My cowbell I use to run my R8 base started to lose power at about the 8-9 hour mark. Time to retire the battery so I put in the extra lithium battery we had purchased. Ran the cowbell on the base from about 8:30 to 4:30 on friday and it shows 95% power after running all day. The PC who uses the R10 says he charges his about once every three days. The R10 is a 2 watt radio while the R8 is 1/2 watt.?ÿ
So I figure it's also time for the bigger repeater battery, anyone using a lithium for a 20 watt radio and what kind are you using and how are they working?
Would ten cowbells make a decibell?
Those cowbell batteries are just a package for lead-acid units. Really simple and cheap to re-cell. That is probably going to be a lot less hassle.?ÿ
Nevertheless, the energy density of these lithium ion batteries is really remarkable.?ÿ ?ÿ?ÿ
The cowbells are already re-celled with lithium. A lithium battery of the same dimensions as the lead-acid batteries are available and fit in the unit. 1/2 the weight and way more staying power.
My concern is switching out the motorcycle deep cycle battery I use for the 20 watt repeater radio. Getting a less weighty, longer lasting lithium would be great.?ÿ
Would ten cowbells make a decibell?
Wrong metric prefix.?ÿ It would be a dekabell.
You've probably seen a list of odd ones: 20 cards = 2 dekacards. 10 millipedes = 1 centipede. 2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbird. 1 milliHelen is the face that launched 1 ship.?ÿ And 500 bicycles= 1 kilocycle.
A lithium battery of the same dimensions as the lead-acid batteries are available and fit in the unit.
Terminal voltage the same??ÿ And what do you charge them with??ÿ Lithium varieties usually need a matching charger.
A photo of a cowbell?
here is one:
there are six screws that hold it together, unscrew them, pop out the old battery and put in the new one, the batteries have two clips, the lithium versions are the exact same size as the old versions, maybe 1/3-1/2 the weight. You may want a picture of the innards, I can tell you it's as simple as it gets and I'm not going to open it again till I need to switch out the new one.?ÿ
Thanks. I was thinking of the innards. I think the original cowbell batteries were NiCAD, so presumably if the same charger is used, there is a gizzmo in the new setup to handle the requirements of LiPo. Or maybe the requirements are close enough that it doesn't matter. Or maybe the requirements are those little PCB's on the LiPo cells, which handle the voltage from the charger.
SWMBO gets upset when I sToP TaKiNg mY LiThIuM!
?ÿI think the original cowbell batteries were NiCAD,
originals were sealed lead acid.
The original are lead-acid rechargeable.?ÿ
Like bill93 and Richard Imrie suggested above, lithium-ion batteries require specific charging parameters.
I did a bit of web searching and found the something on Amazon at ( https://www.amazon.com) /12-Volt-Rechargeable-Lithium-Battery/dp/B00PG5I8EE
That page includes the text:
SMART ELECTRONICS: All Dakota Lithium Batteries include Battery Management System (BMS) technology that controls cell balancing, low and high voltage cutoff, short circuiting, as well as high temperature protection for increased performance and longer life.
So that likely explains why Mr. Moe can use the charger intended for lead-acid batteries to charge his lithium-ion battery.
However, on the same page shown above is found the suggestion:
"TO OPTIMIZE YOUR BATTERY, WE RECOMMEND USING A SPECIFIC LITHIUM CHARGER OR ON BOARD CHARGER WITH LITHIUM SETTINGS."
So if Mr. Moe searched for something like "lithium-ion replacement for 12-volt 35-Ah lead-acid battery" he would probably find something he could use to power his repeater.
GB
I would love to convert to lithium iron but shipping them is nearly impossible.?ÿ While the lithium iron batteries do not have the same risk of randomly overheating as their counterparts found in mobile phones and GNSS receivers, the FAA still freaks out at the word 'lithium'.?ÿ As is it stands now I have to carry all of my instrument batteries as carry on.
I've never been on a commerical flight with surveying equipment and don't see that ever in my future.?ÿ
?ÿ
We've been on a few, up until the last couple of years. And batteries in those instances haven't been an issue - as long as you follow the rules which are generally none in your check-in luggage, and limits on the amount that can be taken in cabin luggage - and possibly this is by far the easiest way to ship LiPo batteries, i.e. get on a plane and take them on your person. I've just had a quote for getting a laptop battery replaced, that included $650 courier fee, WTF!