Power supply

[DrScoles]

I got my Pyramid 50 amp power supply in the mail last week. In a word...HEAVY :cry: No way I'm packing this thing to the field. Its gotta weigh 50 pounds... My friend bought two of the 25 amp ones from radio shack and they are very light... From reading in here and talking to people, if you want to charge near 8amps with two at same time, you need atleast a 40 amp power supply to do it... Ughhh...

I'm gonna keep it for the shop, but may end up doing what Wayne did with the two little radio shack units... It appears that there is more cost involved in getting charging stuff set up...chargers, power supplys, generator.... than the cost of the heli!!! Brave new world......


Mike

[z11355]

yes, the 'hidden' suprise of e-flight.

fyi, there is a company, in Vancouver called Samlex that makes nice power supplies.
Rat Shack was reselling this one for short $$$ and its very light, maybe 2 lbs.

http://www.samlexamerica.com/sec1223.htm

but of course, there are lots of other manufacturers out there but at least these guys
are 'domestic'.

[WayneR]

Mike. So far the Beach is a bust it is raining Pigs and Chickens down here. Hope to fly the ION this afternoon if this front passes through.

For field charging the 25 amp Radioshack unit is nice it weighs about 1 Lb. The down side is you need 2 to charge 2 packs at 8 Amps.

[vitek]

Mike,

I'm thinking about getting an Iota DLS-45 [maybe the 55 or 75]. They are not as big as the pyramid, and weigh a lot less.

http://altenergystore.com/cart/1409.html

Travis

[bob00]

FWIW I have the Rivergate Bulldog 55 - looks exactly like the Iota DLS-45. It handles both Orbit Pros charging at 8A without breaking a sweat.

- Rob

[skippy]

Here is a couple of nice power supplies. I use the 45amp one.

http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-4225MV

http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-4245MV

[DrScoles]

shit Travis! where were you with that info two weeks ago! <g> those look nice, might look into one to take to field...mine is HEAVY....

Mike

[Tabbytabb]

I would look at the supply from Ramboy.com, I have several and they are very tiny and light.

If one wont supply the current needed you can parrallel them. They can be had on ebay for around 25 bucks which is a good deal.

Tabb

[Helirob]

Doc,

I've been using computer power supplies. It's only $26 for a 28 amp power supply. They are lightweight, compact and have a clean 12 volt supply line. They are easy to modify by cutting off all the useless wires and installing a two output jacks on the case.

:lol:

Rob

[vitek]

where were you with that info two weeks ago!

Sorry Mike. Haven't had the $$ to finish off the Ion, so I just started looking at power supplies this weekend. After seeing Russ' setup, I realized I didn't want to be lugging around that huge Pyramid and a fan.

I've been using computer power supplies.

I've made a few of these. I actually run my Super Nova off of one in the garage. Maybe it is the older ones that I'm using, but if you draw to much current, the 12v sags, even with a load on the 5v line.

Travis

[Tabbytabb]

Rob, where can I get one of these power supplies you are talking about? All the PC power supplies I have used wont put out 28A

Thanks
Tabb

[Helirob]

Tabb,

I get my PC power supplies from my local PC store.

Here is the link> http://www.enuinc.com/

I can purchase them for you, Dr Mike, Travis, etc. and pass them out at the June Brooks show.

Rob

[Sar]

Why go through all the effort of a generator, etc to charge at the field? Add a deep cycle battery and a battery isolator to your vehicle and your set.

[WayneR]

Rob are you getting them at Fry's? If so what is make and model?

[Helirob]

Sar,

We thought about that already. Check this out.

1 5S4P charging = 15 amps for 1 hour

To charge both batteries for one flight takes 30 amp-hrs from a deep cycle battery.

http://www.usbattery.com/12vltmrn.htm

One 130 amp-hr battery weighs 64 lbs and would provide 4 charge cycles

If you can't have the deep cycle battery near your vehicle, is that going to be enough flying?

:shock:

Rob

[Tabbytabb]

Rob that would be great!

Put me down for one.

Thanks again

Tabb

[Sar]

Just keep a couple of these down at the field on a trickle charger :D
http://www.relocationspecialists.org/bat/cell.html

[WillJames]

HAHAHAHA yea those would probably be good for a few cycles. :)

Only downside is your club would have to invest in a forklift.

WOW

[Helirob]

Tabb,

OK, I'll make one up for you. :D


Wayne,

Look for the 520 Watt power supply at www.enuinc.com :wink:


Sar,

Those batteries are cool. :glasses2:


William,

I work for Hyster, so getting a forklift is no problem. :lol:

Rob

[JonMann]

Helirob,

Have you actually completed 4 charges with one of those deep cycle batteries?? Not sure what charger you are running, but the Astro 109's will shut down if the source goes below 10.5v. I have bascially the same battery (based on spec's) and I can barely get three charges from it. It must be something about the high current drain off these over time, but I've never been ablt to get anywhere close to 4 charges. I was thinking about switching to "Yellow Top's" but not convinced that they will make that much difference based on the cost. If these are working for you would like to know before I make any changes.

Thanks - jon

[fitenfyr]

Hah!
I could go a few doors down right now and "pick" one of those up. :D :D

We went to the battery shop a few months back doing a pre-fire plan walk through and those things are HUGE!

[WayneR]

1 charge and my truck will just barely start.

[Russ McC]

I will answer for Rob. No he has not done any charging from batteries, we have only been using power supplies. Rob came to the four charge number on those batteries purely through calculation only. The energy is probably there theoretically to get four charges but the voltage drops to low as the battery gets any where near 75% depleted. Rob did these calculations to determine if we would attempt to use batteries as a power source for charging, we decided batteries would not work for us :)

[WayneR]

A little off topic. But can we charge 2 packs in parallel. it would take 2 hours instead of 1. Would it still pose the same danger as series charging? It would save some time over charging separately if you only have 1 charger. Voltage should come out the same?

[DrScoles]

I like the deep cycle idea.... 3 charges is all I would ever do in a day. Come to field with batts charged, then get 4 flights total... And thats if I only had one pack....

I am fairly naive to the whole isolator thing, how does your alternator charge both the truck and marine battery? JerryS from Conn. is using his nissan maxima to charge his batts! I would like to add a battery to my truck..that makes most sense to me. Buying a deep cycle batt is a lot more cost effective than generator and power supplys...

Mike