Subject:
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Re: 9V Discontinued? - Rechargeable Batteries
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Sun, 2 Apr 2006 21:06:52 GMT
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Viewed:
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3945 times
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In lugnet.trains, Eric Kingsley wrote:
> In lugnet.trains, Frank Filz wrote:
> >
> > What's amusing with all this "batteries will not do" is the number of garden
> > railroaders who are abandoning track power for battery power. Of course
> > G-scale trains have space for some pretty hefty batteries, but consider the
> > possibilities of a nice high tech rechargeable battery.
> >
> > Frank
>
> For what its worth this is one thing I have asked specifically about and have
> yet to get an answer. If there were a really good rechargable battery would
> that make a differance.
>
> My feeling is that it depends on the following.
>
> 1. Pulling power of the battery powered motor. (Can we run the trains that we
> currently run).
>
> 2. Cost.
>
> 3. Recharge time
>
> 4. Run time on a charge.
>
> 5. Ease of use (how easy is it to switch out a battery pack.
>
> Speaking as a fan, I would at aleast consider a rechargable battery option.
> There is the "battery" stigma that is apparent when you do a show. Batteries
> are for toys and electric track is for serious hobbiests. For me if the battery
> pack was of significant quality and the motor was able to pull a significantly
> long train for a significant time period then I *might* consider switching.
>
> Of course I also don't like IR, RC would have been much better so that is a
> consideration as well.
(SNIP)
>
> -Eric
It seems there are a few types of rechargeable batteries to consider:
NiCds are made obsolete by the European RoHS directive (banning Cadmium), and
they also suffer from memory effect.
NiMH are becoming more common in standard sizes but apparently suffer from
memory effect, and if they don't last long in my camera, how good are they at
driving motors for hours?
Li-ion I know less about. If these have no memory effect then they might work.
Lead-acid are well known but large and heavy. Using 12V to control 9V gives
some headroom for the on-board electronics but is less convenient than smaller
voltage increments of other types. Gel types would be best, given the tendency
for some LEGO trains to leave the rails or to need turning over for repair.
Does anyone know what type of batteries are used by the trains in Legoland
parks? My idea is to make a similar system whereby the trains would do a few
circuits and stop over some contacts to charge up the batteries. The contacts
would not be connected to the track in any way, so no modifcation to motors
would be required (to electrically separate the wheels from the motor, as is
done with DCC). It's just a case of which batteries to use and the fact that a
smaller battery would be small and light enough to fit in a train but would only
do a limited number of circuits. This limit fits with the sort of operation on
other model railways at shows anyway - often one circuit per train and swap to
the next one.
We're getting more into robot territory here. Some robots return to their base
station to charge up their batteries.
Control would be RC, so that a fiddle yard under the scenery is still possible.
Some layouts might require a (reed switch?) train detection system, since there
would be no block section control.
If this system is a go-er, it might just save the train shows.
Mark
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: 9V Discontinued? - Rechargeable Batteries
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| (...) The trains at LLCA apear to use gel cell/lead acid batteries. I'm considering a similar system, and have already tested something like it. I built a 4 wide train for a recent display. I used 4.5v track but had it spaced 2 studs apart enstead (...) (18 years ago, 3-Apr-06, to lugnet.trains, FTX)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: 9V Train Motor Being Discontinued?
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| (...) For what its worth this is one thing I have asked specifically about and have yet to get an answer. If there were a really good rechargable battery would that make a differance. My feeling is that it depends on the following. 1. Pulling power (...) (18 years ago, 29-Mar-06, to lugnet.trains)
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