Re: [Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack

2012-05-09 Thread Ignacy
This battery has 16.8V max, well too much for 12V devices.

There options.
1. Charge this battery to 15V max accepting lower charge.
2. Use 3 pcs battery accepting lower power. I use similar for K2, with good
life but lower power. 
3. Use LiFePO3 that seems to be safer but heavier and have nearly flat
discharge curve of around 12V. Also it can be charged by normal chargers for
12V lead acid batteries. 

I bought 12V 20A unit from battery space (now around $140) and it works very
well.

Ignacy

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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack

2012-05-09 Thread Phil Debbie Salas
This looks like an interesting battery pack.

www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=170794794136ssPageName=ADME:B:WNAFP:US:1123

Phil - AD5X 

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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack

2012-05-09 Thread Michael Babineau
Phil et al :

I have a couple of these Blue Li-ion batteries (a 4300 mAh and the 9800 mAh 
as listed) and 
they work ok, although it is my gut feeling is that the capacity is somewhat 
overstated. 

The supplied charger is dumb (I think it is just a cheap switching supply)  
so it appears that the overcharge protection 
circuitry in the battery is relied on to prevent overcharging. Some folks on 
the NA SOTA list have
claimed that these batteries don't seem to last very long.  I have been using 
mine for about a year with no issues. 
For the cost, I have been pleased with the ones that I have purchased.  

The power plug is compatible with Elecraft rigs and the Li-ion chemistry stands 
up better in the cold than the 
AA NiMh batteries I was using previously to power my K1 and KX1for portable 
outings.

Michael VE3WMB / VA2NB

From: Phil  Debbie Salas dpsa...@tx.rr.com
Date: May 9, 2012 11:52:06 AM EDT
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack


This looks like an interesting battery pack.

www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=170794794136ssPageName=ADME:B:WNAFP:US:1123

Phil - AD5X 
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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack

2012-05-09 Thread David Cutter
All batteries suffer in the cold: you pay dearly for good low 
temperature performance.  A simple solution is to keep them close to 
your body, eg on your trouser waist belt.

I noticed some 4300mAh AA cells, 4 in a pack for £4 in my local market.  
I thought I'd research it first just in case they were a scam: well, it 
was just the local market and I haven't seen 3000mAh.

David
G3UNA



On 09/05/2012 16:26, Michael Babineau wrote:
 Phil et al :

 I have a couple of these Blue Li-ion batteries (a 4300 mAh and the 9800 mAh 
 as listed) and
 they work ok, although it is my gut feeling is that the capacity is somewhat 
 overstated.

 The supplied charger is dumb (I think it is just a cheap switching supply)  
 so it appears that the overcharge protection
 circuitry in the battery is relied on to prevent overcharging. Some folks on 
 the NA SOTA list have
 claimed that these batteries don't seem to last very long.  I have been using 
 mine for about a year with no issues.
 For the cost, I have been pleased with the ones that I have purchased.

 The power plug is compatible with Elecraft rigs and the Li-ion chemistry 
 stands up better in the cold than the
 AA NiMh batteries I was using previously to power my K1 and KX1for portable 
 outings.

 Michael VE3WMB / VA2NB

 From: Phil  Debbie Salasdpsa...@tx.rr.com
 Date: May 9, 2012 11:52:06 AM EDT
 To:elecraft@mailman.qth.net
 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack

 This looks like an interesting battery pack.
 www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=170794794136ssPageName=ADME:B:WNAFP:US:1123
 Phil - AD5X
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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack

2012-05-09 Thread Fred Jensen
On 5/9/2012 8:17 AM, Ignacy wrote:

 3. Use LiFePO3 that seems to be safer but heavier and have nearly flat
 discharge curve of around 12V. Also it can be charged by normal chargers for
 12V lead acid batteries.

I have an A123 4S1P LiFePO4 that I use with my K2.  Capacity is about 4
Ah.  It has a very flat discharge curve.  I don't believe it is
chargable with a LA charger however.  I have a balancing charger that
charges through the individual cell cable and plug, and I believe you
really do need it.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2012 Cal QSO Party 6-7 Oct 2012
- www.cqp.org

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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack

2012-05-09 Thread Fred Jensen
On 5/9/2012 9:26 AM, Michael Babineau wrote:

 I have a couple of these Blue Li-ion batteries (a 4300 mAh and the 9800 mAh 
 as listed) and
 they work ok, although it is my gut feeling is that the capacity is somewhat 
 overstated.

I got one of the 9800 mAh batteries on a Buy-It-Now off eBay.  $50 I 
think.  No data, nothing on the battery was readable, even at the local 
Chinese restaurant, their translation lacked a certain amount of 
technical clarity. :-)  I have a MaHa universal charger that displays 
mAh, and estimating the capacity by how much it would cram back into the 
battery after discharge, this battery is nowhere near 9800 mAh.  Half 
that might be more like it.

The discharge curve is almost linear downward which further limits 
usable capacity.  My K2 dies from undervoltage long before the capacity 
I charged the battery to has been used.

A friend who is fairly knowledgeable about battery chemistry and 
characteristics told me they're like that old coffee commercial.  The 
bean buyer is on the dock, he says, I buy coffee beans for Folgers [or 
somebody].  These beans won't meet our standards.  The importer will 
sell them to someone else.  He said in a manufacturing run of Li-ion 
cells, many will meet specs, some won't.  They get sold to the guy with 
all the blue shrink wrap.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2012 Cal QSO Party 6-7 Oct 2012
- www.cqp.org

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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack

2012-05-09 Thread Ignacy
I use 3S1 of the older Li-Ion types in K2, 2 x 1.5A = 3A. I charge them
through 1A regulator set to 12.8V. The batteries are past 5 years and doing
well.  No balancing. The charge is enough to run a pileup a few hrs from
medium attractive places like TA , SV9 or KP2. 

I have new 4S LiFePO3 from batteryspace with 20A capacity
(http://www.batteryspace.com/LiFePO4-Prismatic-Box-Battery-12.8V-20Ah-256Wh-10C-rate-without-PCM.aspx).
No extra circuit. According to specs, the battery should be charged at 4x3.7
= 14.8V max. The batteryspace charger bought for this battery has 17V max.
Apparently nobody complains so LiFePO3 batteries must withstand more. I
fact, it takes very little current past 13.5V. I charge it with a 13.8V 28A
charger adjusting the voltage initially to have current  15A. Then I max
the voltage to 14.4V. Seems to work really well. Full charge in 1.5 hrs. 

Ignacy

  

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Re: [Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack

2012-05-09 Thread Rob May

Phil,
Several of us on the list have bought these.  John Harper, AE5X, loaned me his 
CBA II battery capacity tester and I've been running tests on the various 
batteries here.  This battery provides about 5Ah of useful capacity, just about 
half it's rating.  The up side is, it weighs 11.3 oz and will last a long time 
at the test current of 350mA.  That's about what I figure average current will 
be on the KX3 with casual operating.  

Interestingly, my 7Ah SLA measured out at 7.2Ah, my 1900mAh Eneloops (cheap 
blue ones from Costco, $14 for 10!) measured out at 1.9Ah.  I'll publish the 
discharge curves in a week or two and post a link here.  I'm trying to get 
ahold of my friends LiFePO battery to test.

73,
Rob
NV5E


 From: dpsa...@tx.rr.com
 To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
 Date: Wed, 9 May 2012 10:52:06 -0500
 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack

 This looks like an interesting battery pack.

 www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=170794794136ssPageName=ADME:B:WNAFP:US:1123

 Phil - AD5X

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[Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack

2012-05-08 Thread John Lally
I ran across this battery pack for a LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack which
has a higher energy density than the LiFeP04 battery packs. It has a charge
balancer and protection built into the battery pack.  Has anyone used this
battery chemistry for powering portable transceivers?

 

Link:
http://www.batteryspace.com/LiNiMnCo-26650-Battery-14.4V-3.6Ah-51.84Wh-10A-r
ate-with-PCM.aspx

 

 

John Lally

W7JJL

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