RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

cappj1

You are correct.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Cappja1

That is correct. Pos to pos neg to neg of two packs, then connect a single wire to each of these leads from battery packs to starter, red to red blk to blk. If the starter turns the wrong way switch the leads.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

I've been using a car jump starter battery...12 volts 300 amps.....like you get at auto parts store or Wal-Mart....35 bucks....has its own charger....Now don't worry about the amps...the starter isn't going to draw any more amps than it needs....just put a set of long wires on the starter with aligator clips attach to the battery leads and you're set

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

I do the same thing as Jet is with the car jump starter. I always either used my power panel or later on I connected my starter to one of the 7 amp batteries that you use in your flight box for the power panel. That always worked great.
Then I started running bigger engines, both four strokes and gas and needed more starter torque. The jump starters are great except it is another item I have to take to the field with me. Good thing is the battery is gell and maintance free, can't leak in the van.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

I had that exact same one on your first post. But i paid almost $40..lol
It comes with a charger.

Those thing are cool...but don't forget it at the field..like I did mine becuase you'll never see it again.
I was emotionally challenged after I crashed one of my models...got side tracked from having to
look for plane parts .lol

I just extended the cable of the starter, now...The longer cable helps. Plus it's alway hook up to my
flight box. Hanv'r left my flight box at the field ...YET..lol

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

I'm thinking, after all the talk of the home made babies, the original one I posted is the one I want to go with - this http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXL372&P=ML .

This is a 12 volt battery - will the Multiplex charger charge it okay?

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

You would have to fabricate a lead that would plug into the battery, making sure you know if the tip is positive or negative. The charger can charge the battery no problem as long as it's hooked up right.

Now they sell a replacement battery for that battery pack, which leads me to believe you may be able to open the case and charge the battery inside using alligator plugs. The battery inside is what I linked before, this:
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXL373&P=7

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

I just bought the hobbico torqmaster 12V 7A. Its really not that big and I think the charger was $13 or so. So I think it was $35 from tower for both. I went weeks without charging the thing. It just charges by the alligator clips

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Unless the batteries are very low capacity, you won't get more current with them in parrallel. NiCads typically have very low impedance, and the impedance is what limits current. Since the motor of the starter is about an order of magnitude higher impedance than the cells, it determines the current. So go with the batteries in series. I've used two 6-cell car packs in series for about 25 years now. I'm on my third generation design for the starter, and would never consider a gell cell again.

On the other hand, a new adapter is now available to use a Makita Li-ion 18V battery on the back end of the starter. Kind of pricy, but should really spin the prop. It's shown on pg 22 of the Sept issue of MAN.

Hmm, my fourth generation may use three car packs in series.....

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

I hooked up a marine battery to my Hobbico 90 starter and it didn't make a bit of difference than compared to a small gel battery (power core). I decided
to bring up the volts and ended up doing this. It's worked great the past few months I've used it. And I'm not tied to a cord. [8D]

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

A guy at my field has the exact same thing, only 14.4v, black and decker too. Works really great, and fits really well on the starter.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

As long as it's not run continuously for more than a few seconds, it should last
a while. The battery was only $25 and I already had the charger. It's a little
cheaper and easier than messing with lipos.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Okay, so here's what I plan to do.

Since, as gaRCfield points out, the battery inside the unit I originally wanted to buy, http://hobby-lobby.com/elecprop.htm at $29.99
is this one, http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXL373&P=V for $14.99,

I'll just strap to the starter that battery using longer nylon ties than these http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXBMF9&P=7 .

Then, I'll solder connectors onto the wires from the starter that will just clip on to the metal posts of the battery.

I'll use the multiplex charger alligators to charge the whole thing.

Total cost about $16 bucks!

Thanks for all the tips, Guys.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

I ordered a Century battery holder from Tower Hobbies then went to Radio Shack and bought 2 7.2 volt 3300 mah Nihm batteys and then matching ends. The holder bolted to my starter, then wired pos to neg between the 2 batterys then the pos from 1 and the neg from the other into a connector that plugs into the starter. This gives me 14.4 volts to the starter and 3300mah. I also made a cord that will plug into the starter to my power panel incase my batteys get weak that I can still fly. I made a couple of charge leads to recharge the batterys with my Hobbico Accu-cycle Elite.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Atta boy!!:D

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Do you have a photo of what you have? Just would be interested in taking a look.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

From my perspective gel cells just don't put out the current fast enough and the LiPo's are too costly and temperamental. A couple of cheap car packs are the way to go.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Yup...

You CAN install TWO car packs into the Hobbico battery pack housing. The included 12v gel battery is rather anemic and doesn't hold up well over time....

You have to cut the inside flashing and make an opening for the connectors, but the end result looks good and is easy to handle.

It amazes people to see me start 50CC gassers with my little self contained 14.8v setup, this way.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Can you send me a link to the car packs you're talking about? Thanks.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

I used two of these:

[link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXTJH4&P=ML]Click me![/link]

Both fit inside the Hobbico housing after some minor modification.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Well, I decided and placed my order.

I'm sure the car batteries, nicads and black and decker batteries are probably better solutions, but I guess I just didn't want to mess around so spent a few extra bucks and got the Hobbico battery pack and charger along with the Hobbico Torqmaster starter.

In case anyone is interested in doing the same thing, here are the links:

[link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXL396&P=ML]STARTER[/link]
[link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXL372&P=ML]STARTER BATTERY [/link]
[link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXL354&P=V]STARTER BATTERY CHARGER[/link]

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Here's what I ended up with in case anyone is interested.

http://home.rochester.rr.com/cappaj1/starter.JPG

I cut the wire from the Torqmaster, soldered clips with clear protectors over them to the bare wire, and clipped them to the posts on the Hobbico battery pack. I also ordered the Hobbico 12V walwart to charge the setup via the jack in the battery pack. Voila!

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Ugh.

The battery pack that Hobbico sells is rather anemic and barely lasts a season or two.

Since I've replaced it with two car packs I've had NO problems starting up to 50CC engines!!!

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

About half our active flyers have copied this set up Cheap 12v starter with two seven cell 16.8 volts and anywhere between 3000 and 5000 mAh nimh. Works better than most commercial portables and will last an entire weekend at an event.