To assemble the simplest battery-powered circuit, we have to resort to various tricks so that the wires fit snugly against the poles of the battery itself. Someone uses tape and tape, someone comes up with various kinds of clamping devices. But the contact in this case will be imperfect, which ultimately affects the performance of the assembled circuit. Often the contact disappears or turns out to be loose, and the device works intermittently. To avoid this, it is best to simply solder the wires to the poles. In our article, we will tell you how to solder the wires to the battery so that the contact is perfect.
The simplest device example
The simplest battery-powered device is an ordinary electromagnet. Using his example, we will test the performance of our student rations. We take an ordinary nail, for example a hundredth, we wind a copper wire on it in dense rows. We isolate the turns from above with electrical tape. The electromagnet is ready. Now it remains only to power the device from the battery.
Of course, you can simply press on the wiring from each end of the battery, and the device will already start working. But using it is inconvenient. Therefore, it is best to ensure that the wires are in constant contact with the power source. This can be done by adding an ordinary switch (toggle switch) to the network and soldering wires directly to the battery poles. The device will become more reliable, it will be more convenient to use, and if it is not needed, you can always turn it off by opening the circuit with the switch so that the battery does not run out. But how to solder the wires to the battery so that they do not fall off after five minutes of using the device?
Tools and consumables required for soldering
In order to ensure reliable soldering of wires to the poles of the battery, you need the necessary set of tools. Since soldering a wire to the battery is a more complicated task than just soldering a pair of copper wires between each other, we will do everything exactly with the instructions below. In the meantime, prepare everything you need:
- Ordinary household manual soldering iron. They will solder the wires to the poles of the battery.
- Sandpaper or file to clean the soldering iron tip from the slag and soot.
- Sharp knife. We will strip them if they are braided.
- Flux or rosin. What soldering flux is suitable in this case? We won’t break our heads here, we’ll take simple soldering acid; it is sold in any store selling radio products. Well, rosin, although in color and shade, is often different, but in terms of properties it is always the same.
- Flux brush.
- Solder. It can be purchased in the same place as the flux.
Solder the wires to a regular battery
So how to solder wires to a 1.5V battery? This task is simple, if everything you need is already at hand. We follow the following instructions:
- Before turning on the soldering iron, its tip should be cleaned of scale. We do this with a small file or sandpaper. When the soldering iron tip sparkles with virgin metal, the process can be considered completed.
- We turn on the soldering iron, placing it on the stand, and wait until it warms up to the required temperature. We try the glow of the sting on the solder threads. If the solder melts upon contact, soldering can begin.
- In order for the soldering to be strong while the soldering iron is warming up, it is necessary to pre-treat the surface of the battery to which we will solder the tip of the wire with a flux. This is done with a special brush. Current batteries are made of alloys on which soldering is very poorly held. By treating the surface of such alloys with soldering acid, we will provide stronger soldering. The edges of the soldered wires should also be treated. For lack of brushes, you can use any wand. It is enough to apply a drop of acid, and the surface will already be considered processed.
- After applying the acid with a heated soldering iron, apply a layer of solder to the poles of the battery. We do the same with the ends of the wires.
- In the case of rosin, you first have to tin the surface, and clean the ends of the wire from varnish. But we can say with full confidence that, even if you know how to solder with rosin, such a grip on the surface of the battery will be less effective.
- But if you don’t have acid at hand, and only rosin is available, we clean the surface of the battery, use rosin as a flux, applying a small part of it to the battery, and then take a little solder with a soldering iron sting and tin the place on the battery pole. The wire will also need to be tinned.
- With proper tinning, a strong solder film forms on the surface of the battery, to which it will be necessary to solder.
- We attach the wire to the machined flux or tinned part of the battery, pick up a little solder with a soldering iron and solder the wire. We do not pull the wire, do not move it, hold it exactly and in one place, otherwise the soldering will be weak.
- After the solder hardens, we do everything with the other pole of the battery.
Everything, wires are qualitatively soldered to the battery.
Solder the wires to the crown
How to solder a wire to a Krone battery? Here, soldering is carried out almost in the same way as in the case with a conventional battery. The only difference is that in the Krona battery, 9V plus and minus are located next to one on the top of the battery. The nuances are as follows:
- In the case of flux, we treat acid with Krona contacts on opposite sides. There we will solder the wires.
- In the case of rosin, it will be necessary to tin the contacts of the Krona, and also from opposite sides. Why from the opposite? Because in this case, the risk of a short circuit between the wires is practically reduced to zero.
- The battery "Krona" 9V contacts (poles) are very uncomfortable for soldering. At the top they open in breadth, and therefore, for high-quality tinning and soldering on the side of such a contact, it is necessary that the tip of the soldering iron be narrower or sharpened.
In general, the whole process is similar to the previous one. We process the contacts and the edges of the wires with acid (or tin in the case of rosin), press the wires to the contacts, take a little solder with a soldering iron and solder it. The process is completed.
4.5 V quadrangular batteries
Soldering wires to these batteries is even easier. They have flat folding contacts that can be easily tinned. And soldering to them is easier and faster. The main thing is not to move the wiring during the soldering process. Otherwise, they simply come off.
Here you can not hold the wire at all, but wrap it around the plane of the contact strip. And then, having typed the tin with a soldering iron, solder.
Batteries
It is better not to solder the batteries, but to make a special container for them, in which the contacts of the elements will be in close contact with the pole contacts of the container. The battery material consists of alloys that can be soldered even worse than conventional lithium batteries. But if it’s very impatient, then the soldering is carried out, as in the case with a regular 1.5 V battery, just use flux and not rosin. In addition, soldering should be done as quickly as possible, minimizing the contact of the soldering iron with the poles, since such batteries are afraid of overheating.
Conclusion
Of the two options - rosin or flux - it is better to choose a flux. It will provide soldering greater durability and reliability. Such soldering will not fall off even if the device will be used very often. The only caveat is that the acid fumes released during soldering are very harmful, so inhaling them is not recommended, and after the procedure you should thoroughly wash your hands.