Battery connections, volt meter, anti spark

Hi! I’m about to make order on hobby king, so i need a few things to know before order. So i’ll be using 2x 4s 8000mah batteries in series: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/_38301__ZIPPY_Flightmax_8000mAh_4S1P_30C_EU_Warehouse.html?strSearch=4s%208000mah

I want to use antispark, is this ok: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/_61690__XT90_S_Anti_Spark_Connector_2pairs_bag.html

Do i need order this to get my batteries in series to get 8s from 2x 4s+ using antispark connector: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/_10264__XT60_Harness_for_2_Packs_in_Series_1pc.html

Do i get it right or i need other things to connect my batteries in series+ anti spark?

Also which voltmeter will be fine: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__90757__Turnigy_Lipo_Battery_Voltage_Tester_2_8S_and_Low_Voltage_Buzzer_Alarm.html

or http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/_18588__HobbyKing_8482_Cell_Checker_with_Low_Voltage_Alarm_2S_8S.html

or http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__17864__In_Line_Voltage_and_Wattmeter.html

So how can i connect it to batteries, do i need some special harness to connect together batteries indicator cables, or i just plug both indicator cables from both batteries straight into those meter devices?

What kind of on/off switch should i use? I want to put fuse on batteries, how should i do it, what kind of fuse do i need? Fuse on each 4s battery or one fuse on both batteries?

I dont want you to make the mistake that we all make when we first start. Using Lipos …

Liion with a bms and charger maybe be a bit more expensive TODAY but it’ll save your money in the long run.

I can build you in in your budget range to fit your enclosure, with laptop style charging. plug and forget.

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Totally agreed. I ended up blowing 150$ on lipos, would’ve been easier to just start with lion

I will stick with lipos for my first build.

So can anybody tell me- are those things i’ve selected on hobby king are fine? Do i need something else, like different connectors or what…?

Lipos require previous experience to really get the most out of them.

What was your problem with using lipos? Life of the battery or just charging inconvenience?

Both. More charging inconvenience. I had one set go bad when my series charger started smoking and another when I used the parallel charger (didn’t balance the cells well at all). I’m on my third set, each set costs just over 50$ with tax and shipping. By now I could’ve just bought a li-on and been better off (which is why I’m looking to get a new battery before these ones fail me)

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Take a look at this thread, there are some good diagrams.

For charging there are three main options: series, parallel or each pack separately.

If you choose series charging then you need 8s capable charger, e.g. turnigy 1000w which is quite expensive.

For parallel charging you would have to switch (disconnect) between series each time you charge and also you maybe want parallel charging board. Remember to choose appropriate / matching connectors.

or you can buy [10 BMS] (http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Battery-Protection-BMS-PCB-Board-For-10-Packs-36V-Li-ion-Cell-Max-40A-W-Balance/32682462334.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.141.cXX9v4&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_7,searchweb201602_2_10057_10056_10055_10037_10049_10033_10059_10058_10032_10017_405_404_10040_10060_10061_412,searchweb201603_8&btsid=43705ecc-1721-4126-a833-c1198ce8f240) and 25$ charger and connect them in parallel:

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