Very cool! As for me, I keep my lithium batteries always, as they'll be worth 10 times more in a couple dozen years, when lithium can no longer be mined.
I know you've been absorbed with the design of the product, but is there any chance you've done a test of charging times using the smaller Parallax solar cells? (Something like: 750-00031 {or a pair of them.}) I'd love to know if these can be charged within a day.
I've got a completely unorthodox plan for a couple of these. I've been collecting low voltage LED lighting solutions.(currently running them on standard Smile batteries) The other night the local power company failed (with spectacular booms and loud noises), and my LED light experimenting jumped from work bench to actual use. IE: happy family
We had plenty of light while the rest of the town was dead.
@ John -
This is the 3"x4" *generic* version, which will work with a BOE, PropProto, (or any application really) etc. If you want to use it on a Boe-bot you could stack it up on top of the chassis. It was originally designed as an upgrade for the Stingray, and has since taken on multiple other paths/applications as well.
Another version (specifically for the boe-bot) is in the works. It fits down below where the 4x AA pack sits now. It's a few more weeks out, but I'll post pics of the pre-production prototypes here shortly.
It's just about the same circuit, but a more complex layout, and with components on both sides of the PCB - minus the auxiliary jacks.
@ OBC
Don't know how many of those solar cells it'll take - I can't check any out of stock right now because they keep flying off the shelves - dang customers! they get all toys first ;-)
The 18v panel however, works, as does the 30watt panel (of course).
"Don't know how many of those solar cells it'll take - I can't check any out of stock right now because they keep flying off the shelves - dang customers! they get all toys first ;-)"<........I feel your pain when I have no money to play with to buy the toy you have
Will the li-ion charger and the boe bot gripper work together? The gripper has a servo mounted on the back and the charger has the charge jack located on the back. Can you access the charge jack while the servo is mounted?
Update: I contacted Parallax Tech Support and got this response:
Hello Martin,
You can access the Charger jack for the pack, however, you would need to get different standoffs than the ones that come with the power pack because due to the location of the servo for the gripper, the battery pack cannot mount to the chassis with the provided standoffs. This is an issue that we just found out this week, so changes are in the process, but unfortunately it is the beginning of the change process, so it will take some time. I fyou have any further questions or comments, please feel free to contact us.
Comments
The "Li-ion 2 Cell" has a job issued, and parts are arriving daily.
And, one of the more critical components - the cell holders - arrived AOK on Friday.
I anticipate about two weeks and the Lion's will be Roaring :-)
-Matt
I know you've been absorbed with the design of the product, but is there any chance you've done a test of charging times using the smaller Parallax solar cells? (Something like: 750-00031 {or a pair of them.}) I'd love to know if these can be charged within a day.
I've got a completely unorthodox plan for a couple of these. I've been collecting low voltage LED lighting solutions.(currently running them on standard Smile batteries) The other night the local power company failed (with spectacular booms and loud noises), and my LED light experimenting jumped from work bench to actual use. IE: happy family
We had plenty of light while the rest of the town was dead.
OBC
This is the 3"x4" *generic* version, which will work with a BOE, PropProto, (or any application really) etc. If you want to use it on a Boe-bot you could stack it up on top of the chassis. It was originally designed as an upgrade for the Stingray, and has since taken on multiple other paths/applications as well.
Another version (specifically for the boe-bot) is in the works. It fits down below where the 4x AA pack sits now. It's a few more weeks out, but I'll post pics of the pre-production prototypes here shortly.
It's just about the same circuit, but a more complex layout, and with components on both sides of the PCB - minus the auxiliary jacks.
@ OBC
Don't know how many of those solar cells it'll take - I can't check any out of stock right now because they keep flying off the shelves - dang customers! they get all toys first ;-)
The 18v panel however, works, as does the 30watt panel (of course).
-Matt
Thanks for the Info
"Don't know how many of those solar cells it'll take - I can't check any out of stock right now because they keep flying off the shelves - dang customers! they get all toys first ;-)"<........I feel your pain when I have no money to play with to buy the toy you have
-Matt
Thanks.
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?129011-New-Power-Solution-for-the-Stingray-and-more...
Update: I contacted Parallax Tech Support and got this response:
Hello Martin,
You can access the Charger jack for the pack, however, you would need to get different standoffs than the ones that come with the power pack because due to the location of the servo for the gripper, the battery pack cannot mount to the chassis with the provided standoffs. This is an issue that we just found out this week, so changes are in the process, but unfortunately it is the beginning of the change process, so it will take some time. I fyou have any further questions or comments, please feel free to contact us.
-Nick