Converting LGB to R/C

[gregh]

Yes your page was very helpful Gregh in just confirming a couple of the things i was wondering about. One thing i wondered was, your page didnt show that you wired an on/off switch and the cutout in, but i presume you still did both of those?

I was also looking at going with the system you showed, but using this 12v Lipo battery that Mel suggested, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290656714473?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 < Link To http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm...ksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Would that be fine?

I'd be a bit worried about the charger supplied with that battery - it looks like just a plug pack with no control. LiPo batteries MUST have an overvoltage cutout system to stop charging at 12.6V ( for a 3 cell LiPo). So unless the battery pack contains that feature, which I can't tell from the webpage, I wouldn't touch it. Maybe Mel can enlighten us. The battery does look good and cheap though.

Yes, you're right that I didn't show an on/off switch or the polyswitch. Just forgot the obvious (to me). I do cover the polyswitch on my Battery webpage.

 

[Tony Walsham]

Um err........
Scroll down a bit and you will see that it is a Li-Ion battery. Not Li-Po. As such it does not need individual cell monitoring as long as it has a low - high voltage/current limiting pcb built in.

I would be a bit more worried that the vendor doesn't know the difference between Li-Po and Li-Ion.

 

[Alexander0654]

Matt has asked all the questions I was about to ask - Great Tread Matt & Thanks
as I am, also about to start converting my LGB & Bachmann locos to battery power
I have 2 problems with the suggeted battery ;
1 They will not ship to France but this may be fixable
2 The battery provides 12v but I understand RG sytems only take 5-8v. How would you get around this problem ?
Alex

 

[matthew]

Um err........
Scroll down a bit and you will see that it is a Li-Ion battery. Not Li-Po. As such it does not need individual cell monitoring as long as it has a low - high voltage/current limiting pcb built in.

I would be a bit more worried that the vendor doesn't know the difference between Li-Po and Li-Ion.

So the battery woud be good then all this different battery jargon is overwhelming

And Glad it's been of help Alex, i think it's given a good data base for many aspects of rc

 

[MRail]

I have a Li ion battery with one of these chargers.
Charger rating is 12.6V and it has the red & green lights.
Problem is, it has a continental 2 pin plug, so I've never used it.

There are other eBay vendors who supply the same battery with a UK charger.

 

[yb281]

Matthew I suggest that you read Peter's various threads on his experience with these batteries. There are several, but you could start with this one;
http://www.gscalecentral.net/tm?m=148031&high=lipo+battery
The batteries that I have bought from the seller that I posted the link to arrive with UK spec charger plugs. The batteries last for many, many hours - the one in my Corpet has run since January (I think) without being charged. I've been running it on Peter's railway today and it finally went flat. It is is now sitting in the kitchen on charge - with the supplied charger needless to say.

The experts do tend to make things very difficult to understand. The reason that I steered you towards the same batteries that I use is that I read Peter's threads and was impressed, so I bought one to see how it went. I was so impressed that I will soon have 4 of them. I admit that I don't get all the technical stuff, but I don't see that you neccasarily need to? All I know is that I followed Peter's advice (together with the wiring diagram for the Cliff Barker system that I use), it was easy to do, the batteries last for ages and charging couldn't be simpler. In short - in PRACTICAL use, it worked for Peter and it has worked for me.

As a beginner, IMO this is the most important thing. The experts may try to blind you with science and tech speak, some may even have a vested / commercial interest, but for me the main thing is to get your trains running.

 

[matthew]

As a beginner, IMO this is the most important thing. The experts may try to blind you with science and tech speak, some may even have a vested / commercial interest, but for me the main thing is to get your trains running.

Yes thats definately the most important thing..

I've got the wiring diagram and all the information i need now, and so i shall be ordering the stuff very soon to just get on with it. Im a lot happier now that i've figured it out myself rather than having somebody else fit it for me. Apart from the money saved it will be great to know for future reference when something inevitably goes wrong.

Big thanks everyone

 

[matthew]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290656714473?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 < Link To http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm...ksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Question for Mel or anybody else who may know, what size battery socket will i need to connect this battery into my circuit?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC-POWER-...-/180756566976?pt=UK_CCTV&hash=item2a15ee53c0 < Link To http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm...mp;hash=item2a15ee53c0
I presume it will be a 2.1 or a 2.5mm?

 

[yb281]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290656714473?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 < Link To http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm...ksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Question for Mel or anybody else who may know, what size battery socket will i need to connect this battery into my circuit?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC-POWER-...-/180756566976?pt=UK_CCTV&hash=item2a15ee53c0 < Link To http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm...mp;hash=item2a15ee53c0
I presume it will be a 2.1 or a 2.5mm?

The way me and Peter do it doesn't need a socket. The battery has a switched supply lead with a male plug and a permanently live supply lead with a female socket. We tape up the switch in the off position, cut the male lead off and seal off the cut end. The wires from the cut off male plug can then be soldered into your circuit and the male plug plugged into the live female socket when you're ready for power.

 

[matthew]

The way me and Peter do it doesn't need a socket. The battery has a switched supply lead with a male plug and a permanently live supply lead with a female socket. We tape up the switch in the off position, cut the male lead off and seal off the cut end. The wires from the cut off male plug can then be soldered into your circuit and the male plug plugged into the live female socket when you're ready for power.

Think i got that Should be more obvious when its in my hands, i've ordered all me parts now so its just a waiting game

 

[Alexander0654]

Hi All,

For those who are following and working to this thread but do not live in the UK, I have found a supplier of " Blue 2 wire batteries " which ship worldwide for free.
http://www.buyincoins.com
I have ordered a 4800mAh for 11 euro including shipping. And they take PayPal. I will keep you all informed of the results of this purchase - Good or Bed !
Regards
Alex

 

[Tony Walsham]

I don't understand how they can claim to be 12 volt batteries.
3s cells = 11.1 volts. 4S cells = 14.8 volts. Can anybody clear that up please. How many cells do they have?

 

[GAP]

Quote "The way me and Peter do it doesn't need a socket. The battery has a switched supply lead with a male plug and a permanently live supply lead with a female socket. We tape up the switch in the off position, cut the male lead off and seal off the cut end. The wires from the cut off male plug can then be soldered into your circuit and the male plug plugged into the live female socket when you're ready for power. " End quote


Am I correct in assuming that the charging socket is used as an output as well as a charging input?
Would it be possible to connect the female socket charging lead to a panel mount socket on the outside of the loco and connect the leads of the male output socket to the input circuitry of the loco via a DPDT centre off switch thus being able to isolate the electronics when the loco is off or in a charge mode this would allow the battery to remain inside the loco permanently, as opposed to using a trailing car.
This is using the assumption that the battery is a Li ion battery as stated in the spec and and not a LiPo as stated in the title description, as per Tony Walshams observations.
I have heard anecdotal evidence that LiPo batteries have a tendency to over heat and catch fire if they are not charged using a balancing charger is this correct?

 

[MRail]

Am I correct in assuming that the charging socket is used as an output as well as a charging input?
Would it be possible to connect the female socket charging lead to a panel mount socket on the outside of the loco

There is another comprehesive thread which will answer these questions. Worth studying.
[style="color: #993366;"]http://www.gscalecentral.net/m16089...lan to convert the first loco to this system.

 

[gregh]

I don't believe that LiPo need balance charging for the way we use them.

Aero modellers take many tens of amps which can cause cell unbalance.
We take about an amp - much less than the battery rating, so they are much less 'stressed' and less likely to need balancing.

 

[gregh]

Mathew,
While you're waiting for all your parts to arrive, don't forget you need 8 AA cells for the Transmitter. Normal (non-rechargeable) will work for a few hours - Hobbyking Tx take about 175mA.
Better to invest in some rechargeable NiMH AA cells

 

[yb281]

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR MATT (backed up by PM) plus anyone else following this.

Yesterday I took delivery of 2 more of these Li-ion batteries from the previously linked ebay seller and it appears that it is the FEMALE lead that is switched on these. The upshot is that this must be checked before following Peter's / my way of fitting these batteries and cutting the leads.

 

[matthew]

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR MATT (backed up by PM) plus anyone else following this.

Yesterday I took delivery of 2 more of these Li-ion batteries from the previously linked ebay seller and it appears that it is the FEMALE lead that is switched on these. The upshot is that this must be checked before following Peter's / my way of fitting these batteries and cutting the leads.

So this means that the male feed is the permantly live one, and you just need to end the circuit in a female connector?

 

[yb281]

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR MATT (backed up by PM) plus anyone else following this.

Yesterday I took delivery of 2 more of these Li-ion batteries from the previously linked ebay seller and it appears that it is the FEMALE lead that is switched on these. The upshot is that this must be checked before following Peter's / my way of fitting these batteries and cutting the leads.

So this means that the male feed is the permantly live one, and you just need to end the circuit in a female connector?

I need to check to make sure 100% that the male lead is permanently live, but yes, that would be the case - and this leaves the female lead as the charging socket.

 

[matthew]

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR MATT (backed up by PM) plus anyone else following this.

Yesterday I took delivery of 2 more of these Li-ion batteries from the previously linked ebay seller and it appears that it is the FEMALE lead that is switched on these. The upshot is that this must be checked before following Peter's / my way of fitting these batteries and cutting the leads.

So this means that the male feed is the permantly live one, and you just need to end the circuit in a female connector?

I need to check to make sure 100% that the male lead is permanently live, but yes, that would be the case - and this leaves the female lead as the charging socket.

Thanks for the warning, is it obvious which one is the switched one, or can you only tell by testing?