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Subject: 
Re: PF train motor
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.trains, lugnet.technic, lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Fri, 3 Apr 2009 12:21:48 GMT
Viewed: 
42275 times
  
In lugnet.trains, Eric Albrecht wrote:
> In lugnet.trains, Dave Sterling wrote:
> > > Paul
> > 
> > I just noticed the new PF Lithium Polymer Battery Box output is 7.4V.  Am I
> > missing something here?  Did they drop it from 9V since most people only run
> > their train controllers at the 4th or 5th 'hash mark' equating to about 7.4V
> > maximum?  Is this going to pose an issue with longer/heavier trains?
> > 
> > Just thinking...
> 
> 
> They made it 7.4V because all lithium polymer battery cells are 3.6 - 3.8V.
> Since this is a pack with 2 cells in series, you get 7.4V.  A 3 cell pack is
> typically 11.2V.  As you can see, keeping the old 9V system was not really an
> option if using Lithium power.  LEGO could have used Nickel Metal Hydride
> (NiMH), but the batteries would have weighed a lot more and had a lot less
> capacity.  1150 mAh is pretty substantial when you consider that a car battery
> may only be 20x this.
> 
> Regarding the motors, I would assume that the new motors were designed to have
> adequate power at 7.4V.  There's no reason they couldn't have the same power at
> 7.4V as the old motors did at 9V, they would simply draw more current.
> 
> Eric Albrecht

Eric:

Thanks for the awesome explanation!  I learned new stuff today...does that mean
I can go home now?  :-)  I'm excited to see how the new motor and battery box
pull.  I think the new PF trains could add a lot of functionality to existing 9V
layouts.  I'm planning to incorporate PF into my layout for BW for sure.

Thanks again for the electrical information.  I'm an electrical doofus.  ;-)

Best Regards,
Dave
ToT-LUG



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: PF train motor
 
(...) So am I. However, I'm also into R/C aircraft so I have a long history with batteries and motors and could talk your ear off about them. I could also explain why the battery pack costs so much! (...) Yes, I give you permission to go home. You (...) (17 years ago, 3-Apr-09, to lugnet.trains, lugnet.technic, lugnet.robotics, FTX)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: PF train motor
 
(...) They made it 7.4V because all lithium polymer battery cells are 3.6 - 3.8V. Since this is a pack with 2 cells in series, you get 7.4V. A 3 cell pack is typically 11.2V. As you can see, keeping the old 9V system was not really an option if (...) (17 years ago, 3-Apr-09, to lugnet.trains, lugnet.technic, lugnet.robotics)

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