Starter Battery Pack
 

I'm thinking of buying one of these http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXL372&P=ML
and had the following questions:

Will the Multiplex charger charge this 12 volt battery?

Also, I saw someone at the field with a home made version - looked like a LiPo taped to the side of the starter.
Looked pretty slick and seemed to work really well. Has anyone done this and if so, please send me the info on what battery.

Thanks.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Go with the more inexpensive version. Get a 12v 7amp gell cell and place your starter on top of it. Get a couple of large, really large zip ties and zip tie the battery to the starter. Then just simply connect the starter's leads to the batteries. There you go,,,easy, very dependable, inexpensive and will last about a month or even more before you need to recharge it.

I'm on my laptop now, but if you need a pic of my setup let me know. I have a pics of it on my desk top.

take care

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

One of the guys at the field had one of those type and it worked for a while but he doesn't use it anymore, I think it wouldn't hold a charge anymore. Here's a picture of one that I put together out of cheap NiCad packs. It works great. You have to wire it so that you get more amps and not more volts.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Yes, I would really appreciate a picture.

Thanks!

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Okay, let me fire up the desk top. Give me a few mintues. :D

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

That's something like what I saw at the field that I mentioned.

How much were the batteries, can you send me a link to one, and also, do you know if you can recharge that thing using a Multiplex charger?
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXKSY1&P=ML

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Yes, I think you could charge that battery with your charger as long as you have the right adapter.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Here you go. I used to use the nicad packs as well, but they just simply didn't hold a charge and you'll need a charger that is able to charge all 12 cells. So I went with this. I've been using it for about 3 years now.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Thanks - What do you use to charge that?

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

You could use something like this which I used for a while then it died on me:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXJC38&P=ML

I'm currently using a charger I bought at harbor freight tools. I paid something like 5.00 on sale for it and it works perfect. I'll try to find it for you and post a link. I just leave it on all the time. It's a battery charger/maintainer.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Found it. Here you go, this is exactly what I use.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=42292

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Since I plan on getting the Multiplex charger, I think I'll try and use that along with a smaller battery pack like the one rclement has a pic of.

Thanks for firing up the desktop, though.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

How do you wire it so you get more amps and not more volts?

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

No problem, good luck. :D

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

You can use this battery (it is the one that comes inside the Power Core Starter Pack). You can tape it to your starter, use the alligator clips from you starter to connect to it, and use the alligator clips that come with your Multiplex to charge it.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

I got one similar to that many years ago and it came with a wall-wart charger, 500 ma (the charger) I believe. So, I just let it charge for a minimum of 12 hours. That gives 6 amps and the battery is never completely discharged when I put it on the charger, so this works for an afternoon of flying, at least it did yesterday.

CGr.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Which battery, no link [&o] :)

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

oops...
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXL373&P=7

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

It's actually pretty small, so the alligator clips might be a bit cumbersome, not sure, but I'm sure you could make it work. And your Multiplex would charge it just fine.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

What do you think of the setup rclement sent - see his photo. It looks more compact and I like it. Where do you get batteries like that? And what does he mean about wiring for amps and not volts, do you know?

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Looks good. There are a ton of ways to do this. One guy got a 14.4v Black and Decker Power tool battery pack and uses that; recharges with it's own charger in 15min, yet lasts for days and days.

The battery I linked to is only 2"x3"x1" approx. It's really small and compact, and you could do similar wiring to rcclements.

I don't know enough about wiring to give advice, but batteries can be wired in parallel or series. I don't know which you would need (I haven't taken my electro classes yet:eek:)

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

To get more current (amps) wire positive to positive and negitive to negitive.

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

Okay - that's what I would have done anyway. I would have thought the other way around would reverse the direction of the starter or cause some malfunction.

Thanks!

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

So pos. to neg. would give more volts?

RE: Starter Battery Pack
 

I'm guessing that he was talking about wiring with two batteries like the example from rclement. Wiring in parellel, pos to pos, neg to neg, gives you 12 volts still but with more amps, while pos to neg connections would increase the voltage by some margin.

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