This is a battery load tester, capable of delivering an 18 amp load and measuring:

• Internal resistance
• State of charge (SOC)
• Can determine the overall health of the battery

The Battery Beak supports all battery chemistries but has additional features to determine battery health for both Lead Acid and NiMH chemistries in a variety of voltages and capacities. The Battery Beak mates directly with the SB-50A connector used in the FIRST Robotics Competition, but we've created bundles for FIRST Tech Challenge and Vex Robotics users to give them the same great experience. These bundles ship with the Battery Beak configured for the correct battery type and with the appropriate adapter cable for those battery terminals.

The high resolution OLED display displays all the information you need for a quick decision on battery health:

• Internal resistance
• SOC
• Open-load voltage
• Voltage at 1 amp and 18 amps
• Battery status of 'Good', 'Fair' or 'Bad'

The internal resistance measurement is useful in determining if any bad cells are present. When the Battery Beak is used to track a battery's internal resistance over time and compared to its manufacturer specs, it is possible to determine when to take a battery out of service before a failure occurs. The built in powerdown feature allows the Beak to be connected to your battery indefinitely without draining your battery. The housing of the Beak is a durable ABS/Polycarbonate blend and mates directly to the Anderson SB-50A connector.

Included with this part is the Battery Beak and a stylish lanyard.


FIRST Tech Challenge Version Overview (am-3430):

This version of the Battery Beak is designed with FIRST Tech Challenge teams in mind. When you order this version, your Battery Beak will arrive configured for the 12V 3Ah NiMH batteries used in FIRST Tech Challenge. You will also receive the new SB-50A to Tamiya and PowerPole cable necessary to connect to your batteries, whether you left them stock or converted them to PowerPole connectors.

Included Hardware:

• One - FIRST Tech Challenge Battery Configured Battery Beak
• One - SB-50A to Tamiya Adapter (am-2070a) Note: Don't use both the Tamiya and PowerPole connectors at the same time. It will form a complete circuit, which could damage your batteries.

Vex Version Overview (am-3431):

This version of the Battery Beak was made for Vex users! Your Battery Beak will come configured for Vex's 7.2V 3000mAh NiMH batteries, and it will have the adapter cable you need to connect to Vex batteries.

If you use the 2000 mAh batteries, you can reconfigure your Battery Beak in seconds to support the different capacity. Instructions are in the User Manual (PDF).

 

Included Hardware:

• One - Vex Battery Configured Battery Beak
• One - SB-50A to Tamiya Adapter (am-2070a) Note: Don't use both the Tamiya and PowerPole connectors at the same time. It will form a complete circuit, which could damage your batteries.

These plugs are intended to indicate batteries that are charged. They fit into an Anderson Power Products (APP) SB-50B Connector.

Usage:Batteries not fully charged should not have a plug inserted into their APP connector. Instead they should be put on charge.

Specifications

• Material: Plastic
• Size: 2.05 in. 1.48 in. 0.24 in.
• Weight: 0.014 lbs

Use it to power the Studica Smart Robot Servo Programmer or any other device requiring 6V output and a TJC8 connector. 

Specifications:

• 6V Output
• On/Off Power switch
• TJC8 connector
• Uses 4 x 1.5V AA Batteries (not included)

This version of the Battery Beak is designed with FIRST Tech Challenge teams in mind. When you order this version, your Battery Beak will arrive configured for the 12V 3Ah NiMH batteries used in FIRST Tech Challenge. You will also receive the new SB-50A to Tamiya and PowerPole cable necessary to connect to your batteries, whether you left them stock or converted them to PowerPole connectors.

Note:  Do not use both the Tamiya and PowerPole connectors at the same time. It will form a complete circuit, which could damage your batteries.

Included Hardware:

• One - FIRST Tech Challenge Battery Configured Battery Beak (am-3427)
• One - Tamiya/ Power Pole Adapter (am-2070a)

Documents

Guide(s)

Beak-User-Manual.pdf

The computerized Battery Analyzer is much more than a simple battery voltage tester or a battery load tester. It will test virtually any type or size of battery, any chemistry or number of cells, up to 55 volts. We are making this tester available with accessories intended for FIRST legal batteries, although teams may purchase the CBA without accessories and create their own cables for testing other battery types.

The CBA not only tests the total amount of energy stored within a battery (capacity in amp-hours), but also graphically displays and charts the voltage versus time under a constant current load. Graphs may be displayed, saved and printed, and the axis parameters can be changed at any time. Multiple test graphs of the same battery, or multiple batteries, may be compared or overlaid; a very useful feature for teams looking to test capacity and performance of their batteries as they age.

To run a test:

• Install the CBA IV software
  • You can find the latest version of the software, drivers, and the full owner's manual for your CBA IV here. 
• Connect the battery tester to your computer
• Connect a fully charged battery to the battery tester
• Click the "New Test File" Button 
  • If you wish to add an additional test to an existing file chose "Append Test" instead.
• In the New Test window do the following.
  • Select "Discharge" on the left
  • In the blue box on the right click the "Detect" button
    • For an FRC Battery fill in the following settings: Lead Acid, 13.2V, 6 Cells
    • Enter the Ah of the battery 
      • Usually 18 for FRC batteries
  • Enter a name for the battery at the top under "Test Name:" and label the battery with this name for future comparison
  • In the center of the screen set "Cutoff V:" 
    • This is the voltage that the battery will be depleted to. 
    • For an FRC Battery we recommend 10.5
  • In the center of the screen set "Test Amps:"
    • This is the load that the tester will apply to the battery for the duration of the test.  
    • For an FRC Battery we recommend 7.5
      • This is the highest the tester can do on an FRC battery and will result in the fastest test. 
  • Click "Start" 
• The test will now run for anywhere between a few minutes to a few hours 
  • Do not move or touch the battery at all during the test 
  • Pausing the test will result in a bad portion of data around the pause and is not recommended
• When the test is complete a dialogue box will appear informing you of the result and the graph will be complete
  • Click "OK" and repeat the test for another battery. 

The critical number to look for is amp hours (Ah) after the test. If the graph crosses the 10.5V at less than 12Ah after 2 consecutive tests from a fully charged state we recommend not using this battery in competition due to the increased risk of brownouts, especially near the end of a match. Such batteries should be marked and only used for things like practice, demos, or testing. 

Use this 10-cell, 12-volt rechargeable pack to bring long-lasting power to TETRIX^® motors and electronics. This 3,000 mAh NiMH pack features a built-in, 20-amp replaceable fuse for safety.

(THIS BATTERY IS FTC LEGAL)

The Studica 12V 3,000 mAh NiMH (nickel metal hydride) Battery Pack, PP45 comes with a w/20 amp fuse. It is a 10-cell, 12-volt rechargeable battery that brings long-lasting power to motors and electronics that are used in the WorldSkills Mobile Robotics Collection. The Studica NiMH Battery Pack Charger, PP45, is required to charge the battery.

This battery is NOT COMPETITION LEGAL for FIRST TECH CHALLENGE or FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION.

Specifications,

• Dimmensions: 5 x 2.1 x 2.1 inches (115 mm x 45 mm x 50 mm)
• Weight: 1.32lbs (579 g)
• Built-in 20-amp replaceable fuse for safety
• 10-cell pack provides 3,000-mAh capacity for longer life
• PP45 connector for easy and safe connection to controller
• Step File

The Studica NiMH Battery Pack Charger, PP45, is used to recharge the 12V 3,000 mAh NiMH Battery Pack, PP45. 

Specifications

• Rating AC Input: 100V to 240V AC, 0.6A RMS, 50/60 Hz
• Rating Output: 7V to 16 VDC
  • 0.9A to 1.8A
• Protection mode: output short circuit protection and output polarity reverse protection.
• Temperature range 0C ~+40C (battery pack)
• Operate Humidity: 5% ~ 90%

LED Indication

The Grasshopper nut, produced with the help of James Cole-Henry from FRC team 95, The Grasshoppers, is an innovative battery solution to increase the reliability of battery terminal connections.