batterys

Questions new members commonly ask e.g. Which kayak should I buy?
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westy
Lord of the fish
Posts: 1132
Joined: 14 Jun 2015, 17:31
kayak: hobie compass and adventure island
Real Name: Paul
Location: Clyde North

batterys

Post by westy »

l know this subject has probably been covered before, but l am after a light weight battery solution to the standard lead acid weight issue.
Just running a hook 4 and night light,tried a few places like battery world etc but they aren't carrying stock due to reliability issues, does any one know of a solution or some one that's local that sells a solution.
Thanks Westy :wave1:
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shane
Vyak Addict
Posts: 7340
Joined: 07 Sep 2011, 20:54
kayak: Hobie AI, PA14, Quest and an ebay tandem
Real Name: Shane
Location: Moonee Ponds

Re: batterys

Post by shane »

You're better off purchasing through ebay or online Paul. There are plenty of local and overseas sellers who will ship Li-po batteries where many local shops don't.

In the lithiums there are a lot of options, blue cells, 18650 cells and balanced hobby packs. I've tried all of them but have gravitated to the balanced cells as the most reliable long term solution. I've had a few blue packs die either from water of just dead cells after not balancing properly and have also gone through a heap of 18650 cells. Online shops like Hobbeyking sell a good range of batteries from small and cheap to large and very expensive. On the ebay front I've had good success with these and they are available in a range of sizes: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3S2P-11-1V-8 ... SwB-1Y5fHt

With these batteries (and any lithium) it's important to get a good Li-ion battery charger that can do balanced cells (the separate white plug). This ensures each cell gets a full charge as unbalanced cells can lead to early failures or worse. Cells like the one above are high current so also be careful when cutting off plugs and re-soldering new connections, fuses, switches etc. Put it in a sealing sistema container and seal cable holes etc and it should provide reliable performance.

Edit: I've just bought these: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2x-3S-11-1V- ... Sw8oFXySXn Better value $/mAh and provides some redundancy. They will fit neatly side by side in a small sistema container and will be used as a duty/standby arrangement or for separate lights and sounder.
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