Author Topic: Axon 6v batteries in UK  (Read 3184 times)

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Offline WebbotTopic starter

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Axon 6v batteries in UK
« on: February 24, 2009, 08:52:15 PM »
Calling all UK SoR members....

If I'm using servos then Admins guide says not to exceed 6v else you may burn the servo. So 6xAA battery holders are out (6 x 1.2V=7V). I cant find any 5xAA holders (5 x1.2V=6V).

Equally the power regulator for the Axon needs just over 5v so 4xAA wont do.

I can find a few lead acid 6v (mini car batteries) but they weigh a ton.

What are you folk using - and where did you buy them ?
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Offline SmAsH

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Re: Axon 6v batteries in UK
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2009, 12:14:07 AM »
for the servos they operate around 6v so anywhere from 4.8-6v will get you online :) and for the axon you can use the 6x1.2v because the voltage regulator will bring it down to 5v. i would suggest nimh i think or ni-cad if you cant find nimh. as for where to get them, i wouldnt really have a clue sorry  :-\
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Offline superchiku

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Re: Axon 6v batteries in UK
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2009, 12:14:38 AM »
if u have 6*AA then make it 5*AA by taking out a series connection
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Offline cosminprund

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Re: Axon 6v batteries in UK
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2009, 02:02:10 AM »
I haven't plugged an servo into my Axon yet :) but for my custom boards I'm using an 2S LiPo pack (7.8V) and I'm using an 6V linear regulator :D I find the power loss to be acceptable and the regulator is not getting hot with two servos continuously turning.

If you absolutely want an 6V pack and you can't find one why not make one? The commercial packs aren't much different to homemade packs (except they use spot welding to connect the tabs to the cell terminators and I assume you'd be soldering them, not spot welding them). I wanted an 12V NiMh pack and was looking for 6V packs OR 12V packs: when I failed to locate some I simply ordered cells and made my own! Now I've got two nice 6V packs (5 cells each) that work grate.

Offline SmAsH

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Re: Axon 6v batteries in UK
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2009, 02:12:35 AM »
yes making your own can be cheaper and sometimes better but there is the risk of the batteries going boom when you solder them. if you have a 6 battery holder you could just bridge one battery space with a wire? then you'd only get 6v
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Offline cosminprund

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Re: Axon 6v batteries in UK
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2009, 02:25:27 AM »
NiMh don't blow up. You might ruin them if you heat them too much for too long, but they don't blow up. And the risk of heating them too much is small: the more likely problem will be not being able to heat them enough!

Offline SmAsH

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Re: Axon 6v batteries in UK
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2009, 03:43:59 AM »
then run to radioshack and get yourself a 100W soldering iron!! :D lol, damn i only have ni-cad batterys lying around right now.
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Offline WebbotTopic starter

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Re: Axon 6v batteries in UK
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2009, 04:15:03 AM »
I had thought about making my own - wrapping it up in black tape. But decided against it as I would then have to make my own charger. Currently have charger that lets me put in individual AA, PP3 batteries and so removing the black tape on the batteries each time.

Mod'ing a 6xAA holder is a good idea. Guess I'd need to find a holder that stores the batteries side by side - coz if they are end-to-end then you cant just put in a wire as the others have nothing to push against. Suppose I could think about making a 'battery blank' from a length of wooden cylinder with a wire from one end to the other.
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Offline cosminprund

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Re: Axon 6v batteries in UK
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2009, 04:15:15 AM »
Quote
then run to radioshack and get yourself a 100W soldering iron!!  lol, damn i only have ni-cad batterys lying around right now.

That's exactly what I'm using, only it's not from Radio Shack is from an local "home improvement" shop and I bought it from the plumbers section!
If you absolutely want to see a battery blowing up you'll need to get a LiPo OR be very determined :)

Try this google search "battery blow up -Lithium -LiPo"; It essentially instructs google to only show "battery blow" pages if it doesn't also find "LiPo" or "Lithium" on the same page. From the search results ignore all results related to laptop batteries and mobile phone batteries - those are Lithium batteries. You'll end up with very few results, nothing to worry about.

Next try this google search "making an battery pack +danger": Again, this instructs google to show pages related to making battery packs that also talk about "danger". Guess what, the only danger is related to "LiPo" :D

There are lots of tutorials on how to make a battery pack, read up if you're interested.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2009, 04:20:37 AM by cosminprund »

Offline SmAsH

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Re: Axon 6v batteries in UK
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2009, 04:21:38 AM »
i might just do that :) but the only problem there is i dont have a charger, and cant be bothered to buy one...
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Offline cosminprund

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Re: Axon 6v batteries in UK
« Reply #10 on: February 25, 2009, 04:24:30 AM »
I had thought about making my own - wrapping it up in black tape. But decided against it as I would then have to make my own charger. Currently have charger that lets me put in individual AA, PP3 batteries and so removing the black tape on the batteries each time.

Get yourself an "RC" charger and you'll be able to charge the pack without taking the black tape off it. Get an good one that can charge LiPo (make sure it has the connector for the equalising cable). Charging with an RC charger is soooo much simpler: You just hook up the pack to the charger and that's it (my charger auto-detects everything for NiMh). Also I prefer LiPo, they're so light and powerfull!

Offline SmAsH

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Re: Axon 6v batteries in UK
« Reply #11 on: February 25, 2009, 04:32:13 AM »
i just havent ever wanted to buy one because they're about $30-60
Mod'ing a 6xAA holder is a good idea. Guess I'd need to find a holder that stores the batteries side by side - coz if they are end-to-end then you cant just put in a wire as the others have nothing to push against. Suppose I could think about making a 'battery blank' from a length of wooden cylinder with a wire from one end to the other.
or just put a piece of wire in there?
« Last Edit: February 25, 2009, 04:34:05 AM by SmAsH »
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Offline WebbotTopic starter

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Re: Axon 6v batteries in UK
« Reply #13 on: February 25, 2009, 09:23:24 AM »
Thanks for all the replies.

Think I'll go with this battery pack  (UK store).  Mainly cause it has Futaba connectors as well as the Tamiya ones.  13.25 pounds each

http://www.vapextech.co.uk/acatalog/High_Power_Model_Control_Batteries.html#a37

They also have a charger at the end of the same page for 11 pounds
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Offline Admin

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Re: Axon 6v batteries in UK
« Reply #14 on: February 25, 2009, 10:19:07 AM »
My recommendation is buying a 6V battery pack.

However, if you are just controlling one or two servos, you can just power them off the 5V regulated line. The voltage regulator can handle the current, its just very inefficient and not a good long term solution.

Or you can buy servos that can handle higher voltages (typically expensive).

 


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