Best battery?

[eggplant]

I have been trying to buy a 12v battery for use in a launch system for quite a while now. What do you use? I would prefer it to be under $20, able to ignite copperheads, and be rechargeable. As some of you might know, I have not had good luck with my two 6v lantern batteries :eyeroll::wink:.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Well, this isn't in the "under $20 category" (and you'll probably have trouble making that target anyway)... so I don't know if this is something you'd consider or not, but I'll throw it out there anyway...

I use a car jumper battery pack-- the kind you can get to put in the trunk of your car with built in jumper cables and usually some other accessories as well (light, cigarette lighter, some even have mini air compressors for low/flat tires). These have a sealed gel-cell 12 volt battery designed for high current draw and hold a charge very well, and are more than capable of delivering as much current as you need on the rocket range all day. They're also easy to recharge either from the cigarette lighter/power plug in the car or from a wall-wart charger in the house. The nice thing about these are, they do DOUBLE DUTY-- when you're launching they're a fast, lightweight, portable, and dependable high-current 12V power supply, and the rest of the time it's a handy 'ride along' in the trunk of the car for when we inevitably forget and leave the car headlights on and return to find a dead battery, or have a battery that decides to head for the graveyard on a bitter cold morning or a blazing hot afternoon, or when you're just someplace either very remote, or don't have anybody to help you, or you're in a BIG hurry due to an appointment that you simply cannot miss... I can't tell you how many times this thing has helped me out... and without having to go hat in hand to strangers looking for someone willing to let me hook booster cables to their car...

If you look on Homier.com or Northern Tool or Harbor Freight you can usually get these things for a pretty good price-- in the $40-60 range, depending on the features...

Later! OL JR

 

[eggplant]

Thanks for the advice, I might have to convince my parents that they need one! I meant that lots of website have batteries like these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DL9IBC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DL7D2I/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002QGVWBW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

How can I tell which to buy?

 

[MrGneissGuy]

I second Luke's suggestion. I got one around Christmas last year at Meijer for around $25 if I remember correctly. I really like the little extras that Luke mentioned as well, including a USB port so I can charge my cell phone, iPod, or even my AltimeterOne at the launch site if I need to.

 

[bobkrech]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DL7D2I/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

This is a good 8 Amp-Hour battery. It will ignite any igniter you want. This battery uses standard 0.25 push on connectors so no soldering is required. You will also need a charger.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001G8AIMU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

This will work fine. You can also charge it from the lighter or powerport in a car.

Just watch the price of shipping. Batteries are heavy and make sure the shipping cost does not exceed the cost of the battery.

The auto jump starter kit is a good alternative. It has the same type battery, a charger, and typically a 20/30 amp DC power outlet, an air compressor, and a flashlight. You can get them at you local auto store, Walmart, K-mart or Harborfreight. Your parents can put it in their car as well. Great to inflate a low tire at night in the rain.

https://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-jump-start-and-power-supply-38391.html No compressor.

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-in-1-jump-start-air-compressor-8884.html With compressor.

Often also found on Amazon.

Bob

 

[qquake2k]

I got a 5785 SLA battery for the internal battery in my latest homemade launch controller. It's only 0.8AH, but it's smaller and lighter than other SLA batteries. It's pretty inexpensive, but I don't know what they charge for shipping.
https://www.atbatt.com/product/22493/sla/rnd/5785/battery

I use a float charger I got from Harbor Freight to charge it. It was on sale for $5 when I bought mine.
https://www.harborfreight.com/automatic-battery-float-charger-42292.html

I use a 5383 SLA battery for my other launch controller. It's an external battery. It's a little more powerful at 1.3AH. I use the same float charger to charge it.
https://www.batteryinternational.co...3-batteries-by-brand-r---d-batteries--f1.html

 

[eggplant]

I think I am going to go for the first one that Bob suggested. Thanks! I was also intrigued by the concept of the small battery. I might look into it as a backup.

 

[Micromeister]

Bob is right on
Those small Hobbico 7amp/hr rechargable gel-cells are fantastic and can be had for under 20bucks at your local hobby shops.
Sometimes you can find them under 15bucks on-line but unless your getting other things from the same hobby supplier the fright will more then likely eat up the savings.
The club as been using harbor freights and my converted wall adaptors for changing all kinds of Gel-Cell and Wet Cell batteries for a very long time.
Either charger makes keeping our range battery up to snuff quick and easy.

 

[robbdm]

I used a Hobbico Torqmaster 12 volt 4.5 amp model HCAP0855 $18 to launch with copperheads before my rockets became to large to launch in local fields. It is small 4x3.5.x3.

The charge is $12, Hobbico 12 volt charger, HCAP0200.

 

[JPVegh]

I got my car jumper for under $20 at Christmas time. I like it for various reasons, light weight, it has a built in handle, built in switch, lighter jack and it came with its own charger. Oh, you can also use it to jump your car.

Walmart sells their standard tractor battery for $19 but by time you pay the disposal fee and core charge its $31. If you have a core it knocks $9 off that. Tractor batteries are bulky and heavy but they have power to spare and can launch rockets for your entire club all day long.

Sealed lead acid batts are more compact and have plenty of ooomph for an individuals needs. By time you buy the battery and the charger you are in the car jumper range of price.

All are good choices depending on your needs

 

[decyple]

My personal favorite...
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-jump-start-and-power-supply-38391.html

Not to heavy and @ $50.

 

[MarkII]

I got a 5785 SLA battery for the internal battery in my latest homemade launch controller.

Wow, that's one sweet-looking launch controller you've got there!

I got my plain car jump starter battery (no extras, just the basics) a few years ago as a closeout item at Radio Shack for something like $25. It has never let me down. I could probably launch rockets all day for a week or more on a charge. A couple of years ago I didn't top up the charge for about 6 months, but when I took it out it had more than enough juice to run my portable tire inflator and then at the field it fired all of my motors without breaking a sweat. I have never even come close to discharging it. One nice thing about these devices is that they have the charger built in. Just plug them in at home and forget them until your next launch. Lead acid batteries love to be charged. Mine only weighs a little over 6 lbs., so it's easy to carry out to the field from the parking lot. If my hands are full I just slip it into my knapsack. It's totally leak-proof, of course. Mine has a cigarette lighter-style outlet, which has come in handy since both the lighter and the accessory outlet in my car seem to be shot. (That's why I needed it to run the air compressor.)