18650/18500 holder for charging with XT-60 connector

thingiverse

These two holder designs enable you to charge either 2x 18500 LiPo cells or 2x 18650 LiPo cells in parallel by connecting it to your existing LiPo charger using an XT-60 cable. Make sure to use a real charger with this holder, not just a power supply! The cells will be connected in parallel, so ensure they are already at a similar voltage before placing them into this holder. If you don't, the more-charged battery could push a large current through the flat battery. This issue is most likely to occur when combining a nearly-charged battery with a nearly-flat one. Batteries used as a pair won't develop large voltage differences like this. There is no reverse-polarity protection in place, and fault-current protection is provided by using thin 26 AWG wire - there is no dedicated fuse. The wire should melt in around 10 seconds with a 20A fault current. Required components include: - XT-60 connectors x 3 pieces total - Keystone 5202 negative AA terminals x 2 pieces - Keystone 5224 positive AA terminals x 2 pieces - Solid core 26 AWG wire (I'm using Kynar). Wire must be solid-core due to the installation method required, gauge must be 24-28 AWG - Thicker stranded wire for making an adapter cable to connect to your charger, e.g. 14 AWG silicone - Heatshrink tube - Liquid electrical tape is useful too - M3 hex nuts x 2 pieces - M3 machine screws x 6-9mm length x 2 pieces Required tools include: - Soldering iron and equipment - Soldering flux (e.g. a flux pen) - CA glue (superglue) - Multimeter - Hammer