Power box/ Inverter question
#1
I am only going to be using it to run my charger. Would any of those power boxes do? Im using a Triton eq2 and charging a 6s lipo. I probably will only charge the battery 6 times tops during race day. It would be a lot easier to schlep one of those around instead of a 30+lb generator and wouldnt stink up my suv.
Something like this.... http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en
Edit: or this one... http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/pr...=1276387552950 (I know, dc only, no big deal)
Something like this.... http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en
Edit: or this one... http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/pr...=1276387552950 (I know, dc only, no big deal)
#3
In order for the charger to work at the full dc capacity. I have to keep my car running. And with the price of gas, it will be worth it in the long run to get one of those things, or a small generator.
#5
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 11,530
From: Houston, TX
That 1st link is a 20ah battery and I'm not sure the 2nd is worth really considering as far as what you want/need to do being its only 14ah. I don't know what size 6S you're charging or to what degree you're going to be charging them, but 20ah may not be enough either.
I would check into a marine deep cycle battery and see what a one costs relative to either of those links above. You would get better service and more capacity from a deep cycle than the batteries in those devioses and a lot more capacity.
L
oking on the net briefly, for the same money as that 20ah link, you can get a 55ah AGM marince deep cycle battery. Thats almost 3x the capacity. You would need a 2-5a charger to keep it happy. Put the battery in a battery box and you have a neat, clean operation.
I would check into a marine deep cycle battery and see what a one costs relative to either of those links above. You would get better service and more capacity from a deep cycle than the batteries in those devioses and a lot more capacity.
L
oking on the net briefly, for the same money as that 20ah link, you can get a 55ah AGM marince deep cycle battery. Thats almost 3x the capacity. You would need a 2-5a charger to keep it happy. Put the battery in a battery box and you have a neat, clean operation.
#6
Tech Champion

Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,341
Yeah, its most likely not enough. Some calculations and notes to give a rough idea, using the larger of the 2 units:
20Ah battery, you will be lucky to get 80% of that repeatedly at a useful charger input voltage. That’s being fairly optimistic I believe, and assuming it’s a deep cycle battery (which it must be if you want it to last very many cycles). Which leaves 16Ah.
The charger itself will consume some power. Better to use 12V DC directly from the battery, because going through the inverter section, then through your chargers AC power supply back to DC will just waste more energy. Figure 80% efficiency (+/-10% perhaps). Down to 12.8Ah.
12.8Ah x 12 Volts = 153.6 Watt-hours of available charging output energy.
153.6Wh / 25.2 Volts = ~6.095Ah for your 6s battery. (Somewhat conservative, using full charge Voltage)
6.095Ah / 6 charges = ~1.016Ah = 1016mAh available per charge.
20Ah battery, you will be lucky to get 80% of that repeatedly at a useful charger input voltage. That’s being fairly optimistic I believe, and assuming it’s a deep cycle battery (which it must be if you want it to last very many cycles). Which leaves 16Ah.
The charger itself will consume some power. Better to use 12V DC directly from the battery, because going through the inverter section, then through your chargers AC power supply back to DC will just waste more energy. Figure 80% efficiency (+/-10% perhaps). Down to 12.8Ah.
12.8Ah x 12 Volts = 153.6 Watt-hours of available charging output energy.
153.6Wh / 25.2 Volts = ~6.095Ah for your 6s battery. (Somewhat conservative, using full charge Voltage)
6.095Ah / 6 charges = ~1.016Ah = 1016mAh available per charge.
#7
Yeah, its most likely not enough. Some calculations and notes to give a rough idea, using the larger of the 2 units:
20Ah battery, you will be lucky to get 80% of that repeatedly at a useful charger input voltage. That’s being fairly optimistic I believe, and assuming it’s a deep cycle battery (which it must be if you want it to last very many cycles). Which leaves 16Ah.
The charger itself will consume some power. Better to use 12V DC directly from the battery, because going through the inverter section, then through your chargers AC power supply back to DC will just waste more energy. Figure 80% efficiency (+/-10% perhaps). Down to 12.8Ah.
12.8Ah x 12 Volts = 153.6 Watt-hours of available charging output energy.
153.6Wh / 25.2 Volts = ~6.095Ah for your 6s battery. (Somewhat conservative, using full charge Voltage)
6.095Ah / 6 charges = ~1.016Ah = 1016mAh available per charge.
20Ah battery, you will be lucky to get 80% of that repeatedly at a useful charger input voltage. That’s being fairly optimistic I believe, and assuming it’s a deep cycle battery (which it must be if you want it to last very many cycles). Which leaves 16Ah.
The charger itself will consume some power. Better to use 12V DC directly from the battery, because going through the inverter section, then through your chargers AC power supply back to DC will just waste more energy. Figure 80% efficiency (+/-10% perhaps). Down to 12.8Ah.
12.8Ah x 12 Volts = 153.6 Watt-hours of available charging output energy.
153.6Wh / 25.2 Volts = ~6.095Ah for your 6s battery. (Somewhat conservative, using full charge Voltage)
6.095Ah / 6 charges = ~1.016Ah = 1016mAh available per charge.
#8
Tech Champion

Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,341
I forgot to mention that a car sized deep cycle marine battery would probably work fine, as they are a lot larger than the batteries in those jump boxes. I’ve used one when needed for years, for charging 2s batteries and the occasional solder job, typically with 3 chargers or so. Can’t remember how many batteries it can do without recharging though.
Generators are cool though, except for the gas as you mentioned. Just don't be that guy with the noisy one!
Generators are cool though, except for the gas as you mentioned. Just don't be that guy with the noisy one!
#9
I forgot to mention that a car sized deep cycle marine battery would probably work fine, as they are a lot larger than the batteries in those jump boxes. I’ve used one when needed for years, for charging 2s batteries and the occasional solder job, typically with 3 chargers or so. Can’t remember how many batteries it can do without recharging though.
Generators are cool though, except for the gas as you mentioned. Just don't be that guy with the noisy one!
Generators are cool though, except for the gas as you mentioned. Just don't be that guy with the noisy one!




