An alternate 36v supply... (9v are sooo expensive!)

[matthewmckay]

Hello fellow Quickie enthusiasts,

Made a discovery on EBAY that I thought might be worth putting in a Bottle-thread.  Tons and Tons of rechargeable AA NiMH batteries..  60 to be exact, for $45 with free shipping.  That will allow for days and days of charging one set of 30 while the other is in use.  They are rated at 3800 mA hours too!!


http://cgi.ebay.com/60-X-CFL-AA-3800mAh-Rechargeable-Battery-NI-MH-1-2V-/250866950373?pt=US_Batteries&hash=item3a68d5e0e5


I must spend at least $20 a month on 9v batteries buying locally, (which is crippling my budget for beer),  so I decided I'd get 3x10 AA battery holders online and ween myself off the 9v's for good.

[porcupunctis]

If you don't already have the PJCCS upgrade, I would highly recommend it.  Especially if you are running rechargeables.  My experience was that they worked almost as long as Alkalines but their voltage dropped off much quicker. 

I finally gave up and bought an Agilent 6205C Dual power supply off of eBay for $50.  I figured I'd just about spent that much in batteries already.  Nothing will be as pure as the batteries, but I'm very happy with the sound when using the power supply.  Plus, I still feel like I'm reducing, reusing, and recycling since these things were made back in the 70's and 80's and need a good home.

[Paul Joppa]

Cool! Rechargeables are good. I see the same seller has real D-cells, with 11,000 mAh ratings, as well.

[corndog71]

I just changed my 9V batteries the other day as I've been using it a lot lately.  I'm seriously considering getting 3 big-ass rechargeable AGM batteries.

[Grainger49]

The seller has a scattering of bad feedback, only 1%.  But these indicate that the batteries are not as advertised.  I suspect that others don't test before leaving feedback.

[the dude]

HP ink jet power cube 31vdc at around 900mA.

+ 2200uf 50v panasonic fc cap in parallel.

= a good start.

[coca]

Has anyone thought about using three 12volt maintenance free non vented gel motor cycle batteries, or even golf cart batteries for the 36volt B plus? Once I get my quickie built, I will eventually use motor cycle batteries.

Bernie.

[corndog71]

Has anyone thought about using three 12volt maintenance free non vented gel motor cycle batteries, or even golf cart batteries for the 36volt B plus? Once I get my quickie built, I will eventually use motor cycle batteries.

Bernie.

Yep.

(http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss207/corndog642/Bottlehead%20Quickie/edfa0e5b.jpg)

[Doc B.]

The Mercedes owner in me (three of 'em, ranging from 18 to 24 years old) says just get some group 49 batteries (the one on the right) and be done with it.
(http://www.benzworld.org/forums/attachments/w124-e-ce-d-td-class/239856d1242749428-battery-size-group-49-48-bat.jpg)

[Grainger49]

Yep.

(http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss207/corndog642/Bottlehead%20Quickie/edfa0e5b.jpg)

These can be used in series and charged in parallel.  It takes more current for parallel charging.

[Wanderer]

Are not the motorcycle gel and auto lead/acid batteries a bit on the amperage overkill side for the quickie? 

There must be smaller rechargables that would do. 

[John Roman]

 I used to own an Altmann Attraction DAC that specified the use of a lead/acid car battery. The more I used it obviously the more often it needed charging. So I began using a trickle charger  during periods of non use and then I began using a linear power supply. That to me was the best answer as it proved to be sonically transparent, at least to my ears. The design of the supply was specifically for that DAC and perhaps that made the difference but I'm unsure. Please see pix.
John

Hey Matthew,
Now "Bottle-thread" sounds great! A nice new anagram for us to enjoy.

[earwaxxer]

Hey John - I know its off topic - couldnt help but be curious that you 'used to own' the Altman DAC. I have been curious about that DAC for some years now. It seemed a bit pricy for a basically DIY DAC on a piece of wood. Not sure if there is enough interest to start another thread about it.

In terms of battery power. I'm not sure why the push has always been for SLAB packs. I went straight to NiMH or LiPo4. That may be that I'm also a RC hobbyist and have the chargers/batteries already. I recently have been switching between voltages to experiment with how the 3s4 responds. My impression, now, is that there is not much of a difference in sound. I would prob. not be able to tell the difference in an A/B comparison. I'm now running a 30V NiMH pack. Sounds very good. Almost no probs with ring or microphonics. I have run as high as 62V. Tubes are so cool!

[corndog71]

These can be used in series and charged in parallel.  It takes more current for parallel charging.

I can charge them individually too.  I have a CTEK smart charger for this.  I thought about incorporating a switch but the available switch options make this a fantasy.  The best part is that I won't need to charge them very often and they'll pay for themselves in a year compared to how many times I've replaced the 9V batteries.

[John Roman]

Hey Eric,
The Altmann DAC was 16/44.1 only. It was great for a solid state set up I used to own but with the tube gear and OB speakers it had a difficult time competing with other DAC's. 24/96 is to my ears right where I want to be. At least in terms of being able to really hear a difference. To upgrade the altmann would have cost about $500. I considered that for a time but given it's lack of a finished look and the rate at which software and DAC tech is changing I figured I'd spend the money better elsewhere.
John
And pricey it certainly was!!!