Goggle battery upgrade

Build Log
1

So I’ve been running my Fatshark HDv2 now nearly 2yrs and the stardard battery has failed :frowning:

It takes nearly 2hrs to charge and will power my goggles for less than 60 minutes.

So I did this :slight_smile:

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I took an old 3S 1800mAh lipo, DC-DC step down converter and connectors off my old Fatshark battery to make this.

I used a 3S lipo for a couple of reasons.

  1. I had one
  2. The googles can take a 3S power source (BUT THE FAN CAN NOT)
  3. Didn’t want to risk my goggles to a cheap china DC-DC step down. If it fails the worst thing that can happen is I burn out the fan… But as least its not the goggles.

This wasn’t hard to make.
Lipo > DC-DC step down > googles.

The DC-DC stepdown converter I picked up from ebay for a couple of quid.
The reason I picked this one is.

  1. It takes an input voltage of 4.0v to 40v and outputs 1.3v to 37v (input must be higer than output)
    a. you adjust a small screw to change the output voltage. ( use a volt meter )
  2. It has a LED screen so I can see the voltage of the input and output… So not to over drain the lipo.

PLEASE PLEASE use a volt meter to test the voltage before connecting to your expensive goggles

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I’ve set the output voltage to 8.2v to allow for voltage drop across the cable feeding my googles. At some point I’ll be swapping out that cheap wire for some silicon wire and maybe a xt30 connector so I can swap ends and maybe use it for something else as well.

The case is 3D printed with a sort of belt hook at the back. That will either hook over a pocket or the back of my transmitter where I have a stand.

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So now I have a power source that will:

  1. Last longer
  2. Not strapped to my head
  3. Can be balanced charged with out an adapter (XT60 and JST straight to parrallel board)
  4. Charges much much faster
1 Like
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Very cool, also like the belt clip part on the back of the unit. And I assume the battery fits inside the plastic housing?

And I agree about the test everything as you dont want to burn your expensive googles just because teh voltage display on the regulator was not calibrated properly!

3

Yeah the lipo slips in… and the XT60 and Balance come out the bottom there’s a hole for them.

I must have checked every thing over and over again before I risked my goggles.