KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack

[W7JJL]

I ran across this battery pack for a LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack which
has a higher energy density than the LiFeP04 battery packs. It has a charge
balancer and protection built into the battery pack.  Has anyone used this
battery chemistry for powering portable transceivers?

 

Link:
http://www.batteryspace.com/LiNiMnCo-26650-Battery-14.4V-3.6Ah-51.84Wh-10A-r
ate-with-PCM.aspx

 

 

John Lally        

W7JJL

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[Ignacy]

This battery has 16.8V max, well too much for 12V devices.

There options.
1. Charge this battery to 15V max accepting lower charge.
2. Use 3 pcs battery accepting lower power. I use similar for K2, with good life but lower power.
3. Use LiFePO3 that seems to be safer but heavier and have nearly flat discharge curve of around 12V. Also it can be charged by normal chargers for 12V lead acid batteries.

I bought 12V 20A unit from battery space (now around $140) and it works very well.

Ignacy

[Phil Salas]

This looks like an interesting battery pack.

www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170794794136&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNAFP:US:1123

Phil - AD5X

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[Michael Babineau-2]

Phil et al :

I have a couple of these "Blue Li-ion" batteries (a 4300 mAh and the 9800 mAh as listed) and
they work ok, although it is my gut feeling is that the capacity is somewhat overstated.

The supplied charger is "dumb" (I think it is just a cheap switching supply)  so it appears that the overcharge protection
circuitry in the battery is relied on to prevent overcharging. Some folks on the NA SOTA list have
claimed that these batteries don't seem to last very long.  I have been using mine for about a year with no issues.
For the cost, I have been pleased with the ones that I have purchased.  

The power plug is compatible with Elecraft rigs and the Li-ion chemistry stands up better in the cold than the
AA NiMh batteries I was using previously to power my K1 and KX1for portable outings.

Michael VE3WMB / VA2NB

>From: "Phil & Debbie Salas" <[hidden email]>
>Date: May 9, 2012 11:52:06 AM EDT
>To: <[hidden email]>
>Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack


>This looks like an interesting battery pack.

>www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170794794136&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNAFP:US:1123

>Phil - AD5X
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[David Cutter]

All batteries suffer in the cold: you pay dearly for good low
temperature performance.  A simple solution is to keep them close to
your body, eg on your trouser waist belt.

I noticed some 4300mAh AA cells, 4 in a pack for £4 in my local market.  
I thought I'd research it first just in case they were a scam: well, it
was just the local market and I haven't seen >3000mAh.

David
G3UNA



On 09/05/2012 16:26, Michael Babineau wrote:

> Phil et al :
>
> I have a couple of these "Blue Li-ion" batteries (a 4300 mAh and the 9800 mAh as listed) and
> they work ok, although it is my gut feeling is that the capacity is somewhat overstated.
>
> The supplied charger is "dumb" (I think it is just a cheap switching supply)  so it appears that the overcharge protection
> circuitry in the battery is relied on to prevent overcharging. Some folks on the NA SOTA list have
> claimed that these batteries don't seem to last very long.  I have been using mine for about a year with no issues.
> For the cost, I have been pleased with the ones that I have purchased.
>
> The power plug is compatible with Elecraft rigs and the Li-ion chemistry stands up better in the cold than the
> AA NiMh batteries I was using previously to power my K1 and KX1for portable outings.
>
> Michael VE3WMB / VA2NB
>
>> From: "Phil&  Debbie Salas"<[hidden email]>
>> Date: May 9, 2012 11:52:06 AM EDT
>> To:<[hidden email]>
>> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack
>
>> This looks like an interesting battery pack.
>> www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170794794136&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNAFP:US:1123
>> Phil - AD5X
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

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[k6dgw]

On 5/9/2012 8:17 AM, Ignacy wrote:

> 3. Use LiFePO3 that seems to be safer but heavier and have nearly flat
> discharge curve of around 12V. Also it can be charged by normal chargers for
> 12V lead acid batteries.

I have an A123 4S1P LiFePO4 that I use with my K2.  Capacity is about 4
Ah.  It has a very flat discharge curve.  I don't believe it is
chargable with a LA charger however.  I have a balancing charger that
charges through the individual cell cable and plug, and I believe you
really do need it.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2012 Cal QSO Party 6-7 Oct 2012
- www.cqp.org

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[k6dgw]

On 5/9/2012 9:26 AM, Michael Babineau wrote:

> I have a couple of these "Blue Li-ion" batteries (a 4300 mAh and the 9800 mAh as listed) and
> they work ok, although it is my gut feeling is that the capacity is somewhat overstated.

I got one of the "9800 mAh batteries on a Buy-It-Now off eBay.  $50 I
think.  No data, nothing on the battery was readable, even at the local
Chinese restaurant, their translation lacked a certain amount of
technical clarity. :-)  I have a MaHa universal charger that displays
mAh, and estimating the capacity by how much it would cram back into the
battery after discharge, this battery is nowhere near 9800 mAh.  Half
that might be more like it.

The discharge curve is almost linear downward which further limits
usable capacity.  My K2 dies from undervoltage long before the capacity
I charged the battery to has been used.

A friend who is fairly knowledgeable about battery chemistry and
characteristics told me they're like that old coffee commercial.  The
bean buyer is on the dock, he says, "I buy coffee beans for Folgers [or
somebody].  These beans won't meet our standards.  The importer will
sell them to someone else."  He said in a manufacturing run of Li-ion
cells, many will meet specs, some won't.  They get sold to the guy with
all the blue shrink wrap.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2012 Cal QSO Party 6-7 Oct 2012
- www.cqp.org

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[Ignacy]

I use 3S1 of the older Li-Ion types in K2, 2 x 1.5A = 3A. I charge them through 1A regulator set to 12.8V. The batteries are past 5 years and doing well.  No balancing. The charge is enough to run a pileup a few hrs from medium attractive places like TA , SV9 or KP2.

I have new 4S LiFePO3 from batteryspace with 20A capacity (http://www.batteryspace.com/LiFePO4-Prismatic-Box-Battery-12.8V-20Ah-256Wh-10C-rate-without-PCM.aspx). No extra circuit. According to specs, the battery should be charged at 4x3.7 = 14.8V max. The batteryspace charger bought for this battery has 17V max. Apparently nobody complains so LiFePO3 batteries must withstand more. I fact, it takes very little current past 13.5V. I charge it with a 13.8V 28A charger adjusting the voltage initially to have current < 15A. Then I max the voltage to 14.4V. Seems to work really well. Full charge in 1.5 hrs.

Ignacy

 

[Rob May-2]

Phil,
Several of us on the list have bought these.  John Harper, AE5X, loaned me his CBA II battery capacity tester and I've been running tests on the various batteries here.  This battery provides about 5Ah of useful capacity, just about half it's rating.  The up side is, it weighs 11.3 oz and will last a long time at the test current of 350mA.  That's about what I figure average current will be on the KX3 with casual operating. 

Interestingly, my 7Ah SLA measured out at 7.2Ah, my 1900mAh Eneloops (cheap blue ones from Costco, $14 for 10!) measured out at 1.9Ah.  I'll publish the discharge curves in a week or two and post a link here.  I'm trying to get ahold of my friends LiFePO battery to test.

73,
Rob
NV5E

----------------------------------------

> From: [hidden email]
> To: [hidden email]
> Date: Wed, 9 May 2012 10:52:06 -0500
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 LiNiCo 12v 3.6 Ah Battery Pack
>
> This looks like an interesting battery pack.
>
> www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170794794136&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNAFP:US:1123
>
> Phil - AD5X
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
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>
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