Converting a T-Bar battery connector into...something else?

[nathanonbline]

So i'll first say that I'm on here because I don't know much about working with electronics, but hopefully with my very limited knowledge someone can help me with what I hope will be a relatively simple project. My goals in this project are as follows:

1. Don't kill myself
2. Don't fry the thing I'm working on
3. Learn something

So, I just picked up (for $10) a battery powered golf caddy/cart (the ones that hold just one golf bag) and upon further inspection, this thing is manufactured in Great Britain. It has a T-Bar battery connection (i'm going to put links to photos all below, and this connection seems to only exist in europe. I would much prefer to do the following:

1. I'd like to cut off the T-bar connector and put on some sort of connector like an anderson connector, anything that latches and quickly disconnects.
2. Ideally I would like to put an inline fuse also
3. Same connection obviously on the battery

So, here are the photos and description:

The T-Bar Connector:
http://s869.photobucket.com/user/nathanonline/media/image3.jpeg.html

One of the motors on the caddy (there's two identical motors):
http://s869.photobucket.com/user/nathanonline/media/image5.jpeg.html

Another view of the motors:
http://s869.photobucket.com/user/nathanonline/media/image6.jpeg.html

The battery I want to use for it (note the connector is for a different device, I plan to take this off)
http://s869.photobucket.com/user/nathanonline/media/image7.jpeg.html

Any of the following items will help me a lot:

-How do I choose the correct gauge of wire?
-What are good websites for low cost wire & parts
-What should I choose for the inline fuse?
-Will this battery do the trick based on the motors and everything else?
-Anything else you would recommend doing that I'm not thinking of?

Thanks, I'm excited about learning something new here.

 

[dorke]

I think the easiest thing to do would be
to open the T-bar connector ,remove the electrical "pointed" contacts and replace them with "standard" connections.
This way you keep the "old wires"and don't worry about gauge etc

Very important:
1.Marking and keeping the correct polarity.
2.Make a solid new crimp connection.
3.Isolde the connections well ,if possible make them "rain-safe".
.

 

[nathanonbline]

Hi,

Thanks for your response, here are a few things I should have mentioned:

I have to be able to easily disconnect the battery because the caddy won't fold up without the battery completely disconnected. I also want to get an inline fuse because if I do a direct connection wouldn't that run the risk of frying the electronics from a surge? Thanks very much for your response, I think that is definitely an option for me, but I want this item to work for me for hopefully many years so I'm willing to take the time to try to do this correctly.

 

[dorke]

The quick disconnect is probably why the used a T-bar.
What about charging the battery,
Is there a "charge input socket", or do you have to remove the battery for charging "indoors"?

Looks like you should use the T-bar battery adapter-the battery side socket.
like this one:

https://www.leisurebatteries4less.co.uk/34ah-t-bar-golf-powakaddy

 

[nathanonbline]

Yeah, I have already looked at that one. I'm betting that i'm going to have to pay a lot for shipping (I don't even know that they ship to the U.S.). I have a way to charge the battery, I have a motorcycle battery charger that works good for this battery; I'm not worried about that part. I'm really interested in changing the connector. I don't want the T-Bar for a number of reasons, but one of the main ones is it is way to easy to connect it backwards and probably fry everything in the process. Thanks again for offering your knowledge and assistance. What do you think of a 2-pole connector?

 

[dorke]

A 2 -pole connector will work, you probably need something like 50A rating.

like this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-x-ANDERSO...00V-/221833669106?hash=item33a65129f2&vxp=mtr