Raven Power Perch

[Adrian A]

Wow, the Power Perch started a long time ago. It's time for a design refresh.




This new version has a few improvements:

• Smaller. At 1.3" x .64" This version should fit into a 38mm coupler, which the previous version at 1.4" wide, would not. This was accomplished by using 0.1" pitch wire to board headers rather than 3.5mm pitch ones
• Improved magnetic switch. This uses the same magnetic switch from the most recent Featherweight products, with much longer standby life (months rather than days), longer magnetic range, and bidirectional operation that turns the switch on with one magnetic orientation and off with the other.
• Symmetric mounting holes

One oddity of the previous design that I'm planning to discontinue is connecting one of the mounting holes to the switched power + signal. This was intended to give more options for powering up external devices, but 1. It makes the Power Perch incompatible with conductive av-bay sleds and 2. It's not generally a good idea to piggyback another load on your altimeter's battery and 3. if you really want to do this anyway, you can just use the +out terminal from any of the channels.

Another small change is that I'm reserving blue LEDs for Bluetooth status now, so the power-on indicator for this will be red.

If anyone else has any care-abouts, let me know soon.

 

[kjhambrick]

I am glad I saw your post before I ordered another P.P.

I like the upgrades ( especially the slimmed down profile ).

I am in !

Thanks Adrian !!

-- kjh

 

[Adrian A]

I am glad I saw your post before I ordered another P.P.

-- kjh

I'm expecting it to be available around mid-February.

 

[Neutronium95]

How is the battery mounted?

 

[Adrian A]

How is the battery mounted?

The same as the current Power Perch. It directly plugs into the board and is restrained by some included wooden pieces

 

[tfischer]

Great upgrades!

As for wish list, it would be nice to have a battery restraint that made it easier to insert and remove the battery from the socket, if possible. Right now the battery inserted into in the socket must be tilted up to clear the restraint, before pulling it away from the socket. I'm always concerned about stress on the socket and battery connector during this tilting for insertion and removal. The existing restraint is simple and reliable; it's just the battery switch out that might be easier.

 

[dhurstell]

Wow, the Power Perch started a long time ago. It's time for a design refresh.

View attachment 681986
View attachment 681988

This new version has a few improvements:

• Smaller. At 1.3" x .64" This version should fit into a 38mm coupler, which the previous version at 1.4" wide, would not. This was accomplished by using 0.1" wire to board headers rather than 3.5mm pitch ones
• Improved magnetic switch. This uses the same magnetic switch from the most recent Featherweight products, with much longer standby life (months rather than days), longer magnetic range, and bidirectional operation that turns the switch on with one magnetic orientation and off with the other.
• Symmetric mounting holes

One oddity of the previous design that I'm planning to discontinue is connecting one of the mounting holes to the switched power + signal. This was intended to give more options for powering up external devices, but 1. It makes the Power Perch incompatible with conductive av-bay sleds and 2. It's not generally a good idea to piggyback another load on your altimeter's battery and 3. if you really want to do this anyway, you can just use the +out terminal from any of the channels.

Another small change is that I'm reserving blue LEDs for Bluetooth status now, so the power-on indicator for this will be red.

If anyone else has any care-abouts, let me know soon.

Will there be one that fits the Blue Jay?

 

[Adrian A]

Will there be one that fits the Blue Jay?

The Blue Jay basically already has a Power Perch built into it, since it has 2 terminals per output and a built-in magnetic switch.

 

[dhurstell]

Ah, the part I like about the perch is the battery integration so I can design sleds with only 1 interface.

Thanks for the reply

 

[Adrian A]

Ah, the part I like about the perch is the battery integration so I can design sleds with only 1 interface.

Thanks for the reply

Do you mean one interface for moving the altimeter from one rocket to another?

 

[dhurstell]

Do you mean one interface for moving the altimeter from one rocket to another?

Yes! It’s like having a single component

 

[manixFan]

For us crazy MD flyers, one without the terminal block soldered on so we don’t have to deal with the height of the block. I end up sanding the heck out of the corners or have even removed them to get them to fit.

Otherwise, looks great.


Tony

 

[StreuB1]

3D model available or will I have to make my own again?

I also have a nice battery cradle that's resin printable and quite nice. Designed to hold the longer 300mAh drone batteries but could be easily modified for the standard short battery.

 

[Adrian A]

For us crazy MD flyers, one without the terminal block soldered on so we don’t have to deal with the height of the block. I end up sanding the heck out of the corners or have even removed them to get them to fit.

Otherwise, looks great.


Tony

3D model available or will I have to make my own again?

I also have a nice battery cradle that's resin printable and quite nice. Designed to hold the longer 300mAh drone batteries but could be easily modified for the standard short battery.

I’m using Fusion360 for the board design now so there’s less excuse for me not to make my own 3D model. So far though I have only used the electronics side.

That battery cradle sounds good.

 

[Adrian A]

My first Fusion360 3D model. I should have been doing this a long time ago.