A 9v battery with Power Functions?: A LEGO® creation by RTN LNA : MOCpages.com

A 9v battery with Power Functions?

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How I used a 9 Volt battery to run my Power Functions in my Shay

About this creation

How I used a 9 Volt battery to run

my Power Functions in my Shay

Caution!

What ever age you are, if you do not know how to use a small soldering iron,
or you are not comfortable using one
DO NOT DO THIS!

If you don't know how to use VOM (Volt-Ohm-Meter) to carefully check your work
DO NOT DO THIS!

In my Shay the Power Functions M-Motor
is in the "T" or "Boot" of the boiler.
And the Power Functions IR Receiver
is in the cab.

I needed to fit a 9V power source into the little rear tender at the back of the Shay.
There was no way to fit in a Power Functions Battery Box
or even to fit a Power Functions Rechargeable Battery Box
it was still to big.

I found this very nice web page
Power Functions™ presentation
by Philippe E. Hurbain written in collaboration with Didier Enjary

the section Power Functions working
with these drawings:

Which led to this:
(More information below these photos)

I cut a

Power Functions Extension Wire
and wired it to a

Heavy-Duty 9V Snap Connector
which was wired to a

SPST Micromini Toggle Switch

which fits through a 42446 PERFECTLY!!

making a "switch brick"!!

TJ has made a nice schematic drawing:

Note: you can use any 9 volt battery I chose to use a pricey one!

NEW! greenmtvince has used this to built his nice little 44 ton Alco Switcher.

The Home of Republic of Texas Navy in LEGOs is right here on MOCpages.

enjoy

kurt

Notes:

RTS - Republic of Texas Ship
RTN - Republic of Texas Navy
LNA - Lego Naval Architect

Comments

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I made it

RTN LNA

July 2, 2010

Quoting Eric C My Power functions are running off a 9v AC/DC Adapter. What's the battery life this way? Very nice switch mount!

Good question, the LiFeP4 rechargeable batteries I am using seems to work for 4-6 hours running the IR receiver with occasional runs of the locomotive motor, approximately 1-2 hours running locomotive full time, however a have not made "real" measurements of this. If you use regular 9V batteries I don't know what you can expect. Hope this helps.

I like it

Eric C

July 1, 2010

My Power functions are running off a 9v AC/DC Adapter. What's the battery life this way? Very nice switch mount!

I made it

RTN LNA

March 3, 2010

Quoting Howie Meadows Could you still add an IR receiver if you wanted with this setup? Obviously you can't because of the space problems but is it technically possible without the PF battery pack?

The IR receiver is in the cab of the shay, this setup only works because the IR receiver is there. Hope this helps. kurt

I like it

Howie Meadows

March 3, 2010

Could you still add an IR receiver if you wanted with this setup? Obviously you can't because of the space problems but is it technically possible without the PF battery pack?

I made it

RTN LNA

November 30, 2009

Quoting Lucas Liska very nice. just something is not clicking in my mind. where do you solder the leads to?

One wire of the cut Power Functions Extension Wire is soldered to the neg terminal wire of the 9V Snap Connector. The other wire of the 9V Snap Connector is soldered to one of the terminals of the SPST Micromini Toggle Switch. The other needed wire of the cut Power Functions Extension Wire is soldered to the other terminal of the SPST Micromini Toggle Switch. Three soldered connections, all totaled. Is it clicking better now, for you? kurt