12v Motorcycle Battery

[Billybuck]

Will a 12V 7 Amp motorcycle battery work in the field to run a E-Station BC6 Balance charger, charging ALIGN 6S1P 22.2V 4600mAh/22C batteries?

[Pinecone]

Yes, for about one charge. :)

22.2 volts x 4.6 amp hours x 80% = 81.6 watt hours.

12 volts x 7 amp hours = 84 watt hours

So one charge and the motorcycle batt is flat, assuming 100% efficiency of the charger.

For 6S packs, using any type of battery as a field source is very limited.

[Billybuck]

Thanks Pinecone.

I guess that won't work. What would you recommend, a car battery?

[spork]

On top of that motorcycle batteries don't like deep cycling. You could use a deep cycle marine cell or a generator I suppose. Or buy lots of batteries and charge them at home.

[Billybuck]

How many charges would I get out of a deep cell marine battery. I just happen to have a couple of those. I do alot of fishing.

[spork]

Good question. That depends on the capacity of your marine battery.

Pinecone calculated that each charge will require 81.6 watt-hours (plus some allowance for charge innefficiency).

Let's say you have an 80 amp-hour marine battery. That'll give you:

12V * 80 amp-hours = 960 watt-hours (so over 10 charges).

Just multiply your battery's capacity by its voltage, and divide by 81.6.

Make sense?

[Billybuck]

Thanks Spork. There is alot to consider in helicopters. Been researching this for over a month before I buy and still haven't made up my mind.

[ghtracey]

And they say nitro needs field equipment....
A generator to fly them "green" electrics.. :P

Don't forget to factor in someway to recharge that marine battery. A 20A or so charger if you want to be able to use it two days in a row. By the time you start looking at the cost of batteries, and a charger, it may actually be more economical to go buy a small generator to run at the field.

[Pinecone]

And you don't really want to run the marine battery FLAT, so less charges.

For field charging of 6S packs, a small generator makes the most sense. Or find a field with power.

[Billybuck]

They do have power at the field. Whether or not I will have access to it, i'm not sure. Will have to check that out.

What do I need to look for in a appropriate generator if I go with the TP-1010C Charger.

[kgfly]

It gets even more complicated if you go with a generator since you will need a DC power supply to run from the AC output of the generator to supply DC to your charger.

The TP1010 is a 220W output charger so your generator would have to be at least 300W to allow for inefficiencies. There are cheap (~$100) 500-1000W 2-stroke Chinese generators available in the US from places like Harbor Freight (I think) and Ebay but the consensus on HF seems to be that the Kipor units are the best choice. Comparable performance and quality to the market-leader Honda at about half the price: http://www.kipornorthamerica.com/Sinemaster1.aspx

[joehelicopter]

It gets even more complicated if you go with a generator since you will need a DC power supply to run from the AC output of the generator to supply DC to your charger.

The TP1010 is a 220W output charger so your generator would have to be at least 300W to allow for inefficiencies. There are cheap (~$100) 500-1000W 2-stroke Chinese generators available in the US from places like Harbor Freight (I think) and Ebay but the consensus on HF seems to be that the Kipor units are the best choice. Comparable performance and quality to the market-leader Honda at about half the price: http://www.kipornorthamerica.com/Sinemaster1.aspx
PEP BOYS auto parts has a generator for $120 and then there's a rebate:thumbup:

[Billybuck]

What do you think about this power supply?
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXLWF4&P=7

[ghtracey]

You'll need at least a 30A 12VDC power supply (http://www.hobby-lobby.com/powersupply.htm) (gives you about 400W for your charger).


Also be aware that for some large packs and chargers, you actually need(want) 15Vdc power supplies. Make sure you download and read the manual for anything you are thinking of getting, so you can plan your power needs. The new 1010i NET charger from hyperion for example tells you that to get full charger capabilities charging high voltage cells at high current you need a 15v 350W power supply like this BK Precision 1692 (http://www.globaltestsupply.com/test_equipment/BK_Precision_1692_Switching_Digital_Power_Supply_D igital_.cfm) (that one is actually 600W, but its one of the cheapest on the market). You can use a smaller supply, but your charging capacity will be reduced, leading to longer charge times.

[Billybuck]

Thanks for that info! I have a lot to learn about power soloutions.

[kgfly]

There are many options for power supplies. Some examples:

Pyramid: http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-PYRAMID-25-AMP-AC-DC-REGULATED-POWER-SUPPLY_W0QQitemZ160175177904QQihZ006QQcategoryZ487 08QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Mastech: http://cgi.ebay.com/MASTECH-VARIABLE-REGULATED-DC-POWER-SUPPLY-0-30V-0-30A_W0QQitemZ120179205283QQihZ002QQcategoryZ32720Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

You can get unpackaged switchedmode power supplies on Ebay for a lot less that will probably do the job.: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300159977924 (you could contact this vendor for a 15V version if needed)

[Pinecone]

I have a Mastech 3030 (variable up to 30 volts, 30 amps) that is doing a nice job. It also gives me a variable power supply for all sorts of things, like setting lipo alarms. :)

[Billybuck]

Thanks, I now have my power supply question answered.
You guys really help alot.

[kgfly]

BTW - I checked with ecrazyman@gmail.com and he can do 15V/23A (345W) units at USD$63 including shipping, cheaper for multiple units in one order.

[ghtracey]

That's a hell of a good price.