Field battery

Old 04-17-2012, 01:16 AM
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Default Field battery

I know there's been one or two threads on this already, but I've searched for an answer to my question and couldn't find one.

One of the local tracks I run at doesn't have power, normally I take 4 packs, between 2 cars. One is boosted stock and the other a mini. In total, I only need to charge 4 packs at the track, 2 for the stock TC, which use about 2500mah per run, and 2 for the mini which uses about 1200mah per run. I know 12v batteries aren't going to be 100% efficient, but essentially I need about 7400mah to put into the packs so say 10000 (which is 10Ah?) should cover it right? This bit is just really a clarification.

The part I couldn't find an answer for is if I need to run tyre warmers, how much will they use? I know its impossible to say exactly, but a ballpark would do. I'm using the muchmore 3080 (the one that just has the knob). Also, at home, or at the other powered track, what would a tyre truer need? My converted PC power supply works great for my charger and warmers, but cuts out when I turn on the truer, so I've been using the car battery to do it. I also noticed when I cut tyres on better power supplies, its very easy to stop the wheel from spinning, that doesn't happen on the car battery.

So having said 10Ah for the battery packs, would another 6Ah be enough?

I was hoping to get away with something smaller, like a motorcycle battery or something. I know people usually recommend deep cycle marine batteries, but they are expensive and large.

Finally, I was wondering if my rc charger will be able to recharge the larger battery? I'm using a Thunder T6 Multi.

Thanks for any help I can get.
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Old 04-17-2012, 02:44 AM
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I know a few people that use the 12V 10Ah gel cells. They are OK for a days charging but I think you might be a bit tight if you are using the warmers and the truer during the day as well.

Bear in mind that a leisure battery is designed for constant current draw, whereas most starter batteries are designed for a short peak current to start an engine from cold. The leisure battery will be more reliable over time than the car battery. You don't need an enormous one.

If your charger has a lead-acid setting (most recent LiPo chargers do, but I don't know your charger specifically) then you can use it to charge the 12V battery at home.
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Old 04-17-2012, 02:52 AM
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Thanks sosidge. My charger does do Pb batteries, I wanted to be sure that wouldnt be to big.

Just one question, what's a leisure battery?
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Old 04-17-2012, 03:20 AM
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Originally Posted by wollow86
Thanks sosidge. My charger does do Pb batteries, I wanted to be sure that wouldnt be to big.

Just one question, what's a leisure battery?
It's just another name for a deep-cycle battery.
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Old 04-18-2012, 03:09 AM
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Tyre warmers seem to pull between 4 - 6 Amps. The reason your truer cuts the power supply is that on start up they pull a huge current that those power supplies cant cope with. However a leisure or car battery can. Leisure / marine batteries are best as they cope with the abuse well. A car battery, even out of a diesel, die fairly rapidly and wont recharge. Something in the range of 85A/hr leisure battery will do and cost about £70 and if looked after can last years.
One thing to note about the charger is that yes than can charge the Pb types but are not really meant for the huge marine ones. They tend to have a time lockout for one thing. A proper automotive charger with a maintenance mode is best and are cheap to.

I'm on the look out for something to power my tyre warmers seperately as a 12V has a fixed voltage and the more demand you put on it the lower the voltage drops.
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