Are lead acid batteries okay for portables?

[snowpenguin]

I'm thinking of putting in a 5 Ah (5000mAh) lead acid battery from Radioshack into my next portable, after my N64p is done. I don't know what system I will be doing, probably PS2 or another N64. Ps2s alone use 1.9 amps, so an external battery is almost required. Or for N64 I could jack up playtime. So- is there anything wrong with using a lead acid battery? Any special charging circuits? Dangers? I think I heard that if you screw up when working with a lead-acid battery it can explode. Help?

Thanks

[samjc3]

lead acid batteries are fine, but they are huge and heavy, and dont have a very long lifetime.

[palmertech]

The newer kinds are actually pretty light. And they last 500 charges or so, how often will you REALLY play your portable?

How much does RadioShack want for the battery? You might be able to get one elsewhere cheaper.

[samjc3]

how often will you REALLY play your portable?

hours a day, everyday.

[marshallh]

The max you want to discharge lead-acid batteries is to 40%.

0.6*5000mAh = 3000mAh. Not worth it at all. Get a Ni-MH pack.

[snowpenguin]

40%? Really? Okay, no lead acid for me. BTW, it was 35 bucks at Rshack.

[vskid]

BTW, it was 35 bucks at Rshack.

Wow, I think you can get 12v 7Ah SLA (sealed lead acid) batteries for under $20 shipped on ebay. I got 2 for $10 from a UPS that has problems. They are good if you need cheap power and mobility doesn't matter.

[snowpenguin]

Hey Marshall- what happens if you discharge them past that? Do they go down in voltage, or what? I found a 33 Ah (holy crap 13 hours of play time!) Golf cart battery for 60 bucks. Anybody know anything about charging? Thanks for all the help. 33,000 mAh I think I'm having a heart attack call an ambu-







snowpenguin- time of death- 1:09 AM,June 23, 2009

[jjhammerstein]

You realize that battery is HUGE, and probably weighs 25 pounds?

[marshallh]

http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Batter ... 0Batteries" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Also read the section on gel cell batteries - that's what smaller SLA batteries are

[snowpenguin]

Of course I realize it's huge. That's the point. 24.6 lbs. So, what happens when it gets discharged, is the voltage goes down? Or is it just bad for the battery? For my purpose the voltage can be allowed to drop fairly low- as long as it is enough for the regulator. Still trying to find charging. Here is the battery. They also sell chargers.
http://www.batteryspec.com/cgi-bin/cart ... b2=7310012