The four batteries were in a cardboard box that fit them perfectly and the two dummy, or 10440 size connectors, were in a plastic box.
Before the testing began, the loco was refigured. The demo layout was leaned against a wall for more than month, as the table was needed. The demo layout was put back on the table. The switches were thrown to do the loop and the track visually inspected. The CSX battery car (boxcar) had already been converted to use four IFR cells, so a dummy 10440 battery, that came with the IFR batteries, was used to be a place holder to use three IMR 10440 batteries to test the track before reconfiguring the locomotive, on the outer loop of the demo layout, to use the 4S IFR 10440 resultant pack. Everything checked out fine. A set of 4 Soshine 10440 (AAA) size 280mAh Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries were ordered from Amazon. The batteries have a labeled capacity of 280 milliamp hours (mAh) but, even before ordering, I was aware that they may have only an actual capacity of 200ish mAh. (Please see the updated page on sourcing batteries.) Even though the previously linked video indicated only a capacity of about 200ish mAh for these specific batteries, I've tested them and have found that the actual, usable capacity is more in the 240ish mAh range when recharged. This means that the usable capacity is closer to 230ish mAh of discharge. Getting usable, accurate data for the Soshine 10440 size batteries was difficult. Even the Soshine Web site had data that proved to be inaccurate. I've archived the conflicting information here, and it opens in a new tab. I weighed them and they each weighed just over 8.8g each, which was a big difference from the 13g noted on the Soshine Website. I did a 0.30A discharge test to 2.9V and found the discharged capacity to be in the 240ish mAh range. The weight, discharge and recharge data was archived here and opens in a new tab for viewing. The demo layout was set up and tested with the details noted here. The maximum average amp draw was calculated at 0.38A using the mid-throttle position, because that is where the maximum amp draw occurs. The data for the maximum amp draw testing is archived here and opens in a new tab for viewing. Testing began upon arrival and the outside ambient temperature was 82 degrees F. Battery 1 & 4 were charged at home in the 17.3 degree basemant. Batteries 2, & 3 were done, outside, at the flying field. 1. The batteries were numbered for reference.
2. The delivered open voltage was read for each battery; #1 - 3.262V, #2 - 3.270V, #3 - 3.267V, #4 - 3.266V 3. Each battery was charged at 275mA to a termination of 3.6V on the GT500 charger.
4. Discharged at 275mA to 2.9V (I let the GT500 discharge to its stop and did not try to stop it at exactly 2.9V.)
Recharge at 275mA to 3.6V
Interesting Note: While looking to see what voltage I wanted to use for the cut off voltage, I used the graph on this Website. Photos of the packing noted the Model Number to be 14500-600, and there were other indications on the packing to indicate that a standard charge was 1/2C and it gave a maximum continuous discharge of 1.2A or 2C. The Soshine Website has links to all of their LiFePO4 here. The 14500 now has a different model number for it, and the data sheet doesn't seem to make sense compared to the other non-protected cells on the page. The various pages for each battery show the data in different ways, with more info on some pages than on others. This is a real mess! Supposedly, Soshine is the manufacturer, but their data indicated that the batteries weighed 13g. When I weighed them on my Triple Beam Mechanical Balance Scale, the four batteries weighed about an average of 8.8ish grams. That made me wonder about the accuracy of Soshine's Website data for these 10440 LFP batteries. |