making your own airsoft batteries

Fallschirmjager

fellow airsofters...

it may sound strange and i dont mean making your battery but wiring them together into different configs. i have a crane stock and the 3 pronged solution doesnt work so well as it stops me fully retracting the stock. the two pronged ones on wgc are out of stock and i have not bumped into them anywhere else..hence my question..

did anyone ever come across a kit or the basic ingredients to buy some of the rechargable batteries and wire up your own? it cant be difficult..or is it??

tonyj_mc

some of the batterys i have look like cr123 wired together, can't see any prob with stripping it down and re-wiring it, i havea cheap nasty BE G36 at home, if you want i'll try it out on that and get back to you, just so you don't mess it anything good

Fallschirmjager

tonyj_mc wrote:

some of the batterys i have look like cr123 wired together, can't see any prob with stripping it down and re-wiring it, i havea cheap nasty BE G36 at home, if you want i'll try it out on that and get back to you, just so you don't mess it anything good

jaysus tony i cant ask you that bro...a batt is a batt..i cant imagine this is the first time it has come up...i am sure the rc mobs have had to do this...how you wrap this i have no idea..i assume it some type of heatseal..but i would imagine insultation tape would be good enough...

tonyj_mc

really don't mind its a really ****ty low powered battery i never use the thing, it was bought to see if they where legal or not to import, i'll never use really don't mind, plus i like taking things apart

Would imagine insulating tape would be ok, the heat doesn't build up all that much when its in use

Fallschirmjager

tonyj_mc wrote:

really don't mind its a really ****ty low powered battery i never use the thing, it was bought to see if they where legal or not to import, i'll never use really don't mind, plus i like taking things apart

Would imagine insulating tape would be ok, the heat doesn't build up all that much when its in use

before you start tony, i will have another google hunt...i also have a mp5 and the batt twists the fore grip...so i am keen to build my own if i can..assuming it doesnt cost more...


dont know how i missed this before!!!!

http://www.rc-soar.com/articles/batterypack/index.htm

jeeze that doesnt look to hard...

tonyj_mc

sure i'm in work til like 5.30 anyway, would be kinda interesting anyway never really though about it before.

Was looking for a collapable stock and it was silly money for a batt one that looked good, might try and make a batt fit in the hand grip.
i know i can get the laser batter box thingy, but really don't like having things on the outside that don't work.

kdouglas

have thought about doing this before, if you can find somewhere cheap enough to buy the cells and some decent quality wire, and the necessary plugs (kyosho connectors) then it could actually work out reasonably cheap, wouldn't say it would be as cheap as ordering from china, but definitely cheaper than buying your batteries in model shops over here...

insulation tape would do i'd say, some of the insulation on one of my batteries got damaged, so i just covered it with insulation tape, hasn't melted yet

tonyj_mc

the more i think about it the easier it should be if you already have a battery you are willing to sacrafice

Fallschirmjager

and found this...

http://www.all-battery.com/browseproducts/2-inch-Shrink-Wrap-Tube.HTML

i have bought of that crowd on ebay..for our young fellas trains and cars at home...so they are legit...

jeeze at least i can build it the way i want...

Fallschirmjager

tonyj_mc wrote:

sure i'm in work til like 5.30 anyway, would be kinda interesting anyway never really though about it before.

Was looking for a collapable stock and it was silly money for a batt one that looked good, might try and make a batt fit in the hand grip.
i know i can get the laser batter box thingy, but really don't like having things on the outside that don't work.

thats exactly same for me..the peq box is a great idea for a batt..but its just not me...

i think i am going to get one of those voltmeters from china , some batts a connector..and see...i have all the rest. i wish that guy in the first pic showed which way you wire up but i guess its just + and - . can anyone reemember which is which on an aeg..ie is the red positive or negative???

tonyj_mc

exactly my thinking, not too sure which is positive or negitive, might know a bit later on though

kdouglas

black is negative, red is positive, same for all dc circuits, and i'd see no reason why aeg's would be any different

Fiach Dubh

kdouglas wrote:

black is negative, red is positive, same for all dc circuits, and i'd see no reason why aeg's would be any different

Unless you get a clone that's wired wrong way round. Has happened to a few people

Fallschirmjager

yeah i heard that as well fiach, one of the m14 clones has it arse about face but its not like there is delicate electronics in there, so it either wont work or i will blow a fuse if there was one...so i rekon i am game to give this a shot over the coming month or so..

kdouglas

probably just wont work, reversing the current will cause the motor to turn in the opposite direction and the anti-reversal latch will kick in and the gearbox will just lock up, then you scratch your head for about ten mins trying to figure out what the problem is, curse a bit and then come back to it a day or two later after you realise you wired the thing the wrong way around!

Fallschirmjager

kdouglas wrote:

probably just wont work, reversing the current will cause the motor to turn in the opposite direction and the anti-reversal latch will kick in and the gearbox will just lock up, then you scratch your head for about ten mins trying to figure out what the problem is, curse a bit and then come back to it a day or two later after you realise you wired the thing the wrong way around!

hahahaha exactly..isnt that the truth...LOL

liamo333

There is an excellent guide pinned in the arnies technical ducussion.

Spitfire666

great site for batteries and wire and all that jazz. decent prices too. buy my r/c stuff here. www.towerhobbies.com

kinkstr

I ordered the wrong battery with the M4 i got today, got a stick instead of a mini, but seen as its made up of several small batteries im planning on ripping it apart and turning it into a mini. From what ive seen i doubt its very hard to make your own. The only problems i can think of is that the mini batteries have one horizontal at the bottom with 2 rows of vertical batteries above it so getting them to be connected could be a pain in the arse.
As for making one from scratch the plug that attached to the gun mite be hard to source from a local shop.

tonyj_mc

Maplins are normally good, never went looking but they are standard connections

kdouglas

found the large-type connections in maplin before, but not the smaller ones, model shop on capel street only had large one's too

liamo333

Also try greenhobbyandmodel in harolds cross as it is likley they have what you want.

Fallschirmjager

liamo333 wrote:

There is an excellent guide pinned in the arnies technical ducussion.

any chance of a link??

kdouglas

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=940

that thread has a lot about battery care and such, but i haven't read past the first page tbh so dont know what/if it contains regarding making custom batteries

tonyj_mc

have a look at this, this is my sacrafice for the cause, just as i thought they are basically aa's or 123's soldired together wrapped in tape, well try and put it back together over the weekend, i took photos along the dismanteling stage, hope they help






PS if anyone needs any connectors give me a shout

Fallschirmjager

thanks tony...and thanks for the photos...i think i am gonna try this. i found the all battery web site sells them with the solderable tabs...so its even easier.

NakedDex

I've built dozens of battery packs in the past and it's seriously easy, the hard part lies in finding the batteries at a decent price. If you're lucky enough to have AA types then it's not much of a problem, but mini's are a git. They use sub-c or 3/4 AF, considerably more expensive to purchase 7 or 8 seperately than it is to buy a premade pack.
The connectors most commonly used are often called "race pack" connectors but are officially called Tamiya and Kyosho (female and male respectively). Easy enough to find, Maplin do indeed have them. The smaller ones I have never managed to find, I've removed them from my AEGs and replaced them with regular Kyosho connections for my own conveinience.

Fallschirmjager

NakedDex wrote:

I've built dozens of battery packs in the past and it's seriously easy, the hard part lies in finding the batteries at a decent price. If you're lucky enough to have AA types then it's not much of a problem, but mini's are a git. They use sub-c or 3/4 AF, considerably more expensive to purchase 7 or 8 seperately than it is to buy a premade pack.
The connectors most commonly used are often called "race pack" connectors but are officially called Tamiya and Kyosho (female and male respectively). Easy enough to find, Maplin do indeed have them. The smaller ones I have never managed to find, I've removed them from my AEGs and replaced them with regular Kyosho connections for my own conveinience.

dex, any chance you would do a step by step pic of how you wire, where you solder etc...it would help a lot i think

and make it as muppet simple as possible..as i am one...

Fallschirmjager

http://www.rcmart.com


found this for all the component parts. well a lot of them at least

edit::just did a check 16 batts for crane stock ( 9.6 v intellect 1400mah batts) , thats 2 crane stock battery units cost 34 dollars and with some of the wire and connectors it all comes to 41 dollars + 20 dollars for normal air service or 30 for fast.

thats not bad considering one of these batt units i need cost 25 before shipping and is very hard to find in stock.

tonyj_mc

not too shabby alright, to be honest looks very simplistic to make, might try and make one in a bizzare shape and see if it works

NakedDex

Fallschirmjager wrote:

dex, any chance you would do a step by step pic of how you wire, where you solder etc...it would help a lot i think

and make it as muppet simple as possible..as i am one...

No problem, I'll pick up some batteries in work and a few connectors. I'll try have it done for tonight or tomorrow for you.

Fallschirmjager

NakedDex wrote:

No problem, I'll pick up some batteries in work and a few connectors. I'll try have it done for tonight or tomorrow for you.

ah for jaysus sake i have tony ripping them apart and now you welding, i have kdouglas buying grenades that dont work that i found...fuk me i am depressed...

i am going home...

dex, i dont mean for you to do this specially, its if you were doing one bro...just photo it..

tonyj_mc

you forget one thing, speaking for myself i really enjoy dicking about with things, like to know how things and then panic when i can't put it back together:D

NakedDex

Ah it was no hassle, I had it finished on my lunch from work. Unfortunately I only had 6 tagged cells so I this is only a 7.2v. It'd look the same but with two more cells (obviously) for a 9.6v or for a 8.4v it'd have the 7th battery lying across the end soldered in the same way.


Assembly after soldering, before insulation

Ni-Cd Sub-C 1700mAh, This is the positive end, noted by the groved end.

Negative end. There also isn't as much insulation on this side.

Overall size is roughly the same as standard C batteries. These would be used for the large type packs for MP5's etc.

The end joint connection, basically just the tag folded over, the white thing is a teflon washer to prevent arcing, you can pick them up in plumbing stores and electricians wholesalers. They're vital. This is also where the 7th battery would lie across if it was an 8.4v you were building.

Soldered joing between + and - terminals on the batteries, bear in mind this needs to fold upon itself when you "collapse" the battery into shape.

Kyosho connector soldered directly onto the + and - terminals on the pack. (Positive cable [red] is cut in this picture so I can install a fuse)

I usually use heatshrink on my batteries rather than insulation tape but I had none in this size left. The last step is just to wrap up the battery pack and charge it. I use black insulation tape or when I can find it, large diameter heatshrink with a glue lining. All done in about a half hour including tea break!

Job done, hope this helps, any questions just ask.

kdouglas

nice job dex... start selling those puppies and you'd make a fair bit from people looking for custom batteries

NakedDex

Thought about it, but every battery I've made for people I've only charged cost price. I guess I'm too soft!

Fallschirmjager

naked dex, can i summarise for myself here as i am a bit of a thicko...


case: i need 2 sticks making 9.6 v that can fit in a crane stock.

1. i buy 8 pieces of 1.2 volt batteries (whatever size fits)
2. they should have tabs attached on top and bottom
3. i take 8 batts and align them, soldering each one (e.g. the base of one battery to the tip of another?) to each other into 2 seperate groups of 4. i should have that teflon seperator thingy between each
4. i now have 2 sticks of batteries
5. i solder a red wire to the positive end on one stick, a black wire to the negative end on the other
6. i solder the base of the 2 batteries stick with a wire the crosses from the postive top on one stick to the negative stick on another (? have i got that right, cos it sounds as if i dont when i read it back!)
7. that should nearly be it except for insultation etc

is that it or am i missing something, other then blowing my fingers off!! LOL

NakedDex

Sounds about right but I thought stick batteries were a one piece so to speak. As in they were one long row of batteries as opposed to a side-by-side configuration that I showed above. I'll double check this but what you've written sounds about right.

One thing to be aware of is not to have to a high a power soldering iron. You don't want to heat the battery to any more than you nead to but you also don't want a dry joint. I use one with a temperature controller but you if you have one about 30watts or less you should be ok.

I'll double check the stick configuration later today (gotta go collect my two new P99's from the post office first!) and post up a stick battery diagram