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How to charge a LegoDEI pillbox target

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  • How to charge a LegoDEI pillbox target

    How do you guys charge this thing? It seems like the battery can be left inside and charged through the top + - pins. Mine came with .6 volts which is pretty much dead.
    Don't just fly--WREAK HAVOC!!!

  • #2
    I take mine out and charge them in a separate charger that came with a flashlight I got from Amazon.
    They are 18650 Lithium Ion cells.
    You can find the chargers separately on Amazon or EBay also.
    Steve

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Sureshot View Post
      I take mine out and charge them in a separate charger that came with a flashlight I got from Amazon.
      They are 18650 Lithium Ion cells.
      You can find the chargers separately on Amazon or EBay also.
      Steve
      That's how I charge the similar tank mine I bought from him.

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi old wolf,
        How do you like the tank mine and how exactly does it work?
        Does it have some sort of motion sensor that sets off an IR beam?
        Lego Del does not really say.
        Steve

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Sureshot View Post
          Hi old wolf,
          How do you like the tank mine and how exactly does it work?
          Does it have some sort of motion sensor that sets off an IR beam?
          Lego Del does not really say.
          Steve
          Hi Steve,
          actually, I am going to be testing the mine over the next few days. The ir emitter on my only rc tank failed just as I was starting to do testing with it and I just finished installing a new one this morning. I hope to get the testing restarted over the next few days. I will let you know what I discover.

          Comment


          • #6
            I might convert mine to 5.5 volt so I can activate a sound and a air cannon. The 3.7 volt battery that LEGO sent with it is pretty dead. All my hobby chargers(some expensive) say bad cell and I would need to revive it using the PB lead setting to get it to a threshold I can maybe charge it.
            Don't just fly--WREAK HAVOC!!!

            Comment


            • #7
              Ah I ship them fully charged, but maybe the power switch got knocked to on during shipment at some point. Most 5V logic things should be able to trigger off of 3.7V, otherwise you can always use a level shifter. Your solution is the correct one; charge it using some other setting to get it up to 3.0, then charge as a lipo.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by oldwolf View Post

                Hi Steve,
                actually, I am going to be testing the mine over the next few days. The ir emitter on my only rc tank failed just as I was starting to do testing with it and I just finished installing a new one this morning. I hope to get the testing restarted over the next few days. I will let you know what I discover.
                Yes, it has a wide angle motion sensor that can detect motion within a few meters, and then will fire the mine. This can be enabled or disabled for dummy target as you choose.

                For future reference, I don't check this forum all that frequently, so if you do have a question related to my products, feel free to post the thread here, and send me the link to the thread through etsy. I will then respond on this forum so that future users can have a point of reference.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I have just finished some testing of the tank mine. Here are my results:

                  The tank I used for testing is an HL t-34 / 85. It is painted flat russian green. Tests were indoors. The t-34 was at room temperature (60 degrees in this case), no smoke unit running. I found the tank mine to be most sensitive standing on end, sensors, leds, etc uppermost and facing the target. The tank mine was most sensitive to a crossing target, going off when the t-34 crossed in front of it at about 2 meters. Speed was a factor. Fast movement was detected more often. An approaching target was much harder for the tank mine to detect. The t-34 could get to a half meter or less driving straight at the tank mine before being detected.

                  Warmer targets were easier for the tank mine to detect. One of my cats (small cat not much bigger than the t-34) decided to investigate what I was doing and was detected at 4 meters. Large warm targets are very easily detected. Even slight movements on my part at over 6 meters were detected (I had to peek around a door frame to avoid setting off the tank mine while watching the tests).

                  The tank mine recorded hits from my t-34 at any distance I could achieve in my house (15 meters, a narrow line of sight through 3 rooms and a hall). The tank mine can also score hits on my tank at that range but of course cant detect the tank at that distance so wont know it should shoot. I had to walk near the mine to trigger it while looking back to see my tank react to the shot.

                  In conclusion, the tank mine is a really fun device. Depending on how it is placed (on end, on its side, on its back) and what obstacles partly block its field of view / fire, many different "mine field" shapes can be set up. It strikes me that it could also be placed in a scale anti-tank bunker with its sensor and leds facing out the firing port to simulate an anti-tank gun. When the tank mine is disabled by fire it displays a bright red, flickering led. Inside a scale bunker this should give a nice emulation of fire burning inside after the bunker is knocked out. I think I will put together a styrofoam anti-tank bunker this afternoon. If the tank mine had an effective detector range to match its effective firing range an extremely challenging live fire obstacle course could be set up. Maybe Legodei can make a long range sensor version and sell it as an anti-tank gun emulator!

                  By the way, the tank mine can be configured in different ways (number of hits it can take, reload time, etc). I havent gone over any of that here since it is explained at Legodei's online shop on Etsy.

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                  • #10
                    Is there any way to adjust the sensitivety of the motion detector?
                    It would be nice if it could detect at longer range.
                    I've noticed when I test IR indoors it tends to bounce around off the walls and windows a lot.
                    Steve

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Thanks old wolf for the review. I was able to bump charge mine. I would suggest that Lego not ship them in the batteries in them. Mine was obviously turned on by accident during the two days with the post office. I also didn't know what was off and on maybe add that to the schematic? I'll play with mine this weekend.
                      Don't just fly--WREAK HAVOC!!!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by quitcherbitchen View Post
                        Thanks old wolf for the review. I was able to bump charge mine. I would suggest that Lego not ship them in the batteries in them. Mine was obviously turned on by accident during the two days with the post office. I also didn't know what was off and on maybe add that to the schematic? I'll play with mine this weekend.
                        Maybe he could ship them with a strip of plastic, that you can pull out, between contacts and battery terminals. Have fun with it this weekend. I hope you post any new things you discover playing with it.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Ah the plastic strip idea is good, I will implement that, and also provide a no battery option.

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                          • #14
                            I tested mine. It works, but how does it trigger noise from the signal output? I hooked up a turnigy remote on and off to the top of the box and it wouldn't trigger it to go on. I took pictures of my wire hook up Does the this look right? I might try another remote switch but have todig it out of a plane. Click image for larger version

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                            Attached Files
                            Don't just fly--WREAK HAVOC!!!

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                            • #15
                              I don't understand how this unit is supposed to trigger anything using the pins for outside devices like smoke or sound. I tried measuring the pins with my multi meter and the only pin with power is the second from the left. Which according to the schematic isn't even part of the equation. Nothing comes out the wire pins in the schematic.
                              Don't just fly--WREAK HAVOC!!!

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                              • #16
                                Don't just fly--WREAK HAVOC!!!

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                                • #17
                                  Well, had a chance to play with the Pill box. Like old wolf, we got about 40' maximum distance hits in it. I still don't have my TBU hooked up, but the daughter enjoyed playing with it.
                                  Don't just fly--WREAK HAVOC!!!

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                                  • #18
                                    yellow line goes to 3.3V when all 5 hits have been registered, when lights are flashing repeatedly. (dead) not on hits 1-4

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                                    • #19
                                      How can I boost that to 5volts? Change batteries to 2s and put a BEC on it to keep power to 5 volts? Your description in Esty is sort of misleading. It says it will output 5 volts once all hits are registered. Is there a buck booster inside or can be added? Just and FYI my pill box output wires were completely opposite of the schematic. The 3.7 volts will trigger LED but no a receiver switch which I am guessing needs 5 volts.
                                      Don't just fly--WREAK HAVOC!!!

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                                      • #20
                                        Attached Files
                                        Don't just fly--WREAK HAVOC!!!

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