That looks as tho I could be cold solder joints hard to tell from the pic
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I think silver plated could be more advantageous at really high frequency when the skin effect is happening but compared to solid copper wire it’s a pretty small improvement in conductivity and also thermal transfer. The cost is pretty high and I haven’t seen it with as high a temp rating as copper wire. Only person I knew who wound with pure silver said the insulation cut through and it shorted.
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I feel like this is an easy way to read the nickel section at the top for less conventional setups, hopefully it helps!
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Definitely helpful. Basing current capabilities on cross-sectional area makes things so much easier for DIY, especially for nickel. Where did you get the data for those numbers? The chart in this thread?
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Yup!
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You may be looking too far into the steel numbers. The steel numbers have had little testing or updates, while the nickel numbers have been tested and updated from empirical test results. They were closer together at the beginning. The steel numbers haven’t been tested much or at all.
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Is there any specific benefit of using tinned copper braid vs just a regular copper braid like this one.
For equivalent amounts of metal the conductivity is the same. Tinned braid can be easier to solder though since the plating doesn’t oxidize like bare copper does. The flux has to do less work with plated braid so the solder flows better. This makes creating a good connection easier.
If using bare copper braid I recommend using liquid flux on the braid before trying to solder it. This will help break down the oxide layer on all the strands without needing to get the flux in the core of the solder onto everything first (which takes time and can result in too much heat going somewhere you don’t want it).
Flux is our friend. 
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I know a place with a tester for up to 600Amps(maybe even more) but it’s for lead acid batteries (12v ) could make a rig to attach the wires/nickel strips/braided copper/etc. For testing purposes, put an amp meter with it and a termal cam
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I have a 30 amp test setup. Good for 3 hours constant.
I tested many strips but need to make a video.
10mm gets pretty fucking hot
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Did you make the video?
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So, according to this I should be fine running awg22 as a charge lead with 8A current.
Anyone tried this? Looks a bit on the edge.
Way too close to the limit, the wire will get really hot. It’ll also prevent your pack from charging up all the way I bet due to the voltage drop. Don’t!
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Yeah it didn’t sound right to me. I’ll use 2.5mm2 instead.
“Fine”? Not IMO.
A single 22AWG wire in open air at 8A will increase its temp by about 35°C. In an enclosure, next to another hot 22AWG wire, its temp will be even higher. This makes it too hot to touch and, IMO, that’s too hot. I would barely consider using 18AWG at 8A.
I don’t care if the insulation survives, 22AWG would get too hot. Power is being lost, charging is being done to a lower voltage, and the insulation is probably degrading faster.
The difference in weight and size between 22AWG and 18AWG is tiny and I consider 18AWG as the smallest possible gauge to use at that current level.
But if it’s in that table then some are doing it and will say they have no issues. A lot depends on your priorities and preferences. There’s no real “correct” gauge to use.
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I am professor with years knowledge on “Russian LEDs”
Yes sir you will be fine
What @Battery_Mooch said is spot on. That being said, I personally would use a 20AWG wire and a 15A fuse for up-to-8A charging. 18AWG is also fine. Obviously, I’m talking about over short distances under a meter. (1 yard)
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Should I fuse positive or negative charge lead?
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Doesn’t matter much, but fuse the charge port one side or the other.
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