Tony,
I would dispose of the track power stuff but I still have a number of locos as yet unconverted to battery and still need to be exercised! Also the friends as yet are all still track powered so to keep them operating I’ll need track power for a while.
Andre’
Batteries, eh?
Well, my batteries from 2010 would NOT charge past 12 volts - i put them into my loco and NOTHING. No sound, no movement.
What to do? Well, a search of my ready suppliers yielded LOTS of options, but I didn’t like the price. Amazon is a favorite - it’s hard to get upset at somebody that delivers to your door! What did they have!
Well, I really wanted 14.8 V, but all they had was batteries with the WRONG connectors! OK, I can deal with THAT. I have wire cutters and they seem to work.
SO, I found THESE Shark batteries for a pretty decent price: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08C2JMWTC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Cut off the connectors and soldered in my own. It works!
What are you using as a charger?
MIKE PATERSON said:
What are you using as a charger?
Well, THAT is a good question…
Uh…It charges batteries…and looks a lot like this…
Maha? Wawa? I just don’t recall…
My go to place for batteries is here mainly because Amazon restrict my choice here in Aust.
For chargers I use this one (I have 4) does everything I need
But this one is just delivers the goods just need a US plug which they will supply.
I use Tenergy for batts and chargers. But thanks for the lead, Bruce.
And I have returned to the old fashioned Nihm for my 7/8 scale locos.
They run just as long as my Li-ions.
John Bouck said:
I use Tenergy for batts and chargers. But thanks for the lead, Bruce.
And I have returned to the old fashioned Nihm for my 7/8 scale locos.
They run just as long as my Li-ions.
Now, THAT’S interesting. The pack that died was from Tenergy and was dated 2011 (my date of install), I sure don’t feel bad about 10 years of useful life; might have gone on longer if I regularly charged it, but not me!
So, Tenergy has a 14.8V 2200 Mah for 46.49 (Battery Packs - Li-Ion Packs - 14.8V - Page 1 - Tenergy Power).
The pack I got from Amazon is 14.8V 2600 Mah for $25.99. Yeah, it did have the wrong connectors on it 
Cheaper on the bay.
In fact, I got 14.8 V, 5,200 maH for ~$28. The packs shown by the OP are $2 cheaper on the bay with free shipping.
Bruce, I have some Tenergys that are over ten years old (Nihm) and still running.
When I splurges for some Li-ions from Cordless innovations (Who used to advertise here) they lasted less than two years.
And were delivered wired backwards. I have one Tenergy Li-ion on its 5th year and still going strong.
I guess battery longevity really depends more on how well you take care of them, rather than brand.
When I first started converting to battery, I was buying Tenergy Li-Ion packs through All Battery. They worked great for a few years, but then I started getting cell failures within the packs. I since learned that I was probably not treating them to well with my discharge/charge routines. I upgraded my charger and no longer run batteries down until they shut off. I also started buying better quality packs.
I’m currently using MTO packs that I buy through Don Sweet and have had great luck with them.
Perhaps their life is also dependant on “how” they are charged. For example, I would imagine that a balanced charger could result in longer life because it equalizes the charge across the cells.
Todd Brody said:
Perhaps their life is also dependant on “how” they are charged. For example, I would imagine that a balanced charger could result in longer life because it equalizes the charge across the cells.
Correct. However, unless you modify them to install a balancing pigtail, none of the commercially available Li-Ion packs that I have seen can be balance charged without modification. Li-Poly, on the other hand, usually includes the balancing leads. This was my successful attempt to balance charge a Tenergy pack…
I run the lithium-poly cells and all three packs I’ve received have the separate terminals for balanced charging.
You can actually watch as the charger balances out the cells after an initial charge. The LEDs on the charger will flicker accordingly as cells are balanced.
Todd Brody said:
I run the lithium-poly cells and all three packs I’ve received have the separate terminals for balanced charging.
You can actually watch as the charger balances out the cells after an initial charge. The LEDs on the charger will flicker accordingly as cells are balanced.
Exactly, but I believe we are discussing Lithium Ion. I don’t know many who run the poly cells.
I don’t know why not? They seem cheaper to buy and have the same ratings as the Lithium ion. I have ~$50 into the 14.8V, 5,200 mAH Li-poly battery and a charger that will go from 1 to 3 aH and can do 2, 3, or 4 cells.
Todd Brody said:
I don’t know why not? They seem cheaper to buy and have the same ratings as the Lithium ion. I have ~$50 into the 14.8V, 5,200 mAH Li-poly battery and a charger that will go from 1 to 3 aH and can do 2, 3, or 4 cells.
Good point.
But, when they first came out there were all sorts of caveats and warnings. Not so much now. Perhaps this is a good sign!
Don’t the R/C guys still use fireproof containers to charge LiPoly ?
Jon Radder said:
Don’t the R/C guys still use fireproof containers to charge LiPoly ?
No. I don’t think so… In fact, kind a rare IME. Been around and used Li-PO’s for nearly twenty years with RC cars, boats, airplanes and more. While I have had pouches and such provided by sponsors, I never used them. I only charge batteries in a safe, ventilated place, with proper chargers, supervision and with MAXIMUM time intervals as recommended by all of the OEM cell manufacturers. OEM spec sheets suggest the MAXIMUM time their cells should be undercharge is typically 3 hours, NOT 6 hours, overnight or whatever.
The caveats, caution and stigma are pretty much the same for Li-Ion’s and Li-PO’s. Early in the exposure of Li-Ion’s to hobby culture the volatility and the proper care and feeding of said batteries was unknown and or not common knowledge. Most of the problems can be attributed to the USER, not the technology. Li-Ions came to the masses several years before the availability/popularity of Li-PO’s. There were many early reports of smoke and more, generally related to improper charging and or chargers, nothing more.
I have used, abused, cycled, tested literally thousands of Lithium batteries, beginning in 2002. I have yet to have a failure mode with regard to fire, smoke and the like. That said plenty of them have failed; swelled, shorted, had short life cycles and more. Yes, prudent interaction with same is a must, Lithium battery technology does present itself as problematic by design, but is widely used in today’s world.
Li-Po’s are well suited for trains IMO. If your concerned about the pliable pouch envelope hard case enclosures are commonplace nowadays. Safety ancillary devices such as utilized by Li-Ion batteries are applicable to Li-PO’s. The RC industry as a whole rarely uses Li-Ion batteries! Li-Po’s rule and always have! That said it’s kind of inferior in the scheme of things with proper implementation and TRUE SMART chargers that monitor cells individually. Like most things, USER(s) interface with technology tells the tale.
How many enthusiasts do you know that invest 25K and more in 250mph turbine powered RC jets that aren’t using Li-Po’s? Me thinks they are safe enough for our toy trains if properly utilized and cared for. Many-many moons ago I shared my thoughts on the viability of the Li-Ion batteries interlaced with our trains (wasn’t well received herein). I suggested my experience with them was less than satisfactory as robust power supplies for RC aircraft on board flight systems. Short life cycles, cost and failure modes were commonplace. That said our atypical application of stacking multiple cells in series-parallel configurations in the scheme of things is the worst-case scenario for Li-Ion cells as well as other technologies. Li-PO’s with balance charge pigtails circumvents this well-known shortcoming.
Michael
Michael Glavin said: I only charge batteries in a safe, ventilated place, with proper chargers, supervision and with MAXIMUM time intervals as recommended by all of the OEM cell manufacturers. OEM spec sheets suggest the MAXIMUM time their cells should be undercharge is typically 3 hours, NOT 6 hours, overnight or whatever.
The caveats, caution and stigma are pretty much the same for Li-Ion’s and Li-PO’s. Early in the exposure of Li-Ion’s to hobby culture the volatility and the proper care and feeding of said batteries was unknown and or not common knowledge. Most of the problems can be attributed to the USER, not the technology. Li-Ions came to the ma
sses several years before the availability/popularity of Li-PO’s. There were many early reports of smoke and more, generally related to improper charging and or chargers, nothing more.
I have used, abused, cycled, tested literally thousands of Lithium batteries, beginning in 2002. I have yet to have a failure mode with regard to fire, smoke and the like. That said plenty of them have failed; swelled, shorted, had short life cycles and more. Yes, prudent interaction with same is a must, Lithium battery technology does present itself as problematic by design, but is widely used in today’s world.
Michael
Thanks for chiming in Michael. I can always count on you for good advice.
Based on what you said above about charging Li-Poly, is it a correct assumption that Li-Ion is a better choice for permanent mounting inside a plastic locomotive?
Jon Radder said:
Based on what you said above about charging Li-Poly, is it a correct assumption that Li-Ion is a better choice for permanent mounting inside a plastic locomotive?
Michael Glavin said:
Li-Po’s are well suited for trains IMO. If your concerned about the pliable pouch envelope hard case enclosures are commonplace nowadays. Safety ancillary devices such as utilized by Li-Ion batteries are applicable to Li-PO’s. The RC industry as a whole rarely uses Li-Ion batteries! Li-Po’s rule and always have! That said it’s kind of inferior in the scheme of things with proper implementation and TRUE SMART chargers that monitor cells individually. Like most things, USER(s) interface with technology tells the tale.
Jon, you lost me there.
I’ve used Li-poly occasionally, and as Michael says, they really are the same as Li-Ion, just different shapes.
