# What came with your CALBs?



## madmike8 (Jun 16, 2011)

Curious, where did you buy yours?


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## swoozle (Nov 13, 2011)

Calib in SoCal.


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## DIYguy (Sep 18, 2008)

I got a complete package...lemme find the link for you. . . Test report. Maintenance manual. Capacity. Internal resistance. etc..


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## DIYguy (Sep 18, 2008)

DIYguy said:


> I got a complete package...lemme find the link for you. . . Test report. Maintenance manual. Capacity. Internal resistance. etc..


Ok I found it. Check out post #58 in this thread.
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=227974&highlight=Test+report#post227974


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## swoozle (Nov 13, 2011)

DIYguy said:


> Ok I found it. Check out post #58 in this thread.
> http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=227974&highlight=Test+report#post227974



Wow, that's nice. That's what I would expect for that kind of money. I got one test report sheet in one of the 3 crates and that's it.

It must not be my week. I laid out $850 for the EMW charger kit and that arrived with nothing in the way of documentation as well.


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## MN Driver (Sep 29, 2009)

Have you contacted them and asked about it?


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## swoozle (Nov 13, 2011)

Yup, both.

I got a link to the website page from EMW and a pdf manual from Calib. Calib at least offered to send me a hardcopy. Calib will also provide he certs if I give them the batt IDs.


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## MN Driver (Sep 29, 2009)

Does/did CALIB include the hardware like the bolts, terminal straps, etc?


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## swoozle (Nov 13, 2011)

MN Driver said:


> Does/did CALIB include the hardware like the bolts, terminal straps, etc?


A bolts/washers/busbars kit is $1.50 a cell.


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## tomofreno (Mar 3, 2009)

That is what I got with mine - just a sheet of resistance data. Purchased about May/2009.


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## PeterH (Mar 20, 2009)

Interesting... I am expecting the very same order to arrive here in Northern Idaho sometime next week. 45 130 Ah cells from CALB in California. My local supplier ordered CALBs for me after HiPower decided they couldn't ship till Feburary. But at least HiPower coughed up a full refund of my purchase price.

I'll post a note to this thread once my order arrives and let everyone know what documentation I got with my order.

Don't think we ordered the connecting bars. Wonder if they will come with bolts or they must be orderd also...

I was also exchanging email with Valery about that Open Source charger. Wanted to order a completed version and asked if he had a user manual he could send before I ordered. Haven't heard back from him since my request. I mentioned this the other night at the local EV group meeting and was told there is no documentation. If I hear back from Valery, I'll offer to help write one with his help. That is the sort of work I do when I'm not working on my EV build. 

Peter


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## EVfun (Mar 14, 2010)

Here is where I got my bolts. These are what I used. The Allen head is nice because you can cover all but 1/8 inch of the wrench with heat shrink easily, so you don't have to worry about what happens if you drop it.


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## swoozle (Nov 13, 2011)

PeterH said:


> I was also exchanging email with Valery about that Open Source charger. Wanted to order a completed version and asked if he had a user manual he could send before I ordered. Haven't heard back from him since my request. I mentioned this the other night at the local EV group meeting and was told there is no documentation. If I hear back from Valery, I'll offer to help write one with his help. That is the sort of work I do when I'm not working on my EV build.
> 
> Peter


I discovered that some pics of his development versions in the original charger thread (http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forum...build-your-own-intelligent-charger-36627.html) show the kit version he ships (I guess shipped, since he has a new version) instead of the early version pictured on the EMW website. That made it much easier to figure out the puzzle.


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## PeterH (Mar 20, 2009)

Hey Swoozle...

Picked up my 45 batteries tonight. Just measured the voltage on all of the cells and they all were between 3.275 and 3.282 with the average voltage at 3.280 v. What voltage were your cells at when you got them? Based on my limited experience, it seems like all 45 were fairly close.

What are the last 5 digits of your battery serial numbers? Just wondering how close your batteries were to mine on the factory line. My numbers range from 40116 to 40160. 

I got ZERO documentation with these cells. But I guess my vendor ordered the bolts and the connectors because they were in one of the cases.










I also ordered a completed charger from Valery today. I'm hoping to see it in roughly 3 weeks. Hoping that by then, I have these batteries mounted in my build... not holding my breath of course, but I'm going to try to make that happen.

Thanks,
Pete


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## swoozle (Nov 13, 2011)

PeterH said:


> Hey Swoozle...
> 
> 
> What are the last 5 digits of your battery serial numbers? Just wondering how close your batteries were to mine on the factory line. My numbers range from 40116 to 40160.


I think mine are *1152 through *1196, I'll have to check for the rest when I get home. It was interesting that there were 2 missing out of my sequence (bad, I assume) and one that was totally different sequence number.

I've heard people recommend you get all the same lot. Why is that? What is the consequence of having one that is not?


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## PeterH (Mar 20, 2009)

Hi there. I don't know the technical reasons for wanting them all in the same batch, but I suspect it has to do with them all aging at the same rate. At least that is the reasoning in the context of flooded lead acid batteris in the Solar Power world.

I'm not really impressed with the inter battery connectors provided. As you can see below, each is really a stack of 5 thin strips of copper. That sounds like it just adds a lot of extra surface that could corrode and increase resistance... but I'm sure it is cheaper than a solid piece of copper. At least I am assuming it is copper, sure looks like it. My Star Trek Tricorder is in the shop at the moment so I can't run an analysis.










I exchanged email with a company in Collegeville Pennsylvania that sells braided cable of the sort seen on EVTV. Was thinking it might be cheaper to make my own rather than order from overseas. I think the minimum order was for 100 feet of the stuff and it was something like $5 a foot... so I backed off on that idea.

Pete


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## dladd (Jun 1, 2011)

PeterH said:


> I'm not really impressed with the inter battery connectors provided. As you can see below, each is really a stack of 5 thin strips of copper. That sounds like it just adds a lot of extra surface that could corrode and increase resistance... but I'm sure it is cheaper than a solid piece of copper. At least I am assuming it is copper, sure looks like it. My Star Trek Tricorder is in the shop at the moment so I can't run an analysis.


i believe the idea is that multiple thin interconnects layered together will offer more 'flex' and vibration protection for the cell terminals than one thick piece of copper would.


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## PeterH (Mar 20, 2009)

dladd said:


> i believe the idea is that multiple thin interconnects layered together will offer more 'flex' and vibration protection for the cell terminals than one thick piece of copper would.


That makes perfect sense. And "flex" is the idea behind those braided connectors. Guessing my 'corrosion concerns' aren't worth worrying about?

I'm a few weeks away from using these so I have time to work out a different solution if necessary.


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## dladd (Jun 1, 2011)

PeterH said:


> That makes perfect sense. And "flex" is the idea behind those braided connectors. Guessing my 'corrosion concerns' aren't worth worrying about?
> 
> I'm a few weeks away from using these so I have time to work out a different solution if necessary.


I'm personally thinking about picking up a handful of the braided interconnects from EV works to handle the cells I have connected up from end to end instead of side to side (different center to center of the terminals). I only need four of this direction connection, they come out pretty expensive with shipping and all, but it's only four...

right now my car has short U shaped pieces of 2/0 cable for these connectors which work, but won't fit with the new battery box cover I want to build soon.


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## StanSimmons (Sep 3, 2011)

EVWorks uses TNT for shipping outside of AU. TNT shipping from AU to US is pretty expensive. I've priced out straps from EVWorks and the shipping came to almost a 50% premium over the cost of the straps... I'm looking for a different solution.

I bought the ZEVA+ from them and shipping on it was AU$37.80, which brought the total to US$225.86. It got to DFW, TX in 6 days, including a weekend.


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## swoozle (Nov 13, 2011)

PeterH said:


> I exchanged email with a company in Collegeville Pennsylvania that sells braided cable of the sort seen on EVTV. Was thinking it might be cheaper to make my own rather than order from overseas. I think the minimum order was for 100 feet of the stuff and it was something like $5 a foot... so I backed off on that idea.
> 
> Pete


I'd like to use that as well. Surely we should be able to find a place that will sell shorter lengths.


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## PeterH (Mar 20, 2009)

swoozle said:


> I'd like to use that as well. Surely we should be able to find a place that will sell shorter lengths.


I looked and found a few things on ebay that looked similar. However, I want to do some more research on the subject to make sure what I'm seeing can carry the same current as the copper pieces that came with the batteries. 

Another option is to make a bulk purchase and split up the material among those willing to participate.

I'll let you know what I find out.

Pete


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