[T.O.P.] Getting into FPV on a budget — making money from it is easy; DIY long-range packs and power stations, AWithZ

FPV pilot TOP unboxes the UF20B: 6V / 1750A / 10.5kW, manual / auto trigger; 0.15 nickel-plated steel strip tested from gear 1 to 7 to settle on a gear, welds up to 0.4; plus a pitch that ‘building batteries yourself can make money’

Creator TOP speaks to FPV pilots: field battery boxes, long-range packs and radio batteries are all built from cells, and he has already posted a welding tutorial, an internal-resistance test method, wiring diagrams and an open-source battery-box shell. The key piece of kit is a spot welder; this time he upgrades to the AWithZ UF20B and unboxes it while explaining how to use it. First he shows that a soldering iron struggles to tin a cell terminal, gives cold joints, and long heating is a safety risk, while the spot welder fixes it solid with a few small sparks. Nameplate: max output voltage 6V, max current 1750A, power 10.5kW. Feature-wise he likes the switchable trigger mode: in auto the weld fires as soon as the pen tips press down, in manual you can position first and then press the button to fire, which feels more assured; there are plenty of parameters (trigger time, multi-pulse) but he basically only uses the gear. Too high a gear burns through the strip, too low won’t hold; with 0.15mm nickel-plated steel strip folded double as the example: gear 1 is too shallow and pulls apart with one tug, gear 4 won’t pull apart but is shallow, gear 6 welds through to the back, gear 7 is thoroughly perfect — for 0.15, remember gear 7; gear 99 is for thicker material, up to 0.4mm. The settings menu has a page-by-page ‘experience sharing’ tutorial that is beginner-friendly. Closing: battery-shop bosses drive Ferraris, play with quads and never run short of pocket money, link in the showcase.

Outcome

Steps7 steps · click a frame to jump

1. 
   1. Set-up: all FPV batteries can be self-built, TOP’s open-source material

   Field battery boxes, long-range packs and radio batteries are all built from cells; he has already posted a welding tutorial, internal-resistance measurement, wiring diagrams, the open-source Mk1 battery box / Mk2 / armour; the key piece of kit is a spot welder.

   00:00 – 01:23
2. 
   2. Unboxing the UF20B; soldering iron vs spot weld

   Upgraded to the AWithZ UF20B; a soldering iron on a cell terminal struggles to tin, gives cold joints and long heating raises safety worries; a few small sparks from the spot welder and two cells are firmly joined — fast and solid.

   01:23 – 01:52
3. 
   3. Nameplate: 6V / 1750A / 10.5kW

   Why upgrade: max output voltage 6V, max current 1750A, max power 10.5kW; it has a trigger port.

   01:52 – 02:17
4. 
   4. Trigger mode: auto vs manual

   The old machine was auto only: the weld fires as soon as the pen tips press down, even if you weren’t ready; the UF20B can switch to manual: place the tips anywhere on the strip first, then press the button to fire once you’re happy — more assured and a cleaner weld; lots of parameters (trigger time, multi-pulse) are rarely used, the gear is what matters.

   02:17 – 02:58
5. 
   5. Gear principle and how to set it: 1–99, ones and tens adjustable

   Too high a gear burns through the strip, too low won’t hold and pulls apart with a tug; both the ones and tens digits are adjustable, minimum gear 1; 0.15mm nickel-plated steel strip folded double is the test case.

   02:58 – 03:26
6. 
   6. 0.15 nickel-plated strip tested gear by gear: 1 → 4 → 6 → 7

   Gear 1 too shallow, pulls apart with one tug; gear 4 won’t pull apart but shallow; gear 6 deep, welds through to the back; gear 7 thoroughly perfect; tear test: gear 4 tears open, gear 6 won’t tear, gear 7 even stronger — for 0.15 remember gear 7. Gear 99 is for thicker material, up to 0.4mm.

   03:26 – 04:21
7. 
   7. Experience sharing in the settings; closing and showcase

   The settings menu has an ‘experience sharing’ section with welding experience page by page, beginner-friendly, thumbs up to the official team; once you’ve learned it you can weld any battery; battery-shop bosses drive Ferraris, play with quads and never run short of pocket money; link in the showcase.

   04:21 – 05:07

Bill of materials

Measured on camera

Creator’s tips

• Manual trigger: place the pins first, then press the button — more assured than firing on contact 02:30
• Finding the gear: weld and tear from low to high until the back is welded through and it won’t tear; 0.15 nickel-plated strip uses gear 7 03:26
• The ‘experience sharing’ pages in the settings carry official welding experience 04:28
• Plenty of parameters (trigger time / multi-pulse), but basically you only adjust the gear 02:50

Pitfalls

• Too high a gear burns straight through the strip, too low pulls apart with a tug 02:58
• Soldering iron on a cell terminal gives cold joints and long heating is a safety risk 01:34

Li-ion safety

• Heating a cell with a soldering iron for a long time is a safety worry 01:41

Quotes