The BattHawk™ is designed and manufactured by Muncie/Delaware Robotics, FRC Team 1720, PhyXTGears. BattHawk™ is a voltmeter which can take the place of a battery flag. It measures the battery voltage without discernible drain during a robot competition time frame. This product is especially useful for rows of batteries. When a BattHawk™ is plugged into each battery in a line, the status of all batteries is always visible. This allows for monitoring of the charge of each battery with just a glance. The purchase of the BattHawk™ helps fund ongoing efforts for FRC team 1720.
BattHawk™ Features:
- Immediate visual check of all batteries not currently being charged or in use
- Voltage range from 4.5 volts to 30 volts (Accuracy 1%)
- Low trickle-drainage (16 ma, one five thousandth the current of an FRC robot)
- Measures state of charge (SOC)
- Replaces the Battery Flag
- Instant comparison of available batteries
- Provides “grab-and-go” of the highest charged battery in the pit or robot cart
- Mates with FRC battery connector (Anderson Power Products SB-50A 600V)
- Intended for continuous use while at competitions
- Comes with a convenient, cinch drawstring storage/transportation pouch
- Made of durable polypropylene
- Colored bright green for easy identification
- Keyed for correct instant “no mistakes” insertion
- When used with am-2070a Power Pole Adapter, BattHawk™ can be used with TETRIX® or FTC batteries
- The BattHawk™ is angled such that the voltage display is not blocked during insertion
Battery Life with BattHawk™:
A BattHawk™ may be left in a battery for weeks without harming the battery. Batteries should NOT be stored with the BattHawk™ inserted as it will eventually discharge the battery fully (about 47 days).
How to Use:
- Charge Battery
- Unplug from Charger
- Test Battery with Battery Beak
- Plug in BattHawk™
- See Constant Visual Status of all Batteries!
Recommended Usage Cases:
- 12.0 and below – seriously? Put that one on the charger!
- 12.1 – 13.0 – Practice ready – go break your robot!
- 13.1-13.3 – Competition ready – head directly to Einstein!
Testimonials:
“Our team used the BattHawk™ to be sure our batteries are “ready to go” as we zoom out of the pits to the next match! It has allowed us to grab a fresh battery when we’re in a hurry from the practice field directly to a match!” – John
“During the playoffs, we had four charged batteries on our cart ready to go. In the heat of the battle it’s sometimes confusing which batteries are fully charged and which one just came from our robot’s last match. With a BattHawk™ plugged into every battery, the choice is obvious! Just ‘grab ‘n’ go’!” – Mike
“Just for grins, we inserted several BattHawk™s into our batteries back at home, and the battery stayed fully charged for over a week…when we stopped our test. We calculated that our standard 18Ah (amp hour) robot batteries would last 1,125 hours with a continuously attached BattHawk™. That’s 46+ days! Yep, we love this device!” – Rob
If you have product questions please contact via email at phyxtgears@gmail.com.
Note:
Please know this is a totally different product than the popular Battery Beak, which tests batteries under a load. The Battery Beak's test is a battery health condition test along with a load test, while the BattHawk™ is simply a voltmeter. We suggest a robot competition team to have 1 or 2 Battery Beaks and at least 4 BattHawks™.