Don Johnstone wrote in message ...
There have been many suggestions over the past few
months to fit equipment to gliders of all flavours,
most of them requiring electrical power.

The list is long, transponders, strobe lights, anti
collision warnings and thermal predictors.
We already have electric varios, turn and slip, artificial
horizon, gps, palm top, bug wipers and loggers and
I probably have not mentioned them all.

My question: Where is the power coming from to run
all these devices?

Don,

I just did some weight tests on my digital scale to determine the
difference between the common Lead/Acid gelcells we all have used for
decades and the NiMH cells I bought to power a Becker transponder.
Lead/Acid weighs 338g/AH while the NiMH technology shows 205g/AH or
60% of the older technology. Volume ratios are also around the 60%
mark plus you can wire the NiMH cells (I bought 4000 mAH or C-size
cells) any way you like to make a convenient shape.
Charging of NiMH cells is done with the equipment the model-aiplane
folks use, you can even quick-charge them.
There are of course even lighter and more compact technologies around
(Li-ion) but I have no experience with them.

Herbert, J7