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| Click Here to Order Chargers & Access |
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| Click Here to Order A123 Packs |
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| Click Here for the A123 Care & Feeding FAQ |
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Every system setup comes with a decision chain. Here, we'll look at the various common charger, connector
and aircraft layouts and you should be able to determine after scrolling through this basic primer what you need, what to
order, and how to set it all up. Be sure and visit the A123 FAQ for technology comparisons, care and feeding notes and general LiFe support information. *
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Where to start? The Charger... What you have vs. What you need. - The most basic circumstances of any equipment layout
starts with the support equipment and the requirements to check and charge the system's packs from outside the plane. Via
Basic Flight Line Darwinism we've learned that it is utterly crucial to check and observe individual cell voltage of A123
packs, we've also learned that maintaining the cell balance of the pack is critical to the 'fly - no fly' decision.
Just as we know we can't use a Turbine without the right field gear in support and so it is with A123 batteries, you
are definitely going to need an A123 compatible balancing charger and access to the pack to check the cells. - Sounds
simple enough.. unfortunately, as with most evolving new technology, the perceived needs and the equipment have changed a
bit. As of this writing (late spring 2009) we're into the second generation of A123 compatible chargers. - There's an awful lot of chargers out there...
It's possible you already have an A123 compatible charger. Quite a few of the 'lithium capable' mutli- chemistry chargers
already have LiFe or A123 charge or balance charge support. They also have two output cable arrangements.. the banana plug
2 wire output for NiCad and NiMH packs and a molex connecting strip, aka 'balance boad', for lithium balance
charging. Some use only the balance tap on the A123 for charging. -
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| 1st Generation Chargers Banana and Balance Outputs |
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First Generation Chargers: These share a common trait... they require
either an external balancer or if equipped with an internal balancer, that balancer requires a second set of leads connected
to the pack for balance charging. We'll call 'em 'Two Lead Balance Chargers' for convenience in identifying their specific
cabling and connector requirements on the pack. These chargers are very easy to spot.. they use a two wire lead for fast/unbalanced
charging, usually from a banana plug type output AND they have a three or more wire 'balance charge' cable, usually a little
white molex type charge socket on the side of the charger to accommodate it and/or an external adapter/balance board. -
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| 2nd Gen Charger.. Single cable output connector |
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Second Generation Chargers: These are easy to spot... they have only one
output port (per pack) and it's ALWAYS a 'molex' type port. Various pack connection types are handled by the simple expedient
of adding a RC system standard charge connector to the end of the molex cable they provide to fit the little molex port
on the side of the charger. In the case of the FMA charger (shown) lithium packs are available with the matching balance tap
plug built on them to connect directly to the charger... but with A123 packs (and with giant scale airplanes) pulling the
pack out of the plane to make it accessible to the balance charger can be a mite problematic. We still reccomend a Univ cell
tap on the pack to facilitate in-plane charging. We'll show you two ways to get that done in the 'Switches' discussion further
down the page. - |
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Now, there's several routes your decision chain can take.. and again; before we can decide what pack connector configuration you
need we have to decide how your going to set up power delivery from the pack to the radio and servos and how we're going to
give the balance features of your particular charger type acess to charging the pack. -
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Comparative Advantages between 1st & 2nd Generation Chargers: While both
types get the job done, the big difference amounts to the ease of connecting up an A123 pack for charging in the plane. With
a 1st generation charger a second charge port is normally required.. as well as a seperate 'tap' on the pack to connect it
to in addition to the usual system connector to the switch. This means the Rx pack will have two connectors... one prime feed
to the switch and off to the Rx and servos.. the other for balance charging. With some 'generation 1 chargers' that meant
you needed 2 connections to every pack being balance charged and as a result, 2 charge ports on the side of the plane
for field charging each pack. Below are some examples of what a 'standard' two cable balance charging connection looked like,
alongside a single cable charging setup to the right. -
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| 1st Gen Typical 2 Cable Balance Charging |
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| 2nd Gen Typical 1 Cable Balance Charge Setup |
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Generation 2 chargers require only one connection to the pack.. and with a simple modification to your existing HD Chargeport
switch (we'll cover that in the Switches section) will allow balance charging through the switch chargeport... without
any other holes in your plane. Fear not.. if you have a 1st generation two cable charger, there is also a solution
for that, we'll also cover that below.
The Old 'Standard' Two Cable Setup with Separate Celltap
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| ED HD DSC Ultra Switch & Univ Tap Layout |
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| Click Picture for Full Size |
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| Typical Balance Charge Connection Layout |
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| Click Picture for Full Size |
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| A123 2300 6.6v 'standard' pack |
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What we're looking at here is a fast 'pen' line drawing
to scale for a 27% Extra with the prime components of a simple single pack system. Note that the packs 3 wire Univ celltap
meets a 6" std aileron extension that plugs into a Univ Ernst type chargeport. This allows access from outside the plane
to balance charge the pack with a simple Univ Celltap to Charger Cable. This can't be done (access from outside the plane)
with an FMA or ThunderPower, etc, type molex celltap on the pack.. a JST-XH to JR straight adapter cable must be used
to connect between the installed extra chargeport and the two lead chargers balance port or balance board. You'll note the
chargeport switch is then plugged in to the packs 18g two wire power feed. To complete the charge hookup for the 'standard'
configuration you now need a standard banana plug to FJ/JR charge cable to get from the switch chargeport to the charger's
banana output ports. While this setup is a bit cumbersome, it works fine and we still use this layout for very high current
drain systems using Deans, EC3 or Multiplex connections routed direct to a power board or power expander.When FMA's second
generation chargers arrived on the scene, a second cable connection wasn't required. The FMA chargers adapter cable was plugged
into the accessory or second charge port and the pack was handled via that connection alone. More convenient.. but we still
had two holes in the plane per pack and two leads on the pack to boot. |
The Common Battery Pack Connector Choices We set up packs with a pretty confusing array of connectors. To clear up some confusion and make it
easier to visualise whats going on with the switch and tap layouts peculiar to A123's, here's some pics of the most common
configurations for A123 packs.. NOTE: Plugging the packs JR/Univ balance connector directly into
a balance charger or it's balance board can damage your charger or the pack. You'll need an adapter to connect the JR/Univ
celltap to a balance charger; they are available on the A123 packs page. See the A123 FAQ for more details
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| A123 2300 w/ Single 3 Wire 20g Combo Univ Conn |
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| $ 49.95 |
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| A123 2300 with Univ Celltap and Standard 18g JR/FJ |
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| $ 49.95 |
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| A123 2300 w/ Univ Celltap and 18g Deans, EC3, etc |
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| $ 54.95 |
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| A123 2300 with FMA Celltap and Standard 18g JR/FJ |
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| $ 49.95 |
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Don't see what you're looking for here? All of our
A123 Rx, Ignition & Turbine packs and A123 Accessories, including the A123 rated switches discussed below are available
on our A123 Packs page. Just click the link in the navbar on the left of the page. Scroll down for A123 Rated switches &
Charger cables. Near the bottom of this page, you'll find some package deals.. read on and profit! -
From left to right, the first three packs shown above with their connector
setups will easily permit balance charging in the aircraft. The one on the left can permit balance charging thru
a standard chargeport switch, (single cable balance charging) The two in the center will do balance charging with the
addition of a simple chargeport (two cable balance charging), or via specialised switches. The pack above on the far
right with the FMA balance tap is great if you intend to remove the packs from the plane to balance charge since it has a
molex type charge connection plug for balancing.
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The Switches and Chargeports - Every RC application requires some way to isolate the battery from the Rx and servos when not in use
or being charged. The key common components to accommodate that are a switch and a chargeport. Below left, a Univ Chargeport, below
center, HD after-market system switches as commonly used in Giant Scale Applications and our own custom made Combo Switch
for A123. Now, lets see how we put 'em to use with the various charger types, pack cabling choices and connectors most
often used in Giant Scale.
*Leveling
the Playing Field - Upgrading your 1st Generation 2 cable charger to Single Cable compatability
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| NoBS A123 Combo Solution Charger Cable |
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| $24.95 |
Up until recently, if you had a 2 cable 1st generation balance charger you were pretty
much committed to two holes in the plane for each pack to check cell voltages and two cables from the charger to the pack
to balance charge as well as two leads on the pack to make it all work.. Some work-arounds involved just doing unbalanced
charging at the field and balance charging 'occasionaly'.. suitable for R/C trucks and park flyer foamies, not suitable
for a 30 pound Warbird worth about 500 toy trucks and flying burger wrappers. We need to be able to get the charger's
balancer in play on every charge and to do that we need a three wire connection to the pack. Enter the NoBS A123 Combo
Solution Cable. It's a single cable charger cord that combines the functions of both the output ports on your charger. It's
set up with banana plugs for connection to your chargers main power output AND a spliced-in JST-XH balance board/balance port
connector on the charger side that mates with 90% of the balancing chargers currently in use. On the pack side, it's finished
with a FJ/JR-univ charger plug that will fit any R/C standard switch chargeport. It's a comfortable 18" long; the
output section is made out of HD twisted 20g cabling and can handle a full 3-4 amps continuous charge rate. Need it longer?
It can be instantly extended with a 20g aileron extension. AND, of course, you get the full benefit of using your chargers
balancer features every time you cable up to charge at the field, all through the switch's chargeport. That's right..
no separate chargeport on the plane required. Read on, and we'll show you how!
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*Basic
Combo Solution Switch Mod for Single Lead Balance Charging If you've
got an existing project with Nicads or NiMH packs in it, here's where we show you how to take advantage of your existing chargeport
switches. With the mod shown below and a Combo Solution Charge Cable if you've got most any of the A123 capable balance chargers
out there you'll be good to go with no muss and little fuss.. and no extra holes in the plane. Same goes for you owners of
FMA's single lead chargers.. do the switch mod shown below and you are good to go with A123's . The idea is to set up an A123
system without a separate Univ Chargeport on the plane or separate cell balance tap on the pack. With a quick modification,
a standard HD Chargeport switch can be bent to the task. Notes on Binding with Modifed Switches: Most all HD chargeport
switches are set up with three wire feeds to the RX, the original intent was to enable the 'DSC' feature available on top
end 72 MHz Tx's. 'DSC means 'direct servo connection'.. it gave you a means to power up and actuate the Rx and servos
on the plane without actually 'transmitting'. Early on, this switch feature also enabled 're-binding' via the switch chargeport
on some 1st generation 2.4 systems that would lose 'bind' fairly often. In a world filling rapidly with second and third generation
2.4 GHz radio systems the DSC feature is not often required for binding and 2.4GHz Rx ‘re-binding’ in the
plane is not common. If you find yourself needing to 're-bind' with the Rx in the plane, it can be quickly accomplised with
an aileron extension plugged directly into the Rx's 'Batt/Data' port and moving the two wire feed from the switch to an 'Aux' port
on the Rx to power the Rx during the process. Note that currently all initial 2.4 radio binding is normally done on the bench
before the Rx is installed and that current versions of 2.4 radio gear rarely requires re-binding at the field. If
you do find yourself needing to bind or re-bind, you won't be able to do it via a modified switch's chargeport; you must use
an aileron extension plugged directly into the Rx. In any case, most HD switches are
equipped with that 'third' wire.. it's a 'signal' lead and we need to remove it from the plug that goes into the Rx so we
don't put power to the Rx on that lead. To remove it you need a razor knife and a bit of electrical tape. With this mod, we're
going to turn your switches 3 wire Rx power feed into a 2 wire power feed. Check the photos below..
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| Lift contact retainer tab, slide out contact |
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| Click Picture for Full Size |
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| Fold back contact, tape to insulate |
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| Click Picture for Full Size |
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| Done, ready to plug into Rx |
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| Click Picture for Full Size |
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Ok, Now your HD chargeport switch is ready for use with
a NoBS A123 pack with a single HD 3 wire combo feed. No Univ Chargeport required.. just use the switches chargeport with
a single connection to your Generation 2 charger. If your considering switching to A123 Rx packs in an existing project,
you don't yet have an A123 charger and you want to use your existing switches.. this is how it's done. Note that failing
to pull that signal feed wire to the Rx from that plug will likely damage your Rx.. so don't attempt this without first
modifying that plug. On the plus side.. no extra holes and extensions in the plane and the A123's along with a 2nd
Generation charger like the FMA Multi-4 make this an exceptionally easy, neat and clean setup in any aircraft with any pack
configuration... parallel, single or ignition. Just pull the 'signal' feed to the Rx from the switch, drop in the A123's,
hook up a Combo Solution Charge Cord or standard JR/Univ to FMA adapter to your charger and you are good to go for balance
and fast charging, all through the switch chargeport!
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| Pack w/ Combo Connector & HD Chargeport Switch |
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Q: I like this.. what do I order, what connectors should be on the pack? -
You need an NoBS A123 Combo Solution Charge Cable if you have a two cable balance charger or an FMA to Univ
adapter cable for FMA Cellpro or Multi 4 chargers. The pack should be ordered with NO balance tap and with the '20g 3 Wire
Combo Univ' for the pack feed. Be sure and read thru our A123 FAQ for important info on balance charging!
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Simple Parallel Pack Systems - A 'Best Pick'
for Agressive High Drain 3D Applications Most folks that use parallel setups
can instantly take advantage of the layout shown to double the flying capacity and vastly improve redundancy. Just use
two packs with our Combo 20g power feed as shown above, and a pair of our Custom Combo Ultraswitches w/ 18g JR output (or
mod your own three wire switches) and you are good to go.. simplest, cleanest setup possible for a fully redundant parallel
pack and switch system. All the benefits of the single pack, single connector system, times two. Nothing could be easier.
Don't like looking at two switches on the side of your plane? Eyeball our outstanding Switch Hides, available on or Chargers
& Accessories Page. Concerned about running without a 'battery backer' or an isolation curcuit? Click on this text for a refreshing bit of common sense advice regarding simple parallel systems.
*A123
Rated Single Pack, Single Switch, Dual Rx Feed Setups These are
very popular setups for aggressive 3D flyers and it's also a handy way to improve current handling ability without a
second switch or pack. Both the switches below can deal with high current drain and can handler up to 4 amp charge rates,
right through the switch chargeports with the Combo Solution Charger Cables.
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This is the new HD UltraSwitch Nano developed for older 'standard' A123 packs with a Univ celltap and separate power
feed. This eliminates the usual Univ Chargeport and extension and works fine with the Combo Solution Cable as well as
2nd generation chargers that require only one 3 wire connection to the pack for charging. The switch input is two 22g JR/Univ
in, with dual 22g output leads to the Rx. A good solution for spreading out digital servo current loads across
two sets of pins on the Rx. Neatens up older 'standard' A123 pack installations! - Pack Cabling Requirements:
22g three wire JR/Univ balance lead AND a JR/Univ power feed.
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| ED Nano Switch |
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| $ 28.95 |
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* This is our new HD Combo Solution UltraSwitch developed
exclusively for us here at NoBS for our A123 packs set up with a single Combo 20g three wire power feed. The switch has a
20g single three wire twisted input, an exact match for the heavy duty 20g three wire feed on our packs. Eliminates the
need for a separate input for a balance lead. Like the Nano Switch above, it has dual outputs to the Rx, outstanding
for spreading out digital servo current loads common with Giant Scale Aerobatic routines. It's also avaiable with a single
18G JR/univ output, making it perfect for use with ignition modules or parrallel pack/parallel switch setups. Neater still,
and built by ElectroDynamics exclusively for us. - Pack Cabling Requirements: NO Balance connector and
one Combo 20g three wire twisted power feed. That's it!
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| NoBS A123 Combo Switch & Pack |
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| Combo Solution Switch: just $24.95 |
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Power Boards and 'Soft' Switches There's more than a few folks out there with really BIG setups, using power expanders, soft switches
and a host of current distribution devices intended to deal with massive current loading outside the capapbilities of your
average R/C system standard connector set. We've got you covered too. Most of you use either Deans, EC3 or Multiplex connectors
and heavy 16 or 14g power wire to deliver current to the power distribution system. For you folks, you'd use
the 'Standard' pack cabling (that's WITH a seperate JR/Univ balance lead on the pack) system and install a seperate charge
port to get access to the packs for balancing and checking via that lead. We have the packs with Deans, EC3 or Multiplex and
will set the leads up for whatever lengths and guage you need, just vist our A123 packs page to order.
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| A123 2300 w/ Univ Celltap and Deans, EC3, etc |
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| $ 54.95 |
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Making it even Simpler... Using the NoBS Balance Buddy * Need
fast access to the individual cells in the pack? Want to check individual cells using a standard two wire ESV? Had a
major imbalance issue and got stuck for hours waiting on the chargers's balancer circuit? Now you can do it all, even without
a two lead hookup.. just use a Balance Buddy. These handy little modules used between the pack and the chargeport allow you
to check and charge the individual cells in the pack, getting both cells in the pack to full charge rapidly without using
the chargers balancer circuit. You can check individual cells via your switch chargeport with your field ESV as well
as charge the individual cells in your 2 cell pack without ever breaking out your chargers balancer board and making
that pesky second connection to the pack. To make use of these, mod your switch as shown above or A123 rated chargeport
switches and order your pack with a single Combo Three Wire Power Feed.. no balance tap cable is required. |
For complete details, just click on the photo below!
An awsome little gizmo.. best tool for quick checking
individual cells or charging or discharging one cell at a time. Just $24.95
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*Putting it
all together - The NoBS A123 Combo Solutions You may have noticed
the red asterisks and lines on some of the items above.. they indicate packs, switches and charger cabling all designed to
work together seamlessly as part of a complete A123 System. For the majority of folks out there who are looking for a 'drop
in solution' for their charger and our packs in their birds, these will work beautifully. Below, I've put together a few 'starter'
packages at a discount that combine Our Combo Charger Cable, Our A123 6.6v Rx or Ign packs w/20g Combo Jr/Univ
power feed and our new custom Combo Solution Switches with dual or single JR/Univ outputs. An excellent setup for
20-30% Aerobatic and Warbird applications and it's designed to work with over 90% of the chargers out there (check your
charger manual for JST-XH compatibility). Choose any of the various Combo's below and save some bucks. The one-click
Combo Solutions.. now what could be simpler than that? |
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The Combo
Solution Starter Deal w/ Combo Charge Cable, 2300 or 1100 pack. Includes the Combo Solution 18" Charger Cable, your choice of either an A123 1100 6.6v pack or 2300 6.6v
pack with Combo 20g 3 wire JR/Univ power feed and a NoBS Combo Solution UltraSwitch with your choice of single 18g
JR output to the Rx or Dual 22g JR outputs to the Rx.. Got a big gasser with an ignition engine? Want to build up a parallel
pack system at a discount? Here's the perfect start. Combine this offer with either or both of the other Combo Deals
below and you have the key building blocks for a multiple pack system for your bird at a discount. Reg $89-99.80 w/1100 pack- Save $10.00
Just $79.95 w/2300 pack- Save $10.00 Just $89.95 New!!
w/2500 pack- Save $10.00 Just $94.95 |
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The Combo
Solution Onboard NoBS A123 1100 6.6v Deal (single pack system) The 1100
Pack & Switch Combo Deal includes an A123 1100 6.6v pack with Combo 20g 3 wire JR/Univ power feed and a NoBS
Combo Solution UltraSwitch with your choice of single 18g JR output to the Rx or Dual 22g JR outputs to the Rx. ..Outstanding
single-pack solution for smaller sport/scale models. (.20, .40, .60, 90, etc) Save $5.00 Just $59.95 |
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The Combo Solution
Onboard NoBS A123 2300 6.6v Deal (single pack system) The 2300 Pack &
Switch Combo Deal includes an A123 2300 6.6v pack with Combo 20g 3 wire JR/Univ power feed and a NoBS Combo
Solution UltraSwitch with your choice of single 18g JR output to the Rx or Dual 22g JR outputs to the Rx. Outstanding
single-pack solution for big Warbirds and excellent for high drain 3D IMAC birds in the 30cc size range. Reg
$74.90 Save $5.00 Just $69.95
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NEW!! The Combo Solution Onboard
NoBS A123 2500 6.6v Deal (single pack system) The 2500 Pack & Switch
Combo Deal includes an A123 2500 6.6v pack with Combo 20g 3 wire JR/Univ power feed and a NoBS Combo Solution
UltraSwitch with your choice of single 18g JR output to the Rx or Dual 22g JR outputs to the Rx. Outstanding single-pack
solution for big Warbirds and excellent for high drain 3D IMAC birds in the 30cc size range. Reg $79.90 Save $5.00 Just $74.95
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The Combo
Solution Onboard NoBS A123 1100 6.6v Deal (2200ma parallel pack system) The parallel 1100 Pack & Switch Combo Deal includes two A123
1100 6.6v packs with Combo 20g 3 wire JR/Univ power feed and two NoBS Combo Solution UltraSwitches with single 18g JR
output to the Rx. This is an outstanding parallel pack solution for smaller & intermediate sized (.30-.50cc) 3D and
aerobatic aircraft. Reg $129.80 Save $10.00 Just
$119.95 |
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The Combo Solution
Onboard NoBS A123 2300 6.6v Deal (4600ma parallel pack system) The 2300 Pack & Switch Combo Deal includes two A123 2300
6.6v packs with Combo 20g 3 wire JR/Univ power feed and a pair of NoBS Combo Solution UltraSwitches with Single
18g JR/Univ outputs to the Rx. Outstanding parallel solution for big Warbirds and excellent for high drain 3D IMAC
birds in the 50-150cc size range. Reg $149.80 Save
$10.00 Just $139.95
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New!!
The Combo Solution Onboard NoBS A123 2500 6.6v Deal (5000ma parallel pack system) The 2500 Pack & Switch Combo Deal includes two A123
2500 6.6v packs with Combo 20g 3 wire JR/Univ power feed and a pair of NoBS Combo Solution UltraSwitches with Single
18g 5JR/Univ outputs to the Rx. Outstanding parallel solution for big Warbirds and excellent for high drain 3D IMAC
birds in the 50-150cc size range. Reg $159.80 Save
$10.00 Just $149.95
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Conclusion That pretty much covers system setup basics for A123's. Up at the top of the page are links for our
A123 Packs, A123 Care and Feeding FAQ and for our Chargers and Accessories page. Our A123 packs page also has A123 rated switches,
cables and accessories, just scroll down a bit. If you found this info useful.. tell your friends and link the site. I don't
do any formal advertising.. this little company runs on word of mouth and on satisfied repeat customers. I hugely appreciate
your business! Hope all this helps! Steve
Anthony, NoBS Batteries 10/14/2009, updated 03/15/13 |
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*A123 & Nanophosphate are trademarks of A123 Racing, Inc. All A123 cells and chargers assembled
and distributed by Hangtimes Hobbies and NoBS Batteries are acquired from A123's sole licensed US Distributor. All rights
to A123 technology and trademarks reserved by A123 Racing Inc. ED, Nano and Nano Ultra Switch are trademarked products of
ElectroDynamics Inc. FMA and FMA Multi-4 are tradmarked products of FMA Incorporated.
Hangtimes Hobbies NoBS Batteries
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