"Eric Greenwell" wrote in message
...
Bill Daniels wrote:

Can you supply a URL? While I strongly discourage people from making up
their own Li-ion battery packs for their glider due to potential safety
problems, a _production_ battery pack with it's dedicated charger would
likely alleviate most of the concerns I have about using a large Li-ion
battery in a glider. I don't worry about the little ones in my PDA, cell
phone, or camera.


Sometimes Froogle doesn't find the same things on successive searches.
Here
is an example of what I'm talking about.

http://store.linkexpresspc.com/de16liprbafo.html

Specifications:
- Rating: 14.8V == DOUBLE CAPACITY 8800mAH (8.8AH)
- Capacity : 132 WHR 16CELL
$149.00 @ LinkExpressPC

I think this style would be much more suitable than a laptop battery:

http://tinyurl.com/8zl55

Essentially the same ratings and price ($169 with charger), it has a
standard output connector and a easier to mount shape. Google "external
laptop battery" without the quotes. There is a wide range of price and
power in this style. Something like this might be very practical for
gliders, though I still want to know more about maximum ambient
temperature and altitude allowed, and built-in safety features.

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Yep, that's a better example. I think I saw that one on my earlier search
but I couldn't find it the second time. There are quite a few of these on
the market from a variety of vendors. The price is falling as they become a
commodity. I think I could build a box for an internal laptop battery that
would have contacts and a restraining latch. Just push the battery in until
it clicks - no wires to futz with.

Many laptops and gadgets sit on car seats in the sun and then get turned on.
I have certainly done that but I don't know of any problems. I remember
trying to boot a laptop I left on a car seat in Phoenix. It was so hot I
couldn't hold it. After it booted, I couldn't read the LCD until the A/C
cooled it down. Generically, Li-ion polymer batteries are tolerant of
temperature extremes. The laptop batteries are regarded as 'smart'
batteries in that they have processor chips inside that manage them. I
think they may even limit the voltage to 14.8V.

Bill Daniels