Resolved by DJ Sures!
Hi everyone.
I need a little advice in regards to LiPo batteries for the EZ-B v4. I have been waiting for my dev kit, balance charger, 7.4 LiPo, and a few extras to be delivered for quite a while now, and after I sent of an email to the very helpful EZ Robot guys and gals inquiring what the delay was, it turns out that there is a shipping issue with sending loose batteries from China which has been holding up my order being sent. I have requested a refund for the LiPo and charger which has been honored, so no problems there.
So what I need the community's help with is advice on what I can safely use with the EZ-B v4. Can anyone recommend a good, reasonably priced LiPo battery pack that can hold a long charge, say about 2500 mAh or more that will work well with the v4, and a good charger to go with it? A balance or auto cut off charger would be preferred as I hear that LiPo batteries can be a bit finicky and care needs to be taken to avoid killing them.
Any advice or recommendations anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Steve.
Thanks for your input Steve S, Zap and D.Cochran. My EZ Robot order should be with me in a couple of days so it's time to get the battery/charger sorted.
I think the Battery Rich mentioned might be the one I will go for. The
IMAX charger that D.Cochran mentioned looks good as it also has a built in AC adapter. Would the adapter function on the IMAX have enough amps to power the v4 with say 6 HD servos/camera for example?
@ Richard
This may sound like a silly question, so bare with me. What are the main differences between a LiPo and a niMh battery?
Rich
How many cells does the 50000 mAh battery you linked too have?
And one last thing, what is the battery connection type on the v4 when using a LiPo, just so I get the right adapter. Or do I cut off the connector that comes with the battery, and use the barrel jack that comes with the dev kit?
Steve confused
Good questions. I am following this topic. J
My imax did not come with an AC adapter. I use a power supply that I used to use on an ameture radio. It is a 15 amp 13.8V output power supply which is overkill for a battery charger, but it is what I had laying around. a 5000 mah battery would take an hour to charge with a 5A charger. This is 1C which is safe to charge lipo batteries at.
niMh (nickel metal hydride) are just older technology batteries. They are heavier and larger than lipos but are safer to charge and in general. This means less shipping restrictions...They are also ubiquitous which makes them easy to get anywhere... They also produce a lot of current which is great when using them for servos... There voltage rating is 7.2V as opposed to 7.4V lipo (which is a non issue)... I buy mine from eBay...
They (Lipo) have much better performance, and fast discharge out to your robots activity needs. They also r much lighter! Steve S
@Steve S... rest assured niMh can provide enough current as well
Sorry Steve S, but could you explain what you mean by "and fast discharge out to your robots activity needs." as opposed to what other batteries do?
@d.cochran. I mis read the description on the IMAX charger. It doesn't have a built in adapter, but rather an external one which is supplied. I thought what it meant was that you could use the charger as an adapter, which would have been great for powering a robot while stationary or EZ-B testing ect. My bad. Although in the description , it does say however, "AC adapter Feature: Apply to 10 meter led strip light".
I would like to use LiPo, but I don't like the fact that it sounds quite easy to ruin the battery, as apposed to what Richard mentioned about niMh batteries being a bit safer, which now I'm more tempted to get. It sounds to me (and please correct me if I'm wrong here) that LiPo batteries are a little bit of a backwards step in battery technology is some respects, as I have seen many other people saying they have ruined LiPo batteries, even seasoned robot builders like Rich. Or am I missing something?
Also, any answers on how LiPo's or niMh batteries connect to the EZ-B 4?
Steve.
LiPo batteries certainly are not a step backwards. They are smaller, lighter, carry more capacity, and can dump more power all at once than NiMh or NiCd. They also don't have the "memory effect" of other battery technologies. NiMh and the like should be fully discharged before they are recharged. LiPo does not require that and partial charges doesn't result in loss of capacity. The downside is that you have to treat a LiPo more gently and they need to be charged carefully and never fully discharged. As I said, I have used them for years and have never had a problem.