell exploded instantly- he put some pics up on my YT page). Spot welding is effective but soldering can be done by “anyone.”

[Scottjd]

Cool little spot welder. I made a couple from 2.7V Super caps, a Nano, and a handful of power Fets. I still prefer to solder 18650s, for me it’s easier and I don’t have to worry about slipping up and dumping a couple hundred amps into a cell( which a guy recently did and the cell exploded instantly- he put some pics up on my YT page). Spot welding is effective but soldering can be done by “anyone.”

Sorry, I’m social media inept, what is the YT page? I’d be interested in seeing the pictures if you can share some. I’ve seen lithium lipo packs explode, never a lithium 18650 or any cylindrical cell explode. Wait, that’s not true. I do remember a few pics from some people running fake or very cheap 18650 cells in serrries without protection circuits. And when one fails the other dumps into the failed one, or if they are not charged evenly. This caused a thermal runaway in a flashlight, basically an encased aluminum sealed waterproof pipe that when the pressure over came the flashlight enclosure it ripped apart acting like shrapnel. That one reason if you use recycled cells from laptops to check the health properly, another reason I don’t run flashlights with Series cells unless the cells have a protection circuit. Also why I only buy from trusted sources for new cells, not amazon or eBay. Anyone can put a PVC wrapper on a cell to claim what ever they want it to be.