Advice on betteries please...

[Andy]

Could anyone give us some advice as to improving the batteries in Push n Shove as the ones weve got seem to keep letting us down! The bot is a 4WD pusher wired in parallel with 4 12V drill motors, 2 electronize speedos and 2 12V drill batteries. Wheels are solid rubber 75mm diameter. Wed like a bit more speed and something more reliable (they either run out of charge part way through a battle or get too hot). We dont really want to spend a fortune though!!!

[woody]

Slightly higher voltage and more amp hrs.
14.4v perhaps?
Cheap .......you could perhaps consider a better drill battery/s .....perhaps something like this?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BOSCH-14-4-VOLT-2-6ah-NiMH-BATTERY_W0QQitemZ300008776047QQihZ020QQcategoryZ20 777QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemhttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BOSCH-14-4-VOL...300008776047QQ ihZ020QQcategoryZ20777QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[jamesb]

i sell batteries on my online shop, which will be online in the next day or two.
email me and ill talk you through the best options
cheers
james

Will email you James. Thanks for your suggestion Woody, Ive put a watch on it. With better batteries, would it also be better if it was wired in series?

[jamesb]

a set of average nicads/nimh from my store, or any store for that matter (providing they are new or almost new condition) should last you perfectly well as a 14.4v pack.

paralleling up the drill batts was only needed as they are really low quality. anything on my store list will work fine without paralleling up neccessary.

prices from £8.50 per 7.2v and you are sure of their quality, be careful buying on ebay, batteries have a lifespan, you may be getting batteries at the end of theirs

yep i agree with JB there, it is risky buying batteries from ebay!

Cheaper batteries would be ok if you could wire up another set in parrallel to give it the same voltage but twice the amperage-but its a big waste of weight. 2400mA nicads/NiHms should be perfectly fine

[grant_ploughbot]

Although----looking at those on ebay, if there brand new and never been charged they will be perfect!

[jamesb]

but still unlikely to be as good as a new set of nimh. dont see the point in buing them for the same price as 3000mha racepacks, but hey, each to their own

If a pack has not ever been charged then they will stay as new untill charged! thats why lots of companies buy in bulk because it doesnt matter when they are sold.
If it works out cheaper buying the 3000mA batts then i would say buy them for deffinate, but if those drills are cheaper i would go for that option, but its upto you