Batteries

Joe with
Ramming Speed at BattleBots in Nov '01

Mike and Joe with Ramming Speed at BattleBots in May '01

I've decided to go with 21.6 volts. The reasons are as follows:

	The Dewalt motors are rated for 18v, but have been proven in competition up to 24v without problems.
	I'm using Victor 883 speed controllers which are rated to 24v.
	Space constraints prevent using 20 cells to provide 24v, but the layout of 18 cells to form a 21.6v pack does fit perfectly.

With RS1, I purchased Dewalt 18v XR+ battery packs, dismantled them, and constructed my own 24v packs with speaker wire. They worked OK, but were larger than they needed (large wires instead of bars), didn't involve any kind of matching, and were simply taped together structurally. They have been reworked twice now, and would need to be again for RS2, so I will instead spend a little money to get new, higher amp-hour cells, configured specifically for RS2.

I will be buying custom made packs this time around. The packs will be from Robotic Power Solutions, and are referred to as 'BattlePacks'. I will be using 3.6ah NiCAD cells to form two 18 cell packs, each providing 21.6 volts for a total of 7.2ah.

"Nicad batteries are very robust, and they offer high amperage output and proven reliability. These new Heavy Duty packs (HD) are hand built for high current, using #8, #10, or #12 Silicone output wires. They are protected top and bottom with heat resistant foam or Nomex, and they are wrapped in two layers of shrink wrap." RPS