Power Recommendations - Club Launch Systems

[GregGleason]

Can anyone give a recommendation for a power system, preferably a 12v, that has a high level of reliability for club launches?

Greg

 

[bobkrech]

7 to 12 AH 12 volt lead acid gel cells. 500+ launches in a day without recharging. Plenty of amps for clusters.

Bob

 

[Micromeister]

Our Club systems use 26amp/hr and larger RV size Gel-Cells to handle a couple hundred launches a day plus PA and other (at range laptop data reduction)duties.

Your system power suppy needs to be sized to fit YOUR Club, it's activities and number of anticiated launches.

 

[shreadvector]

Car battery. Bought at Wal-Mart. More than enough for launch system and PA system.

 

[falingtrea]

The jumpstart/portable power units sold in a lot of places work very well, and usually have some sort of charging capability included. Something like this, for instance:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Schumacher-Instant-Power-Jump-Starter/13005746?findingMethod=rr

 

[Zack Lau]

I just got 17AH Jumpstart on sale from Harbor Freight--they also honored the 20% off coupon!

 

[KennB]

7 to 12 AH 12 volt lead acid gel cells. 500+ launches in a day without recharging. Plenty of amps for clusters.

Bob

I'm in CMASS with Bob. We use one of the 12 V gel cells for the launch power and another for the PA. When we are at our larger field, each high-power pad gets its own battery.

One of our members installs and maintains commercial alarm systems to support his rocketry habit. The rules are such that the back-up battery for a system is replaced annually. Rather than pay to dispose of these lead acid land mines, the club gladly takes a few off his hands from time-to-time.

They recharge beautifully and will provide lots of power. Clusters and Copperheads are usually put up on our pads that have auxiliary relays for that extra oomph but we've had seven- or eight-way drag races with everyone firing.

When we do TARC launches in the spring for area teams, a portable car jumping system has always worked for us.

 

[billspad]

Rather than pay to dispose of these lead acid land mines, the club gladly takes a few off his hands from time-to-time.

Some of them are even older than that. They were removed from computer back up power supplies. We have one or two that go bad every year. Many of them are over 10 years old. The only mass battery failure we had was when some fool left a bunch of them in parallel on a charger and then left the charger unplugged for a month when the launch got rained out.

When we do TARC launches in the spring for area teams, a portable car jumping system has always worked for us.

Except when it blew a fuse. Always have a spare or a piece of aluminum foil.

 

[jbuscaglia]

The only mass battery failure we had was when some fool left a bunch of them in parallel on a charger and then left the charger unplugged for a month when the launch got rained out.

We should elect that fool club president.