POWERTUBES

POWERTUBES - A HOW TO

We all know how fragile a lot of the current crop of batteries are. Particularly the IB4200's which tend to go 'pop' all too easily. And then your whole pack's gone for most people. But...these Powertube kits solve the problem. No soldering, no drama, and you can even pull your packs apart once a week if you want to equalise or individually charge/discharge them. And you can assemble one in less time than it takes to read the story...


This is what comes in the kit.	Check your cells first, too much heat shrink can stop them connecting properly.

These go together easily. Start off by checking your cells. Some come with too much heat shrink and they wont connect end to end. You can fix that by carefully slicing a single layer of heat shrink off the negative end just on the very end. Our IB 4600's were fine. If you want you can apply special silver conductivity paste to promote better flow, but we don't think it's worth it.


Use a scourer to freshen up the contact area. Do NOT use steel wool	100mm is the length you want the shotgun tube at to fit in a mini.

Although it isn't completely necessary, it's worth spending a minute or two to scuff up the ends of the cells to make sure they contact each other properly. Do them all.
Now, the instructions say to fit the shotgun tube INSIDE the end caps, this won't work if you do it in a mini. You need to cut the shotgun tube to a length of 100mm. This will be just short enough to clear the end caps when they're done up.


The front cap is original, the rear one has had the step removed	Centre the cells in the tube. Double, then TRIPLE check the polarity.

Now it's time to do something else contrary to the instructions. The end caps have little 'steps' 2 on each side of each end cap. These steps get in the way of putting the Powertube into a mini. They can easily be sliced off with a hobby knife and then use some fine grade sandpaper to finish them off. Sounds hard, but it's easy.
Once that's done you can put the cells into the cut-down shotgun tube. Make SURE you get the polarity correct. Check it twice, then again, then once more.


The battery bar sits inside the bottom end cap.	Use a bit of tape on the outside to hold it in place during assembly


The bottom end cap can go on now.	The top strap is standard, you need to bend it back a little like the bottom one is.

The bottom end cap can go on now, then it's time to work on the top one. The battery leads are supplied with the kit but you need to bend the straps back to get them to fit properly. It's not easy to see in the photos but it's really obvious with the parts in front of you. Don't sweat it, it's a simple job. The leads themselves just sit inside the end cap and are held in by pressure from the threaded rods.


The battery leads sit just inside the top end cap. It really is a clever design	Now you can slip the top end cap on as well

The top end cap slips on easily now and once it's on the battery leads will wobble around a little. Don't worry, they'll be held on securely once it's all done up. You're actually nearly finished now.


Slip both the threaded rods in	And then the nipples in the other end

Now comes the final part of assembly. You need to put the two threaded rods in and then the nipples from the other end. Getting the nipples to bite on the top end is a bit fiddly and might take a few shots, but it's not all that hard. If necessary you can sacrifice a few turns from the bottom nipple. Do NOT tighten yet...


Tighten the end nipples one side at a time, and only a few turns each time	And.....it's done!

Now you can tighten, but be careful. You need to do them one side at a time and only a few turns at a time. Use a small screwdriver and don't do them too tight. Both sides need to be about the same tension. Too tight and you'll strip something.

And..that's it! The job's done. Use your multimeter to check that you've got the right voltage, then pump some juice in and get racing.

Powertubes are available online for around $16 USD ea at

http://www.modelelectronicscorp.com/browse_product.php?pid=30

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