Looking for a 12-volt battery recommendation

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

lcorinth

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2014
Messages
1,022
Reaction score
46
I built a launch controller from plans in a book (Make: Rockets: Down-to-Earth Rocket Science by Mike Westerfield), which uses either internal or external power. The internal power works great! But I'd like to get the external going.

It hooks to a 12-volt power source via a cigarette lighter-type jack at the launcher end and battery clips at the power source end. The author says that he uses the Black & Decker Professional Power Station with his controller. It looks great, but a bit pricey. I might just go for it, but I thought I'd ask what other people recommend.

I'm looking for something rechargeable, of course, and not my car battery. I can't get my car close enough to where I launch, and my car's probably not long for this world anyway. Preferably something lighter than an actual car battery. Cheaper, if possible.

Any recommendations? Anybody have experience with the Black & Decker Power Station?

IMG_1911.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I bought a tractor battery (which is smaller and lighter than a car battery) and it fits perfect in a small cooler. There's enough room in there to put the wires and controller also.

DSCF1601.JPG
 
A big plus one on the portable 12v power supplies. I happen to have one of those Harbor Freight models as well, Titan II. Very handy and you can get models with a compressor, USB port, bell, whistles and back scratcher :) . I even used mine to jump start a car last week !

Yep, that Black and Decker looks like a fully loaded model.
 
Last edited:
I always took my riding lawn mower and 17qf trailer to the neighboring farm to launch and used the battery.
You can get them in all sizes. The little power a few launches takes, you could go several times before putting it on a trickle charger overnight.
To get a deep cycle battery would be a waste IMO, because you won't drain the battery much just on launches.
 
A big plus one on the portable 12v power supplies. I happen to have one of those Harbor Freight models as well, Titan II. Very handy and you can get models with a compressor, USB port, bell, whistles and back scratcher :) . I even used mine to jump start a car last week !

Yep, that Black and Decker looks like a fully loaded model.

I never thought about using a jump starter. That's a great idea. My battery died from not being used and I'm not sure it'll even charge back up. At least, with a jump starter, you can plug it in an outlet to recharge it. Now I know what I want to use my $50 gift certificate for.
 
I bought this one from Walmart
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Schumacher...arter/15140202

It is small and lightweight and not too expensive. Once a month I charge it and put it back in the truck. I've use it for both BP and AT reloads (and to jump start a person that had a dead battery). I've also seen this one used at some club launches and by TARC teams. Just another option.
 
You can use any 3s lipo..
They're very inexpensive to purchase..
You can't beat the energy density...
You can get them in just about any size ( mah ) you need...
The're so small and light it'll be super easy to carry them out to the pad...

Teddy
 
I never thought about using a jump starter. That's a great idea. My battery died from not being used and I'm not sure it'll even charge back up. At least, with a jump starter, you can plug it in an outlet to recharge it. Now I know what I want to use my $50 gift certificate for.

Well there are so many to choose from at various price points with various option packages. The ability to jump start a vehicle is icing on the cake.
 
Well there are so many to choose from at various price points with various option packages. The ability to jump start a vehicle is icing on the cake.

Yeah....that back scratching option is worth the entire cost of the charger! :p
 
You should be able to use any 12 volt PB-acid gel cell or similar battery and recharge it from your cigarette lighter in your car. The car's charging system should prevent overcharging.

https://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/gc-1223/12v-2.3ah-battery-sealed-lead-acid/1.html is a small 12 volt gell cell that will work fine for a personal launcher. It weighs about 2 pound so it's not excessive and it's small enough to fit inside the controller if you want to put it there.

Personally I would consider using an automotive relay in a battery box, with a super light weight handheld control box that simply has several switches and LEDs. Place the relay box/battery at the pad and bring the hand firing unit as far as necessary from the pad using cat 5 cable. The hand controller and cable will fit inside the box.

https://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/cse-972/hard-plastic-carry-case-w/handle/1.html is a case that would hold everything.

Bob
 
You should be able to use any 12 volt PB-acid gel cell or similar battery and recharge it from your cigarette lighter in your car. The car's charging system should prevent overcharging.

https://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/gc-1223/12v-2.3ah-battery-sealed-lead-acid/1.html is a small 12 volt gell cell that will work fine for a personal launcher. It weighs about 2 pound so it's not excessive and it's small enough to fit inside the controller if you want to put it there.
<snip>
Bob

I've been giving some thought to something like this for my Saturn V pad:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/32833011

There are bigger versions - up to 20-22Ah as well.

Admittedly, a little pricey - but, 7-9 Ah (Pb Equiv) and a shipping (*shipping*) weight of 1.2lbs sounds interesting - even if just to explore what Lithium would be like in this application.

-- john.
 
2 six volt 4.5 amp SLA are less expensive than one 12 volt 9 amp battery. To run my whole setup I have 6 6 volt batteries series'd in pairs, a set for the controller and a set each for the 2 remotes. $17.70 for a pair shipped although a 12 volt 9 amp battery from the same place is $18.30. Most of the time the difference is much larger.

Overall the price on these batteries is pretty good :)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sealed-Lea...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item2ed2dc60a1
 
Last edited:
dave- what you're describing is a 12v 4.5amp hour setup(series setup adds voltage, parallel adds capacity(amp hours)).
Rex
 
dave- what you're describing is a 12v 4.5amp hour setup(series setup adds voltage, parallel adds capacity(amp hours)).
Rex

Still works :) At the remote end of the line they replace 24 volts in AA batteries in each box. None ever had a misfire, they could light a shorted out Copperhead by burning through the shorts, I just got tired of replacing 16 AA batteries in each box ;)
 
I built a launch controller from plans in a book (Make: Rockets: Down-to-Earth Rocket Science by Mike Westerfield), which uses either internal or external power. The internal power works great! But I'd like to get the external going.

It hooks to a 12-volt power source via a cigarette lighter-type jack at the launcher end and battery clips at the power source end. The author says that he uses the Black & Decker Professional Power Station with his controller. It looks great, but a bit pricey. I might just go for it, but I thought I'd ask what other people recommend.

I'm looking for something rechargeable, of course, and not my car battery. I can't get my car close enough to where I launch, and my car's probably not long for this world anyway. Preferably something lighter than an actual car battery. Cheaper, if possible.

Any recommendations? Anybody have experience with the Black & Decker Power Station?



For Personal Launch controllers I strongly suggest a Hobbico 12v 7aMh gel-cell sold at just about any Hobby store or on-line store that sells RC models and equipment.
The first one of these small Gel-Cells I used extensively for over 20year before having to replace it about 4years ago. The first one purchased from a local hobby shop ran somewhere around 20 buck. Currently they are available everywhere for 17 to 20 bucks. Can't beat the price and are rechargeable with a converted 120/12v - 500 to 1000ma wall pack converter or a Very inexpensive Trickle charger from Harbor Freight.
with a good overnight charge these little 7amp/hr batteries have successfully launch 20-30 models per day include 2 to 4motor clusters.

Our club use up to 8 of these little batteries for Cluster ignition relay add-ons. I charge these 8 up using 4 of the HFT chargers shown below and a few HD jumper wires. These little cheapy HFT trickle chargers work PERFECTLY charging and maintaining our Gel-cell batteries.
Hope this helps

Gel-Cell Charger-b_HarborFrt 12-15V Charger_04-12-02.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Go with the Harbor Freight power pack as mentioned by TitanII. It's the least expensive model out there and it's ready to go. Nothing to modify, rewire or build and the internal battery is replaceable. I use mine for static testing.

Steve G
 
I went to radio shack and got a sealed lead acid battery for a wheelchair. Been working for a few years now.
 
I built a launch controller from plans in a book (Make: Rockets: Down-to-Earth Rocket Science by Mike Westerfield), which uses either internal or external power. The internal power works great! But I'd like to get the external going.

It hooks to a 12-volt power source via a cigarette lighter-type jack at the launcher end and battery clips at the power source end. The author says that he uses the Black & Decker Professional Power Station with his controller. It looks great, but a bit pricey. I might just go for it, but I thought I'd ask what other people recommend.

I'm looking for something rechargeable, of course, and not my car battery. I can't get my car close enough to where I launch, and my car's probably not long for this world anyway. Preferably something lighter than an actual car battery. Cheaper, if possible.

Any recommendations? Anybody have experience with the Black & Decker Power Station?

View attachment 188104

Check out https://www.batteriesplus.com/ in your area.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
try hitting up a fed-ex store or the like they may have some ATT u-verse batteries that people bring in when they ship their equipment back and they find out that cant ship them, those 12 batteries work great and you might get the charger that the battery comes in
 
A number of clubs I fly with in the state use jump starters to run all their GSE from model pads to the high power stuff. The Harbor Freight ones are the least expensive... Charger built in, cigarette lighter-style receptacle built in....a simple solution for sure.

My club uses a lawn tractor battery for our rack.

For my personal systems that don't use 9V or AA cells I use 3s LiPoly packs of 2-5 Ah capacity intended for model airplane use. These are much less expensive than they used to be, but do, of course, require the proper charging equipment. Being a long-time electric flyer, I have such things readily to hand.
 
Estes and Centuri both use to sell a launch system that used a large 6v battery.
I think they called it a Miners Battery because it fits in those big hand held flashlights that suppose to last 12 hours or so.
That should work, but there is no recharging of those, unless someone has made one to be recharged in recent years.
Just a thought.
 
Go with the Harbor Freight power pack as mentioned by TitanII. It's the least expensive model out there and it's ready to go. Nothing to modify, rewire or build and the internal battery is replaceable. I use mine for static testing.

Steve G

I did that..paid just over $30.. battery, built in charger, and 12v adapter port. Oh and I guess its own carrying case.

I wanted to do something real cool ..but this is inexpensive , contained and has worked pretty well so far. Have used at launch..mostly to charge cell pbones.. but have used to jump a car also .

Kenny
 
I have used tractor batteries and wheel chair batteries. There are many sources. Xray machines, golf carts, cars, boats.....
 
I use a 3S Lipo battery used in RC Planes/Cars/Boats. Small, light and will give you plenty of power. You just have to make sure you use a proper balance charger when charging.
 
+1 on the 12V 6A gel cells. Back when I actually had time, I used to fly R/C planes and rockets, so I had one in my box for starting airplane engines. The gel cell worked great with my ancient Centuri launch controller (which I still have...)
 
Back
Top