Our team has been using rechargable AAA batteries to power our VexNet Joysticks for a while now, and while the batteries have more or less done the job, one of our 8-battery chargers has stopped working and our 16-battery charger seemed to be damaging the batteries. Considering we have well over 50 AAA batteries one remaining 8-battery charger is not going to cut it.
I figured the best source for recommendations are other robotics teams, so I’m making this post looking for recommendations, preferably ones that can charge 8-16 batteries at once. We additionally would rather avoid the VEX brand chargers.
I seem to remember a question that teams are asked at inspections. “Are you using Vex Chargers?” correct me if that is only for 7.2v but we have always just used the VEX ones
I don’t think it matters which AAA charger you use. The rational for having to use a VEX 7.2 volt charger is that because the robot battery actually affects robot performance. The remote batteries … do not.
Are we required to use Vex AAA batteries in the controller? My team sometimes uses Duracell non-rechargeable batteries in a pinch, and we’ve never been asked about joystick batteries before.
I just checked; <R13f> is the only relevant rule. It requires that Vexnet joysticks be powered by AAA batteries. It doesn’t say anything about Vex batteries or Vex chargers for batteries.
If I were you, I would do research. I Researched that there is such thing as a 16 AAA battery charger, try using Google and checking the ones available. They all should charge the batteries until they’re full…
I have found a pretty good charger that charges 16 AA or AAA batteries, and it shows the amount the batteries are at by an LCD screen: Redirect Notice
Image of it from Google:
The thing is that all of the results I have gotten from google have been rather skewed. 50% of reviews tend to say that the product is garbage, the other 50% love the product.
I figured that getting recommendations from other teams would lead us in the right direction
