Hello there! I’m a real noob and need some guidance.
I’m making a very simple robot with Maestro Controller that only needs to run through it’s program once and then be turned off. My goal is that it could be turned off with a switch that doesn’t require a lot of wiring (I’m an extreme beginner).
On a previous project my battery pack had an on/off switch, is this possible to buy with a 6V 2200mAh rechargeable battery? I would even take non-rechargeable if it meant I could switch off the board. Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated.
Sorry to bother you all. Would this work for the Mini Maestro to turn it on/off, so it can save battery power? Thanks so much for any help.
Please, can anyone help me? I honestly need help.
Hello,
You should be able to write a script that performs an action and does not repeat, that will run when the Maestro is powered up. A coin cell battery holder will almost certainly not be able to supply enough current to run for very long. We do not carry battery packs with switches pre-installed, or a battery holder with switch that is a very good voltage range for supplying power to the Maestro. You might consider adding a switch to a larger battery pack like the one you mentioned.
-Derrill
Sorry to bother you guys again. Would something like this maybe work? I’m not looking for long battery life, just something to cease power to the robot and start it up again. It won’t be long running.
https://www.ebay.com/p/2pcs-4-X-AA-6v-Battery-Holder-Storage-Case-Wired-On-off-Switch-W-Cover-N3/1449414618
We sell a similar battery holder, but I did not suggest it before because the voltage of a 4 cell pack would be so close to the Maestro’s 5V minimum voltage. This means you would not be able to take advantage of the full capacity of the batteries since as they discharge past 5V, the Maestro would stop working correctly. It would be better to use 5 NiMH cells (like the battery pack you mentioned), which have a nominal voltage of 6V.
-Derrill
To clarify, if you were to use 4 alkaline batteries in a 4 AA holder, the nominal voltage would also be 6V, but alkaline batteries do not handle higher current draws like those from servos very well, so they might discharge very quickly. That is why finding a 5 cell battery holder with switch or some other way to use 5 NiMH batteries is a better solution.
-Derrill
