Does anyone here make learn to solder badges or kits?
I'm wonder what your plans are for Reese's Law compliant battery/power solutions. (In the US anyway.)
@rasterweb i remembered @sjpiper145 had to do something with glowstitch kits about this, and found this short writeup https://hackaday.io/project/186907-glowstitch-led-strips/log/210168-battery-holder-considerations
i dont know the details of each regions laws but its something
@rasterweb Yeah, I’ve read your whole thread and coincidentally was just reading through the text of all the regs last night. I found some interesting test reports online that go through all the UL 4200A tests that are required, can link one in a bit. But yeah, confirmed that I read the same thing about captive fasteners @sjpiper145 which seems excessive. Hang on, this is going to be multiple replies.
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@rasterweb @sjpiper145 It’s a real fucking conundrum because I’m with you - the price and capacity and ease of integration make them really the only solution for something small and low cost. I don’t plan on sending my kits in (I’m just going to stop selling kits most likely), but I do wonder if the style of battery holder I switched to which has a “butt catcher” would pass. It is impossible for us to remove the battery without pushing it from a small opening with a tool.
@rasterweb @sjpiper145 Regarding the coin cell power board - that wasn’t intended as a solution to this, I made it a few years ago as a way to power out displays at trade shows off of one rechargeable lithium instead of killing a million coin cells. But I was thinking about this just a few hours ago, that it does actually replace a coin cell.
@rasterweb @sjpiper145 But I don’t think that would magically make things that use coin cell holders compliant because of the text of the rules that specify anything designed to use a coin cell. I’m currently thinking about a new product and it’s absolutely insane that it would be easier to stick a LiPo in it than a rechargeable coin cell, even though the coin cell would be way safer from puncture & wear and tear.
@rasterweb @sjpiper145 and here’s another crazy thing - how are chargers designed to charge the LiR coin cells at all compliant? They can’t be. Even LiR coin cells that are not meant to be replaced by the user are NOT exempt. I mean, the zinc air exception is cool, but the shelf life after opening and cost of them are both bad. So yeah I guess we’re back to alkaline and nothing small? Or using danger pillows everywhere?
@alpenglow @rasterweb Yeah, it's a really tough one - I'm exhausted after already re-fitting my kits twice to meet CE, UKCA and past coin cell battery compliance. I think I'll be saving my badge kits for EU orders or phasing them out and sticking to larger alkaline powered kits.
@sjpiper145 @rasterweb I’m with you. It’s incredibly frustrating and discouraging. I mean, the only cost-effective alternative I can think of is to just stick a USB connector on badges/kits and let the customer figure it out.
@SarraceniaWilds @rasterweb Thanks for passing this on! This was to meet the Australian coin cell battery requirements.
@sjpiper145 @SarraceniaWilds Cheers! Is that a captive screw or do the regulations in Australia not require one?
We've been kicking around designs that can be low cost but still compliant and it's definitely a hard nut to crack.
@rasterweb @SarraceniaWilds My latest designs just have an M3 size screw in a hole, which means that the battery can only be removed if you have a tool. Here's more recent before and after re-design pics for reference too:
@sjpiper145 @SarraceniaWilds Got it. I believe in the US the screw needs to be captive because it can also be ingested if it can be removed.
@rasterweb @SarraceniaWilds Interesting - Many products have screws, do you have a link to further reading on these requirements? Keen to hear if you find any solutions!
@sjpiper145 @SarraceniaWilds Here’s the Reese’s Law stuff for the US.
Using a screw like that was one of our ideas but we were advised it needs to be a captive screw.
@sjpiper145 @rasterweb @SarraceniaWilds same applies in .au - https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2020L01656/latest/text section 10
@rasterweb @jpm @SarraceniaWilds
Thanks for the extra info! My other soldering kit I swapped the coin cells out for AAA batteries. A simpler solution might just be to have bigger kits to accommodate.
@sjpiper145 @jpm @SarraceniaWilds Yeah, AAA battery option is one I can see many people moving to as does solve the issue. (We’ll do that for some items.)
@sjpiper145 @rasterweb @SarraceniaWilds yep AAA cells are the way to go unless you desperately need the size or weight