Re: OUTRIGHT BUY! 15W RF EXCITED CO2 BURNING LASER
I am taking this build very slow as I am pretty green in this field and I want to make sure I find the right solution to everything before I start hacking away. Fortunately there are several fellow members in this thread that really seem to know their stuff!
Anyway, I'm trying to get smart on batteries as I'm trying to design a portable version of this laser. I'm looking at either a couple of inexpensive gels (,$30)like they use in electric scooters and atv's, or a bunch of Li ions built as a pack. The gels are relatively large (~6"x3x3) and and heavy, while the Li-ions would fit nicely into the butt stock or trigger handle of the "gun" and add little appreciable weight. What I'm not sure of is how to build a Li-ion pack - specifically:
1. What would be the best way to wire them together? I saw mention of a 4p8s configuration - I assume that means 4 in parallel and 8 in series. How is this done?
2. If I go with the Li-ions, should I have a protection circuit and will they have to be recharged individually or can I fashion a charger that will charge them all as a pack?
3. I assume my best bet for Li-ions would be fully charged 18650's. I read that they use Ni cads in portable defibrillators which run at around 10 amps or so - would they be a reasonable choice?
4. As far as gel cells, what kind/model would offer the most bang for the buck?
Thanks. Any input will definitely be appreciated!
Spike