Recharging our B9 is as simple as plugging in
any electrical
device, only this plug leads back to our Solar
Charge Controller.
An IEC-320 snap-in inlet connector is a very
convenient way to
plug-in and unplug our robot from the charger. It
just doesn't get
any quicker or easier than this.
Since the charging port is wired directly to
the power cells, I use
the switch to deactivate the port when the plug is
removed. Even
though we are only dealing with 12 volts, our
batteries are capable
of delivering very high volumes of power. Safety
always comes first.
I should also point out, during occasional
power failures we've
experienced over the last year, we found our robot
served extremely
well as an auxiliary 12 volt power source to power
a television set
and auxiliary 12 volt lighting. This was something
I realized
when we were caught unprepared for several power
failures.
I modified a spare IEC plug and spliced in a
multiport cigarette
lighter accessory adapter. This simply plugged
directly into the
robot's charging port for instant power.
I'm sure you could imagine the look on our
neighbors faces when
they came around during this time to borrow
batteries, only to see
us in a well-lit room watching TV and our B9
flashing away. Our
B9 was the hit of the blackout and actually saved
the day (night).
Folks, you just can't make this stuff up!
Safety first!
A geiger counter helps check for leakage prior to
installing one of our
robot's power cells. The top right of the photo
shows our industrial
duty power connector protruding from the
case.
This is one of two power cells that enable
our B9 to function untethered
to household current and run for an extended period
of time. Powering
our robot in this way was an idea that actually
worked better than
the power consumption figures showed on paper.
Our power cells have been well marked. I
don't believe
curiosity seekers would dare venture under the
hood.
Thanks to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, our
robot
inherited several super power connectors removed
from
a double width sized electric wheel chair. This is
the torso side.
It connects to its mate that pops up through the
donut from
the batteries. It doesn't get any better than
this.
"The Reinbrecht
Solution"
Star Trek has,"The Picard Maneuver," therefore,
with Craig's
power pack fix working so well, I felt it was
appropriate to name the
fix after him. If you can make out the photo, you
can see there are no
more wires attached to the power pack, nor is any
power running through it.
One of the male PP jacks engages my new Snap Action
Switch, which
completes the circuit to my S.P.E.A.C.H. box, and
activates or deactivates the
robot when the PP is either inserted or removed.
The switch being used in a
DC capacity is only rated at 1/2A, but thanks to
the relay inside my
S.P.E.A.C.H. box, this is fine. To make a good fix
even better, I was able to
adjust the female jack inputs so the power pack
removes and inserts as
easily as it did on the TV show. Thanks Craig!
These are our new CNC machined aluminum wheels
complete
with ball bearings. It took a little time to power
buff them
to a gleem, but as you can see, it was well worth
the effort.
