9 volt dies early; what battery to use?

Nephews rocket took quik trip to corner store for 9-volt, with one launch resulting. What type of battery can I use? Lantern style?

Reply to
kgs
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For Estes type single engine launches, yes, you can use a lantern battery for a few launches. For clusters, you'll need a gel pack or lead acid.

Randy

Reply to
Randy

Details? I've been looking at batteries of late. Am more interested in light-weight cold weather types that go inside a rocket.

Amazing the 'ACTUAL' current draw of some of the more popular igniters out there!

Cold weather? Igniter used?

Are you using it just for popping the ignighter at launch? Not much beats a DieHard!!! :)

Was the battery inside a rocket? Multi-Stage? Additional Electronics?

I've collected a bit of info...

Reply to
Mark

If this is one of the launchers designed for a 9v radio battery, the recommended battery is aklaline only. I've had better results with either the GE/Sanyo or GP NICAD as long as the battery is freshly charged. One of these NICADS in the Quest launcher is a great combination!

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

Reply to
Bob Kaplow

Dunno if this helps at all (probably not) but I discovered by accident that high capacity NiMH AA cells (as in digital cameras) will give 12.5A short circuit current, enough to very quickly set the insulation smoking on a piece of solid-core (breadsboard) wire. For an Electron Beam controller, these would probably be a good choice.

For clusters, what about quickmatch - I'm yet to try it but apparently using a little pyrodex in each motor nozzle aids ignition.

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Reply to
Niall Oswald

NiCad batteries will put out 1.5 to 2 times the current of a similarly sized NiMH battery. NiMH batteries tend to have a higher total energy storage (so they would last longer at a given current than a NiCad).

For high instantaneous current, it's hard to beat a nicad.

Reply to
David

NiCad will do likewise. The only problem is in the 9v radio battery size: some of the batteries have higher internal resistance, thus won't dump so much current. The brands I referenced, GE/Sanyo and GP will dump high current. I've got a couple NiMH 9v (8.4 and 7.2) batteries, but have yet to test them with ignitors to see how they do. Again, I expect the results to be brand/resistance sensitive.

My old Solar launcher got attacked inside by a rotary tool so it would hold SIX NiCads instead of the stock 4 AA Alkaline. That more than offset the voltage drop of going from alkaline to NiCad. The wire was also upgraded to

35' of lamp cord. It served me well for many years, through 2 sets of NiCads. I added a pigtail to fit my charger. But last time the batteries needed replacement I was just getting into HPR, and decided to build a relay box instead. That's been my primary launcher ever since. 10 SubC NiCads and heavy gague shorter leads fire Solar clusters, copperheads, Firestar/Magnalite, or just about anything else.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

Reply to
Bob Kaplow

Or go to your local electronics supply store (or radio-shack) and get a holder for 6 AA or C cells. They often have a 9V style connector on the end. Then just duct-tape it to the side of the quest controller. You'll have plenty of capacity (assuming you've put batteries into the holder, of course).

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Reply to
Evan Ross

If you're gonna go external, I'd just get one of the 7.2v RC car racing packs, and put a matching connector on the launch system.

And don't use duct tape. It leaves a sticky gooey mess. Gaffers tape or Velcro.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

Reply to
Bob Kaplow

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