A little off topic but an electronic toy none the less

[Bluetribal]

I tried not to bother you guys with this non Cruiser or Expedition topic but my post over in Chat was a waste of time.

I bought a used Rawlings pitching machine for my nephews but it is battery powered and only last for one at bat basically. I would like to tap into the positive & negative wires that go to the battery and instead hook them up to a spliced AC adapter plug. It uses a plug to charge the batter but I don't think just splicing it to the wires will work and I don't want to splice up my only adapter plug. So I am interested in buying another AC Adapter plug to splice but want to buy one that will work for constant power and to ditch the battery all together.

AC Adapter Plug Info:
Model# TDX412027
Input: 120VAC 60 Hz 14W
Output: 12 VDC 500 mA
Class 2 Power Unit
I don't know the polarity of the plug or if it is Linear or Regulated

Battery Info:
Voltage Reg. [Stand By] 13.5-13.8V [Cycle Use] 14.4-14.7V
Initial Current: 2.10A Max

 

[Bogo]

First off, what type of battery does it use?

Just changing the battery over to the power supply may not work because the unit likely needs a high current draw as it pitches. Then when done pitching it draws very little power.

If the battery is lead-acid, just buy a lead acid battery charger with a few Amp output and use it to keep the battery charged.

Similar can be done with AA through D sized batteries. just replace them with NiCd or NiMH cells and use a charger for them. Chargers for 10 to 12 cells in series can be found at most hobby stores catering to electric RC aircraft.

One issue with chargers is many are now smart and will shut off when done. You want a semi dumb charger that keep outputting power.

 

[Bluetribal]

I will see if I find any more info on the batter when I get home but above is what I got last time I looked at it.
Voltage Reg. [Stand By] 13.5-13.8V [Cycle Use] 14.4-14.7V
Initial Current: 2.10A Max

I think it's a similar battery to what you would put in those little kids big foot cars. In the photo it is standing on it's end in the bottom left corner and fits in the bottom square under the unit.

 

[Bogo]

Looks like it may be the end of a sealed lead acid battery.

 

[psfpilot]

Perhaps the battery could be replaced with a unit from an online warehouse. I was able to replace the sealed lead-acid battery in the uninterruptible power supply that I use for my computer for ~$35.

 

[Bogo]

Perhaps the battery could be replaced with a unit from an online warehouse. I was able to replace the sealed lead-acid battery in the uninterruptible power supply that I use for my computer for ~$35.

Possibly. It could easily be worn out. It should have it's voltage and Amp hour rating on the side. At the minimum there should be a maker and part number. From there you can cross reference it to available batteries. Can you take a photo of the information on the side of the battery?

 

[Bluetribal]

Sorry guys I had a softball game after work so I will snap a pic and search for any other info on the battery tomorrow morning.

 

[Bluetribal]

OK here is the photo and yes it is a sealed lead-acid battery.

 

[Bluetribal]

So I guess I would be looking for a charger similar to this:
Sealed Lead Acid Battery Chargers 12 Volt Charger (4-12 AH) Battery Chargers, Chargers and Adapters at PlanetBattery.com.

And then I would hook the charger up to the batter while it's connected to the pitching machine? And I could operate it while it's plugged in and charging would be the idea?

 

[Bogo]

Or you could just replace the sucker and see if it gains allot more usable pitches. An important thing is to never run the machine down so it can't pitch. Ideally you never want to drop the battery voltage below 10 volts. That will hep preserve the life of the battery.

As for battery charger size, Seeing it is a 7AH battery I wouldn't run above a 2Amp battery charger. 1 Amp smart charger would be much better. That gets you nearer 1/10C where C = capacity. The ideal battery charger output would be under 700mA. The truth is you can go above that if the charger is smart and setup not to go over the float voltage.

I can't see the top of the battery. I bet it has spade terminals. You could also get a large deep cycle battery and run some wires from it to the input leads in the battery compartment. That would get you hours of use without having to run a cord.

 

[Bluetribal]

OK, thanks for the info on chargers and I will get this one tested after charging it to see how much juice she's got. And you can see the tab in the top right corner of the photo for connecting the wires from the machine.

 

[psfpilot]

So I guess I would be looking for a charger similar to this:
Sealed Lead Acid Battery Chargers 12 Volt Charger (4-12 AH) Battery Chargers, Chargers and Adapters at PlanetBattery.com.

And then I would hook the charger up to the batter while it's connected to the pitching machine? And I could operate it while it's plugged in and charging would be the idea?

You could do it that way, but if the battery is dead you would essentially be using the charger as a power supply rather than as a charger, and I don't know if it would be able to withstand the current requirement of the pitching motor. I like bogo's idea: if you have an auto battery sitting around, just wire it up after removing the old dead battery and recharge it (the auto battery) with your automotive battery charger after use.