TUTORIAL: How to make a Pleo battery pack for a third the cost of a real one

[Pintokitkat]

As promised here is a set of instructions for making cheap and easy Pleo battery packs.

They work beautifully for me, but as is always the case in these things, make it at your own risk.

It takes about 20 minutes to make a pack and in the UK you can get all the components from Maplins.  You can source cheaper cells on the internet, though.

Feel free to email me if anything isn't clear.

[Burberry016]

It does seem pretty simple- I think I'll try it!!! (I likes the other smileys better

And does it take the same time of charge and play? 

[Pintokitkat]

Charge time seems to be less than a proper pack - a couple of hours or so -  and play time using the 2500mAh cells gives me about an hour and a half, which I think is a little bit longer than a proper pack.

So win all round.

If you can get some 2800mAh cells - even better!

[allosaurus]

This looks useful. I guess I'll try it with my dad's help.... He's great with anything to do with tech.

[Jules]

Looks  to be a great idea, I will try it, I love stuff like this.   

Thank you for putting the pdf together for us.

[Burberry016]

My dad would find a way to break it before he would out it back together...

[Crystal:.]

Lol mine is the same!

(Sorry about the off topicness.)

I would try this but i'm afraid about warranty problems etc. Let's say they somehow messed up my Pleo. Could I get it fixed or replaced?

[gucci_boi7782]

Pintokitkat! Thanks! This is great, I'm sure even a complete idiot [such as myself] would be able to figure this out! I should check into this. Thanks for posting, an easy read.

[Burberry016]

Lol mine is the same!

(Sorry about the off topicness.)

I would try this but i'm afraid about warranty problems etc. Let's say they somehow messed up my Pleo. Could I get it fixed or replaced?

There's an "At Reader's Risk" warning at the botom of instructions.

[Pintokitkat]

As I said at the top and in the instructions, I'm happy to use the packs in Little Jim, but if you have any doubts over your ability to make them, or their suitablility for use, I'd recommend you didn't.

After all, if you make a pack and use it and then your poor old Pleo develops a fault - even if it's nothing to do with the battery pack - then you'll always blame me.  I don't want or need that.

I don't want to be negative because these forums are all about supporting each other, so how's this?  If anyone does build a pack based on my instructions, then please post a review.  It will help others make their decision.

And if you have any queries whilst building a pack, get in touch before you pop in it Pleo's tum and I'll try to help.

[Burberry016]

That's right!!!!  I know I would

[allosaurus]

hmmm, I'm not sure I should trust this one..... Olympia's already messed up enough the way she is, and I think I talked my parents into getting me a nice, splendid, Pleo battery.

[Burberry016]

But you get more time of play with this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[allosaurus]

But you get more time of play with this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Perhaps after I get a normal pleo battery.... Not saying there's anything wrong with the one posted here, it's just that Olympia is so totally messed up right now and I don't want to completely break her down.

[Burberry016]

I see... Precaution... Very Good .

[Pintokitkat]

Perhaps after I get a normal pleo battery.... Not saying there's anything wrong with the one posted here, it's just that Olympia is so totally messed up right now and I don't want to completely break her down.

A good decision - if in doubt, don't.

[Burberry016]

I just don't see how this will destroy- it works perfectly for me!!

[allosaurus]

I just don't see how this will destroy- it works perfectly for me!!

Olympia is just so messed up..... You're lucky to have a Pleo that's not messed up, hence it works fine for you, but might do something to Olympia.

[Burberry016]

Did you return her?  You should because it's better to have to start all over than to not even have one at all

[allosaurus]

Did you return her?  You should because it's better to have to start all over than to not even have one at all

For once, I completely disagree with that sentence.

If you ask me, it's better not to have a Pleo than to have to start all over again.

[Fierox]

Great manual you made, good instructions!
Im hoping to start on my home build battery packs soon when the parts are in.
i ordered some generic battery pack cradles (clips around the batteries with springs for contacts) that can hold 6 batteries like pleo's pack.
Ill try to cut those cradles to fit pleo but still keep the possibility of seperating the batteries and use them in a more advanced charger.
The thermothingy amazed me, its pretty cool, i thought that what monitored pleo's heat would be in pleo instead close to the processors or motors, not on the battery itself.

Im not sure if im going to add a thermothingy tho, i care little for the batteries if i can use regular ones and compared to other rc devices i have (planes) that discharge the battery way faster then pleo does this battery doesnt get that hot.

Oh well i see, thx for creating a manual!


and i almost forgot the cradle idea has been done before by the looks of it, found that here: http://robostuff.com/diy-projects/pleo-hacking/looking-for-an-extra-pleo-battery-pack-build-your-own

[Pintokitkat]

The thermothingy isn't really measuring the heat in Pleo's circuits; it's measuring the heat of the battery in case something goes wrong either with the battery itself or with Pleo, that causes too much power to be pulled from the battery pack at once.  For example, if Pleo developed a short circuit inside, that might demand more power from the battery than it can provide safely, so it will get really hot.  The thermothingy would then cause Pleo to shut down.

As I say in the instructions, you can manage without a thermothingy, provided you substitute a 8-10k ohm resistor because otherwise Pleo will not accept the battery pack at all, and neither will the charger.  Of course, the resistor solution means there is no overheating protection - it just gets around the requirement for some resistance between the two terminals in Pleo's battery cavity.

I originally tried the battery clip solution, but found that I had to do so much filing, cutting and re-wiring of the thing that it lost all it's strength and broke up.  Which is why I came up with the tape and tin-lid solution.

Anyhow, good luck.  And if I can offer any help, let me know.

[I-Net]

Did anyone insert eneloops yet?
A test would really interest me because eneloops are extreme powerful and longlasting with short charging-time, although they have "only" 2000mAh.

[kingdruid]

I was planning on doing this, but I'm a bit confused. The confussion is most likely because of the other tutorials I've seen.

My question is I want to use 2700 batteries to replace the ones in the current battery pack or just tape them up like you did in your tutorial.

I thought I had to do something special to get pleo to use the higher batteries and for the charger to charge them, but from your tutorial the only extra piece you use other than the batteries is the thermistor which is only for the temperature.

If I use the exact same pack and replace the batteries in there with the higher 2700 do I need to do anything special to get them to work? I would use the same thermistor that is in the original batter pack and run the same checks you mentioned in your pdf.

[mweed]

As long as they are still NiMH, the existing charger should be fine.