I have an old style ignition module for a dle 20 and would like to run a 6.6 life battery, some one said you use a diode to knock the voltage down to 5volts. Does anyone know if this is true and what kind of diode to use?
Thanks Ted

It works. Wrongway RC sells them.

Diode makes it a safe plan, but there are a few of us running it direct, w/o diode or regulator, and have been for a while. My experience, your mileage (luck) may vary.

Someone posted one time about a double diode I remember. I liked that idea for the redundancy. Anybody remember the electronic part number??

AV8TOR

Here is a few for less than a buck. I use two in series to drop Lipo voltage for my ignition.

http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/115/ds28002-83776.pdf

BTW a diode is not a regulator. It merely drops the voltage about 0.7V each

Listen to Dirtybird

Yes...each diode will drop about .7vdc for each diode......just solder them in series to the "battery in" on your ignition module.......you can modify a servo extension by cutting out the proper length of the +V wire and soldering in the diodes in place. You can use any 1N4xxx (like a 1N4004) rectifier diode. Make sure that the "line" marked on the diode goes towards the ignition module...not the battery.


CB

Doesn't the polarity make a difference? Ted will have to know that also. Dan.

CB

CB, that only applies if the diode is in the black, negative line. If it's in the red, positive line. the line on the diode should go towards the battery. I think. Any comments guys. Dan.

If you put it together with a diode in the circuit, and it doesn't work, flip the diode end for end and check again. It works or it doesn't. No harm, no foul. Even I figured it out. -Al

thanks everyone will see if I can find some diodes , thanks again
Ted

Diodes are polarized. The "bar" on one side of the diode indicates the side that should be closer to the negative (battery) side of the circuit. As mentioned before there is an approximate 0.7 volt drop for each diode you put in series. If you use a voltmeter you may only see 0.59 to 0.60 drop, depending on the diode.

+1 and the voltage drop will vary with current flow. As dirtybird stated, these are not voltage regulators, they just drop the voltage in an approximate (wide) range from maybe .4V to as high as .8V depending on current flow and the particular diode used. A typical 1N40xx series diode will usually drop about .6V in an ignition circuit. I prefer to use the larger 3A package diodes as they are less frail than the smaller 1N40xx series. I've seen the smaller diodes fracture in heli applications.

Thanks all good info
Ted

Ted - I have made so many of these diode voltage drop leads for club members I could not count them. Weather you put the diodes on the red positive lead or the black negative lead does not matter. Just remember the side of the diode that has the little bar on it is the voltage out and the other side of the diode is the voltage in lead. So if you install the diodes on the positive lead the bar code end goes toward the ignition. If you install the diodes on the negative black lead the bar goes towards the battery. Good Luck.

Great thankyou
Ted