Are lead acid batteries okay for portables?

snowpenguin · Post by **snowpenguin** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:01 pm

I'm thinking of putting in a 5 Ah (5000mAh) lead acid battery from Radioshack into my next portable, after my N64p is done. I don't know what system I will be doing, probably PS2 or another N64. Ps2s alone use 1.9 amps, so an external battery is almost required. Or for N64 I could jack up playtime. So- is there anything wrong with using a lead acid battery? Any special charging circuits? Dangers? I think I heard that if you screw up when working with a lead-acid battery it can explode. Help?

Thanks

samjc3 · Post by **samjc3** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:22 pm

lead acid batteries are fine, but they are huge and heavy, and dont have a very long lifetime.

palmertech · Post by **palmertech** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:54 pm

The newer kinds are actually pretty light. And they last 500 charges or so, how often will you REALLY play your portable?

How much does RadioShack want for the battery? You might be able to get one elsewhere cheaper.

samjc3 · Post by **samjc3** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:27 pm

palmertech wrote:how often will you REALLY play your portable?

hours a day, everyday.

Post by **marshallh** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:00 am

The max you want to discharge lead-acid batteries is to 40%.

0.6*5000mAh = 3000mAh. Not worth it at all. Get a Ni-MH pack.

snowpenguin · Post by **snowpenguin** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:35 pm

40%? Really? Okay, no lead acid for me. BTW, it was 35 bucks at Rshack.

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 2:02 pm

snowpenguin wrote:BTW, it was 35 bucks at Rshack.

Wow, I think you can get 12v 7Ah SLA (sealed lead acid) batteries for under $20 shipped on ebay. I got 2 for $10 from a UPS that has problems. They are good if you need cheap power and mobility doesn't matter.

snowpenguin · Post by **snowpenguin** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 2:09 am

Hey Marshall- what happens if you discharge them past that? Do they go down in voltage, or what? I found a 33 Ah (holy crap 13 hours of play time!) Golf cart battery for 60 bucks. Anybody know anything about charging? Thanks for all the help. 33,000 mAh I think I'm having a heart attack call an ambu-

snowpenguin- time of death- 1:09 AM,June 23, 2009

jjhammerstein · Post by **jjhammerstein** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 8:08 am

You realize that battery is HUGE, and probably weighs 25 pounds?

Post by **marshallh** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:01 am

http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Batter ... 0Batteries" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also read the section on gel cell batteries - that's what smaller SLA batteries are

snowpenguin · Post by **snowpenguin** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 11:38 am

Of course I realize it's huge. That's the point. 24.6 lbs. So, what happens when it gets discharged, is the voltage goes down? Or is it just bad for the battery? For my purpose the voltage can be allowed to drop fairly low- as long as it is enough for the regulator. Still trying to find charging. Here is the battery. They also sell chargers.
http://www.batteryspec.com/cgi-bin/cart ... b2=7310012

benheck.com Forums

Are lead acid batteries okay for portables?

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