Can Inverters for Outdoor Races?

[whites75]

I know people use the car batteries to charge their gear when racing outdoors when there is minimal or no power supply but does anyone use something like this, are they worth getting or is it best just to stick with a car battery?
cheers

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ring-150W-...item5d4684fa2e

[mark christopher]

It plugs into a car battery........

[whites75]

Originally Posted by mark christopher

It plugs into a car battery........

yep I know via the 12v point in the car ie cigarette lighter etc I was just wanting to know if they are worth getting over the car battery that many seem to use, as I guess when this is used you would need to run the car whilst say charging the rc battery so not to drain the car battery?

[bretts]

I'd get a 12v battery for two reasons:-

1. You can still start your car at the end of the day.

2. Your charger will get the correct current (amps) for charging. Also it's only 150w at 240volts, so volts/watts = amps i.e. 1.6 amps at 240v Ac

You'd have to see what input your charger needs at 240v to give at least 5amps at 12v

To conclude:-

Sounds like a bit of a faff to me.

[whites75]

Originally Posted by bretts

I'd get a 12v battery for two reasons:-

1. You can still start your car at the end of the day.

2. Your charger will get the correct current (amps) for charging. Also it's only 150w at 240volts, so volts/watts = amps i.e. 1.6 amps at 240v Ac

You'd have to see what input your charger needs at 240v to give at least 5amps at 12v

To conclude:-

Sounds like a bit of a faff to me.

hi bretts - so if I got the 12v car battery do you hook it up to the battery on my car to get the power? (sorry never done it before and not sure how it works)

[bretts]

nope, just get a cheap 12v car battery charger and make sure it's charged the night before.

Then just use croc clips on the terminals to give you power to your charger. All assuming you're charger accepts 12v input. no need to go anywhere near your road car battery.

it's the way we all did it back in the day as nowhere allowed us to use mains supply and also all the chargers where only 12v input (unless you where rich)

[whites75]

Originally Posted by bretts

nope, just get a cheap 12v car battery charger and make sure it's charged the night before.

Then just use croc clips on the terminals to give you power to your charger. All assuming you're charger accepts 12v input. no need to go anywhere near your road car battery.

it's the way we all did it back in the day as nowhere allowed us to use mains supply and also all the chargers where only 12v input (unless you where rich)

ok cheers, so the shopping list I need a cheap 12v car battery, croc clips and battery charger

just found this in my charger box - I take it this can connect direct to a car battery?

[mark christopher]

be far better off spending a bit more and getting a decent leisure battery, it will last far longer as a car battery is not designed for deep discharge.

[whites75]

Originally Posted by mark christopher

be far better off spending a bit more and getting a decent leisure battery, it will last far longer as a car battery is not designed for deep discharge.

ok pal cheers - will have a butchers online to see how much they are

[NeilRalph77]

+1 on the leisure battery,

The lead you've pictured is not right though try looking through your box again one came with my UAC50 it'll be croc's to a male dc power plug dia 5.5 I think, it plug's into the socket above the one for the mains lead.

[whites75]

Originally Posted by NeilRalph77

+1 on the leisure battery,

The lead you've pictured is not right though try looking through your box again one came with my UAC50 it'll be croc's to a male dc power plug dia 5.5 I think, it plug's into the socket above the one for the mains lead.

ah right, I think I get it now. yep I have the lead you mention which attached with the croc clips onto the leisure battery will give the lipo charger power right? Then am I right in thinking I just attach my lipo battery using the wires/balance lead as I would as if I had it plugged into the mains at home?

Just a very quick look at leisure batteries and a charger for it they are pretty expensive mind

[Ashlandchris]

Originally Posted by whites75

ah right, I think I get it now. yep I have the lead you mention which attached with the croc clips onto the leisure battery will give the lipo charger power right? Then am I right in thinking I just attach my lipo battery using the wires/balance lead as I would as if I had it plugged into the mains at home?

Just a very quick look at leisure batteries and a charger for it they are pretty expensive mind

That's right.
Leisure batteries are expensive, but worth it. Mind you, as Aston gap, you can do worse than visit a local car garage and ask for an old car battery. My experience is they chuck a few per day and there is always one that will give you an initial try out until you decide it is the way to go

[whites75]

Originally Posted by Ashlandchris

That's right.
Leisure batteries are expensive, but worth it. Mind you, as Aston gap, you can do worse than visit a local car garage and ask for an old car battery. My experience is they chuck a few per day and there is always one that will give you an initial try out until you decide it is the way to go

cheers chris - will have a good look round on the net at leisure batteries to find the best price and decide which way to go from there - gotta decide pretty quick mind as as soon as the brca 2015 membership is available to buy online I can then book into the iceman series with my sct which is in a few weeks time, so need to sort it by then

[whites75]

what 'ah' size battery would be best to get for a leisure battery please?

[bretts]

All depends on how much use for how long?

Remember these are for caravans to power lights for the weekend etc...

So I think 85ah (about £45 - £50) should be more than ok for a days charging, 110ah (£60 - £65) if there's going to be more than one charger I suppose.

I borrowed an 'old' car battery which had been in a mates garage for a year or so in the summer. It was dead but charged ok and I ran a charger all day and soldering iron on it and it lasted.....but how low until it knackered, i'll never know.

[whites75]

Originally Posted by bretts

All depends on how much use for how long?

Remember these are for caravans to power lights for the weekend etc...

So I think 85ah (about £45 - £50) should be more than ok for a days charging, 110ah (£60 - £65) if there's going to be more than one charger I suppose.

I borrowed an 'old' car battery which had been in a mates garage for a year or so in the summer. It was dead but charged ok and I ran a charger all day and soldering iron on it and it lasted.....but how low until it knackered, i'll never know.

thanks bretts - will keep scouring the net to find a decent priced one as well as a trickle charger for it

....or poss a 'smart' charger seems to be the way to go for leisure batteries?

[neallewis]

Your core rc charger will also charge lead acid batteries, but probably safer (for your lipos) to get a plug in trickle charger, as forgetting to change the mode back to "lipo" will result in a fire.

Leisure batteries are fine and great, but nothing wrong with using a car battery if that's what you have. I replaced my BMW 110Ah battery with a new Bosch, and have used the old BMW one for the last three summers outdoor racing. I normally have two chargers running and sometimes a third, all day/weekend at meetings. Never failed me (apart from one time I forgot to charge it the night before). Sure small cheap car batteries might not last too long though, but you'll certainly get a meeting worth (5/6 packs) of charging out of one for a season.
When this packs in i'll probably replace my boat leisure battery and run the old one.

[whites75]

Originally Posted by neallewis

Your core rc charger will also charge lead acid batteries, but probably safer (for your lipos) to get a plug in trickle charger, as forgetting to change the mode back to "lipo" will result in a fire.

Leisure batteries are fine and great, but nothing wrong with using a car battery if that's what you have. I replaced my BMW 110Ah battery with a new Bosch, and have used the old BMW one for the last three summers outdoor racing. I normally have two chargers running and sometimes a third, all day/weekend at meetings. Never failed me (apart from one time I forgot to charge it the night before). Sure small cheap car batteries might not last too long though, but you'll certainly get a meeting worth (5/6 packs) of charging out of one for a season.
When this packs in i'll probably replace my boat leisure battery and run the old one.

cheers neal - I don't have a battery at all just my mains charger, so when I goto places like A1 Racing for the Iceman series with my SCT I will need something to power my core mains charger from. Originally I was going to get a can inverter like they have in argos that plugs into the cigarette lighter and run from my own car with it running to top up my lipos, but it seems the better way to go is the car battery or leisure battery route - just want to get something sorted before the 23rd so I have something at A1 to charge with

[mark christopher]

other option is a generator, or find some one u can give a couple of quid too and plug in

[Aire valley]

Alphaline XV24 Leisure Battery, 88Ah - Suitable for boats & caravans

This is the one I got off EBay....seems good and less than £50