C777 Plus II, if I recall the number off the top of my head.
In stock, modified with the correct plug to go into the sockets we use for charging and auxilliary battery in the end of the loco/tender.
Hi John.
I did say earlier that I can only get certain batterry sizes readily and affordably here in Australia.
Sub C, AA & AAA.
Other sizes are available but in comparison are horrendously expensive.
I know Dave Goodson and Don Sweet both use different sizes depending on the application.
I only ever use Sub C cells where they will fit. Specifically, 2400 mah SCR’s that I have made up by a professional battery Company here in Australia.
If I can’t fit Sub C cells I will use AA size, and then only ENELOOP by Sanyo or the Panasonic equivalent. This is usually OK as if small size is required, the loco is likely small and the current draw low.
AAA size are only ever used for really tight installations and are never relied upon for mainline running.
I know ENELOOP cells are not available as tabbed items yet. I have my packs professionally welded up by my battery supplier.
DO NOT solder untabbed cells together. The heat generated during soldering can and will damage the cells.
DO NOT use spring battery holders for the reasons outlined by Jerry Bowers above.
DO NOT use battery packs in parallel to increase run time UNLESS you isolate each pack from the other with a switch or diodes.
If the run time provided by an on board battery pack is insufficient, this run time can be easily extended by using the battery charge circuit I recommend. The charge jack doubles as a port for plugging in an extra set of batteries in a trail car. Use the on board batteries for running around a yard and the extra batteries in a trail car for mainline use. Parts to make this circuit are readily available from radio Shack or such equivalent electronics store. No electronics involved. Just mechanical functions.
There is no doubt other chemistries can and do provide an alternative source.
It is my considered opinion that none provide the value for money and longevity offered by NiCd.
I personally use the same Maha charger Dave uses for packs up to 16.8 volts.
Over that I only ever use NiCd cells so I can use my own overnight trickle charger.
Tony,
Thanks for all of the great insight! I have several original Bmann battery Big Haulers. I recently tried to run one of them on a 7.2 volt pack. It would barely run in forward and wouldn’t move in reverse. The gears are lubed and I don’t see or feel any mechanical binds. Can two of these packs be put together for 14.4 volts? Do you have any other suggestions? Thanks for your help and great products. I hope this isn’t too far off topic.
MaHa C777+II
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Tony,
I intended to run them in series to increase the voltage, but not change the MaH.
jb
That’s the one!
Mario-
Still trying to get word out from the seemingly clueless on your stuff.
On your 7.2V, originally, the BigHaulers were 6V of dry cells.
A fully-charged 7.2V is about 8.6V, so theoretically, it should have been a rocketship.
Check the voltage on the battery with the power switch on.
If 7.2V, it’s flat.
If less, it’s REALLY flat!
DO NOT put 14.4v into that engine! The circuit boards will become the best short-lived smoke unit you ever saw!
John- I’ll have to look, but I think 20 cells max in series is all they recommend.
Thanks, Dave.
It seems that the more information I get the more confused I become. I’ve got a month to throw something together before I leave for Marty’s. I went to batteryspace.com and looked around. I’m even more confused. I didn’t see any battery charger that looks like the one Curmudgeon uses and all the battery sizes seemed to be different than what was recommended. Damn, I feel like I’ve taken a stupid pill…
Warren Mumpower said:Moral of the tale:
It seems that the more information I get the more confused I become. I've got a month to throw something together before I leave for Marty's. I went to batteryspace.com and looked around. I'm even more confused. I didn't see any battery charger that looks like the one Curmudgeon uses and all the battery sizes seemed to be different than what was recommended. Damn, I feel like I've taken a stupid pill....:(
Don’t go to Battery Space. 
Tell us what you want to do and we will advise what is the best way of going about it.
Not necessarily the cheapest. The best.
<>
That’s what I’m after! The best, not something I’ll regret buying.
Here’s my list, but mebbe not all at once> 
5 battery cars. (Forneys, Davenports and moguls and Uintah mallet) These will contain everything, receiver. Sound boards for the smaller lokies, with speaker in the loko, if possible. And I want to plug these batt cars into the below engines for longer runs, if necessary.
2 tender battery cars. (Sumpter Valley and Mikado)
Split battery packs (for my phoenix sound) 9 to 11 Volt, 4,000 to 5,000 MaH
Is any of this do-able?
Warren,
Grab a dismal and dis-arm the track pick-ups. Or grab on of your Aristo’s and switch the batt/track switch.
Use your track side train engineer in a trailing box car with a couple cheap gel cels for now.
You already have half the equipment. All you need is the batteries and a way to plug it in the loco. I thought Aristo loko’s already had this feature. Isn’t that what that cable is for that dangles out of the front?
jb
You need 12v minimum.
BTDT.
Seen 12v locos just flat stall (no wheel spin).
THAT is why I use 14.4, as it has the extra “head room”.
That charger does up to 14.4v.
WILL do 16.8v, as long as you’re 20% down in charge.
If you replace the power supply with a higher voltage unit, it will do higher.
I have these 6 and 8 pin connector kits, with super flex, to drive loco loads (motors, lights, etc.).
HOWEVER:
I did a Delton C-16 years ago, using the small speaker that worked.
Moron (hope he’s not reading this) decided he wanted a bigger speaker…mounted it under the cab roof…and ran the speaker wires with the bundle running motors and such.
One unhappy camper.
The motor noise inducted into the speaker leads and made the sound virtually unusable.
So, to simplify your installation, put the speaker in the boxcar.
If you are going to be trail-car oriented, and have to haul it wherever you go, just put the speaker in the boxcar, AND the chuff contacts on the tender truck.
When you are ready to do it right, with it all on-board, we can move the parts into the locos and tenders.
The AC Pacificado will require 16.8V to do the same job 14.4v does in the Sumpter/UINTAH.
Driver diameter and gearing.
Once again, BTDT.
<<Split battery packs (for my phoenix sound) 9 to 11 Volt, 4,000 to 5,000 MaH>>
Bbbbbutt Dave,
I thot I’d get 18 to 22 volts, serializing up those battery packs. I can’t run anything more than 9 volts to the phoenix, or I will have to use the phoenix battery that it comes with like you would with a track power configuration. (Which I can do, I 'spect. But I thought I’d like my on board batteries to power the phoenix. I can just split off one of the 9 volter’s with an on/off switch for the sound unit.)
But am I getting too complicated here.???
I was going to get a couple P-5’s as well as use my existing Phoenix’s. The P-5’s don’t come with batteries. They are configured to use half of the on-board battery pack. (From what I gather reading up on it.)
jb
John,
Do you need such high voltage because you do not intend to modify any of the locos other than to install battery plugs on those that don’t have them?
Although Dave and I both do trail car installs from time to time we mostly do on board systems with 14.4 volts being ideal for most locos except the big stuff like the -9’s and SD-70’s etc.
Also, how you go about wiring up Phoenix sound will depend to some extent on the brand of R/C you intend using.
I can’t comment about the P2K2 but I know the P5 will handle up to 30 volts. I have used 14.4 volts in the Baguley Drewy installation I published yesterday.
What kind of Phoenix?
I put up to 24v into them.
Why in the world would you want to run that fast?
Crimeny, you won’t keep them on the rails!
You wouldn’t happen to be from the East Coast, would you, where they practice Slot Trains regularly?
Why splt?
You can, but why?
MAHA chargers with the provided power supply will not charge that high.
You go to a Triton charger then, more money, and you get to learn how to program your batteries into it.
<<<Why in the world would you want to run that fast?
Crimeny, you won’t keep them on the rails!>>>
Geez,
You don’t have to hit the fast button on the remote! I hate speeding locomotives myself!!
Just because I’m running a 7.2 in my chevy truck, doesn’t mean I drive it with the pedal to the metal.
I thought the hand held receiver had speed increments.
<<What kind of Phoenix?
I put up to 24v into them.>>
2K2’s and P-5’s.
If I remember correctly, the battery supplied with a 2K2 is a 4 cell 1.5 Ni-cad bundle. Which is 6 volts.
You put 24 volts to the battery input on a 2K2 and you will fry it.
Now you can put 24 volts to the track power connections on the board, but not the battery connection.
Dave, Hope this makes sense.
jb
<<Do you need such high voltage because you do not intend to modify any of the locos other than to install battery plugs on those that don’t have them?>>
Tony,
Eggzactly!
I intend to take out the sliders, brushes and buss bar in the LGB’s, and power them either thru the access port on their rear ends, *(Yes it works…I’ve tried it without a receiver), or bundle up a plug of some sort. I will use all the existing LGB circuits, including lights and sound.
*I put some batteries on a flat car and plugged them into an LGB D&RGW #50 Davenport, and she took off–lights and all. All I needed was a throttle.
I plan to plug into the existing plugs in the back of my LGB Engines. (After I remove the skiders and brushes.)
My USA, I have a couple dismal switchers, I will make up a wiring harness.
Make sense??
jb
I recall discussing that with Phoenix.
Originally, he said 30, then dropped it to 24.
I feed traction battery voltage directly into the P-nix.
Always have.
Not sure on the P-5, as they still haven’t shipped me one!
More batteries means more space needed, bigger chargers, and more power-handling capabilities of onboard electronics.
I am amazed.
Just amazed.
Mebbe this will clear it a little.
Phoenix boards.
The battery I’m talking about is the one that powers the “standing sounds” when yer loky is at idle.
Not the batteries to drive the board while your underway.
Make sense?
With on board battery, I have heard that you do not need to use the 6 volt “standing” battery, because you can tap off one of your on-board “driving” batteries.
Providing they are packs hooked in series. You use three 6 volt packs to get your 18 volts, but run a separate line from one of the 6 volts to the phoenix for the idling sounds.
Remember,
A Phoenix board has two power inputs.
One is the idling battery,
The other is the track (or battery) power.
This is hard to 'splain, but I think Dave and Tony know where I’m coming from now.
jb
<<Not sure on the P-5, as they still haven’t shipped me one>>
Dave,
The P-5 has no input for “idling, standing sounds”. Just the track (battery) power input.
it relies on you sectioning off a piece of your battery pack, like I 'splained above.
That’s why it’s cheaper.
There are no inputs for reed switches, idling battery, etc. There isn’t a speaker supplied with it either.
Just a programming plug and an volume switch. It is supplied with inputs that hook to your receiver to ring the bell, blow the horn, instead of using the old track magnet reed switches.
On a 2K2, I feed traction battery voltage into the plug I whack off the old battery.
John told me 24 volts.
I did put a regulator on one once, as the 24V I was using of battery had a surface charge of MUCH more.
But, up to 19-20V, the surface charge does not equal 24V.
That’s direct from P-nix.
No need to cut into battery packs.