Adding ballance plugs to "ID plug" batteries

[DrewHammer]

Curious to see if someone's added conventional balance plugs to a traxxas battery with the ID plug. I'd like to run standard deans but am looking for alternative to some small, lightweight lipos.

for example - Traxxas LiPo 2S 7.4V 2200mAh w/iD Connector

From what I can see there is a single positive wire and two grounds, which makes sense for an integrated balancing system. How I think it should be modified to work according to my desires, someone please correct me if it's wrong. I think I'll need to add a few wires (outside of the case) to make this work.

 

[Solitaire]

I have no clue what an ID plug is since I have no Traxxas stuff.

If you're looking for a true balance plug, you'll need a positive wire to each cell and a common ground. I doubt you can do that through this extra ID wire and you'd have to dismantle the LiPo to attach the wiring.

More work than it's worth, IMO.

 

[Dornbox]

Sub'd; I've been wanting to do the same thing. A 2s typically has a lead for each end of the string and 1 wire between every cell which makes sense with you diagram but I really haven't looked into it.

 

[DrewHammer]

I have no clue what an ID plug is since I have no Traxxas stuff.

If you're looking for a true balance plug, you'll need a positive wire to each cell and a common ground. I doubt you can do that through this extra ID wire and you'd have to dismantle the LiPo to attach the wiring.

More work than it's worth, IMO.

No traxxas stuff here either so not sure about the plug either. Thanks for confirmig that it's a common ground and paralleled positives to each cell. I thought it was a common positive with individual grounds. Totally not worth opening up the battery to do this.

 

[Dornbox]

Now everyone has me thinking about this a little more. A 2s balancing plug has a wire from each cell ( red and black from the main plug) and a lead from between the two cells. The Traxxas plug has one lead which should be the center lead. I'd think you could wire off the plugs two leads and extend the one lead from the smart plug and there's your 3 leads. No?

 

[Dornbox]

Now everyone has me thinking about this a little more. A 2s balancing plug has a wire from each cell ( red and black from the main plug) and a lead from between the two cells. The Traxxas plug has one lead which should be the center lead. I'd think you could wire off the plugs two leads and extend the one lead from the smart plug and there's your 3 leads. No?

Just to clarify ( wire from each cell is more from each end of the string ( 1 positive and 1 neg) to read the string voltage. Then the 3rd ( or middle) wire is to monitor each cell. So from a Traxxas ID Plug, you should be able to extend the small smart lead ( on the negative side of the plug ) and run another lead from the positive and negative without splitting the case.

 

[spookyseven]

What's the reason for not just getting a different brand of battery?

I did a search for traxxas balance plug adapter and a few options came up, I didn't look long enough to see if they make one with deans but it would be easy to change the adapter to deans.
TowerHobbies.com | Traxxas Adapter Old Trx to iD Battery Connector

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