By Dan Romanchik, KB6NU<\/p>\n
I often say that getting an amateur radio license is as much getting a license to learn as it is getting a license to operate on the amateur radio bands. Lately, I\u2019ve been learning about batteries, LiPo batteries to be exact.<\/p>\n
It all started when I purchased a Morserino (http:\/\/morserino.info\/). The Morserino is a Morse Code learning aid that has a number of unique features. For example, in addition to helping you learn the characters, it\u2019s also supposed to help you learn how to copy in your head. It also has a built-in touch keyer function, and a LoRa interface that lets you send and receive code from other Morserino units.<\/p>\n
[[ Image at https:\/\/www.kb6nu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/morserino-768×670.jpg goes here ]]<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll be writing more about the Morserino in a future column, but let\u2019s get back to batteries. The kit did not come with a battery. Instead, it was suggested that one purchase a 600 mAh LiPo battery commonly used for powering drones.I found this battery on Amazon , and purchased a six pack of them, thinking that I\u2019d find uses for the other five in some project or another.<\/p>\n
[[ Image at https:\/\/www.kb6nu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/tattu-3.7v-600-mah-battery-768×522.png goes here. ]]<\/p>\n
Well, sooner than expected, I did find another application for one of the batteries. I\u2019m building a little Arduino project for a client, and I reckon that this, or one with more capacity, will make a great power source for the project.<\/p>\n
Now, I have two immediate challenges:
\n1. Figure out how to charge the battery.
\n2. Figure out how to connect it to the Arduino.<\/p>\n
On the Morserino, the battery plugs directly into a connector on the bottom of the computer board (the white board with the LED display). I knew that connecting the 5V line from the USB connector directly to the battery was a no-no, but I\u2019d lent out the Morserino to a friend, and I didn\u2019t have the schematics for the board. So, how they managed to charge the battery from the USB port was a bit of a mystery.<\/p>\n
I emailed Willi, OE1WKL, the designer of the Morserino, and he sent me a wealth of information. There actually is a battery-management IC, the TP4054, on the board:<\/p>\n
[[ Image from https:\/\/www.kb6nu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/heltec-power-supply-768×327.png goes here. ]]<\/p>\n
He also gave me the part number for the battery\u2019s mating connector. He said, \u201cThe mating connector for the Molex connector on the battery is a Molex 51006. It is sometimes referred to by vendors as 51005 female, but 51005 is the connector on the battery.\u201d You can, of course, buy pre-made cable assemblies on Amazon (https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B07P54QTR8).<\/p>\n
You can also buy lithium battery charging modules (https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B01LZSC7I8). These modules have a TP4056 on them, which is similar to the TP4054. It\u2019s amazing to me that you can purchase ten of these things for less than seven bucks.<\/p>\n
So, that\u2019s where I\u2019m at right now. Once I get the modules and cables, I\u2019m going to hook it all up and get the Arduino system running from the battery. The next step will be to integrate a small solar panel and run the whole thing from solar power, hopefully.<\/p>\n
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Dan Romanchik, KB6NU, is the author of the KB6NU amateur radio blog (KB6NU.Com), the \u201cNo Nonsense\u201d amateur radio license study guides (KB6NU.Com\/study-guides\/), and one of the hosts of the No Nonsense Amateur Radio Podcast (NoNonsenseAmateurRadio.Com). He often wonders if he can learn things fast enough.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Learning about Batteries By Dan Romanchik, KB6NU I often say that getting an amateur radio license is as much getting a license to learn as it is getting a license to operate on the amateur radio bands. Lately, I\u2019ve been …<\/p>\n