Society of Robots - Robot Forum

Electronics => Electronics => Topic started by: ribs on June 09, 2007, 11:41:55 AM

Title: Battery connector for $50 robot?
Post by: ribs on June 09, 2007, 11:41:55 AM

Hi - I've got lots of programming experience but no electronics experience (like, I've never touched a resistor before, or used a soldering iron), and I'm just going through the $50 robot tutorial shopping list to start making my first robot.

I was looking at onlybatterypacks.com for the recommended 6v battery packs but I don't know which connector to choose (i.e. which connector fits with the male header that I will put on the pc board).  There are a bunch of choices (futaba, hitec, molex, mini-t, bec, kyosho, tamiya, etc.), and it looks like a bunch of them are about the right size, but I wanted to see if one was best.

Also, the choices have "Male: battery side" and "female: charger side", and I assume I actually want "female: charger side" despite the fact that it will be from the battery pack, since I will plug it onto male header pins?  Or am I mistaken?

Thanks for the help.

And thanks for the tutorials - they make a quite daunting task a little less frightening.

Title: Re: Battery connector for $50 robot?
Post by: maverick monk on June 09, 2007, 07:43:16 PM

for conectors use Deans micro plugs http://www.atomicmods.com/Products/Deans-Micro-Plug-Set__10104.aspx they are geat, the plugs are gold plated and VERY effecient, but if your using a Batt. with more than 1000mah cells. id suggest http://www.atomicmods.com/Products/Deans-Ultra-Plug-Set__12944.aspx deans ultra plugs, they can stand more current, and are still just as effective, but they are bigger and not needed for smaller batteries.

for the board, is suggest attaching 2 wires ( red to Pos. black to ground) instead of the two power pins, and attaching a male connector of choice to the wires,then plug in the opposit conector, and solder your battery wires to that end (that way you can make sure your not reverse polerized) take another male conector and attach it to your charger, this way, you can use pritty much any hobby RC pack if you decide to get another, just have www.cheapbatterypacks.com (http://www.cheapbatterypacks.com) build you a pack with the cells and the connector you picked.

Title: Re: Battery connector for $50 robot?
Post by: ribs on June 11, 2007, 10:48:49 AM

Cool - thanks!

Title: Re: Battery connector for $50 robot?
Post by: Admin on June 12, 2007, 07:09:50 AM

I used Hitec connectors for The $50 Robot.

Quote

that way you can make sure your not reverse polerized

I worry that I will one day regret not adding reverse polarity protection to the $50 Robot . . .