LASAM Batteries

Batteries

It’s that time of year, getting set up for meets and checking your equipment to make sure everything is working well before the meet.  There is nothing more frustrating than when your measuring device dies due to dead battery in the middle of competition.  

The first generation LASAM units utilized a gray Classic Disto unit that needed 6 AA batteries and was hard-wired to the LASAM unit which ran on an external 12V battery.  This wired configuration allowed the Disto unit to be powered from the external battery, so that the AA batteries didn’t need to be changed as often.  

The second generation LASAM units utilized a yellow D8 Disto unit that needed 2 AA batteries and connected wirelessly to the LASAM unit with Bluetooth 1.0.  The LASAM unit had an internal 6V battery and an external 6V battery could be connected for extended battery life.  The wireless communication and the laser measuring caused the need for the AA batteries to be changed fairly frequently in these units.  

The LASAM 3.0 units have been redesigned utilizing a custom-built laser module hardwired to the LASAM unit with the system running on 6V battery voltage.  There remains an internal battery and the option to add an external battery to extend battery life.

If you’re not familiar with the lingo and different variables available in batteries it can be confusing to know what to look for and how to best maintain your batteries.  The goal of the LASAM 3.0 units is to allow for easier user-servicing  and when the time comes to replace, or add additional spare batteries to your system, you have the ability to relatively easily source cost-effective batteries local to you.  

The optional scoreboard for all three generations of LASAM units have been powered by 12V batteries.  The older scoreboard used two internal 12V batteries.  First generation scoreboards connected to the LASAM unit with a data cable.  Second generation scoreboards connected to the LASAM wirelessly with Bluetooth 1.0.

The LASAM 3.0 scoreboards do not have an internal battery and require an external 12V battery.  These scoreboards connect to the LASAM wirelessly with a paired RF receiver.  The new radio modules are a bit more power efficient and allow the scoreboard to be set up much further away from the LASAM unit (up to 800 meters), and no longer require line-of-sight that the Bluetooth did.  

None of the LASAM or scoreboard units have been designed to be actively used while plugged into 110v wall voltage.  Doing so will send too much voltage to the unit and damage the electronics.

 When looking at batteries you have the following factors to consider:

• Connection Terminals

• Battery Chemistry

• Battery Voltage

• Battery Capacity

• Charging

  
  

Connection Terminals

These five factors are equally important.  There are many different sizes and types of battery terminals, but batteries should have a positive and a negative connection point and it is important that this polarity is always appropriately maintained when connecting batteries (red wire to red/positive terminal, black wire to black/negative terminal). The LASAM internal battery cables and external battery cable use F1 style terminals.

The internal 12v batteries on the older scoreboards also utilize F1 terminal connections.  

The third generation scoreboards have power cable that connects to the external 12v battery with alligator clips and can utilize a battery with any type of terminals that the clips will attach to.

Battery Chemistry

When considering battery chemistry, there are three general options.  

• Lithium

• AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat)

• Flooded Lead Acid

  
  

Each battery type has strengths and weaknesses along with different charge/discharge curves that require specific charging for each.

The LASAM 3.0 system has been built around AGM batteries.  These have proven to provide the most “bang for the buck” in terms of cost and performance.  They are non-spillable, maintenance free, and work consistently through a wide range of temperatures.  

While lithium offers a big advantage in reduced weight, the added expense, additional shipping rules, and reduced performance in cold temperatures generally make this type of battery less desirable for use in the LASAM system.  If you do choose to convert to Lithium external batteries, you want to make sure that you set the proper charging mode when recharging, and recognize that the different discharge characteristics of  lithium will mean that your LASAM battery meter will read 100%, then suddenly drop to zero when the charge is depleted, whereas the AGM batteries will show a gradual decrease in battery charge.  It is not recommended to change the internal battery to a different battery chemistry as the charging circuitry has been designed around the 5AH AGM battery.

For best performance, AGM batteries should be fully charged before use, and should be stored fully charged.  The AGM batteries included in the LASAM 3.0 system should generally last 3-5 years if properly maintained.

Battery Voltage

In simple terms, voltage refers to the electrical pressure, or how strength of electrical force being pushed through a circuit.  Circuits are designed around specific voltage requirements.  If a voltage differing from the designed specifications (higher or lower) is fed into a circuit, electrical components will usually be damaged.  

Standard AA batteries are 1.5V.  When used in a Disto unit, they are connected in series, which multiplies the voltage by the number of batteries.  This means the D8 Disto units require 3V to power them.

The second and third generation LASAM units require 6V batteries to power them.  The internal circuitry then converts and routes the proper voltage to each of the electrical components within the system.  Each have removable fuses built in to provide some protection to the electrical components in the event of an unexpected voltage or current being applied to the system.  Second generation LASAM units have an older style glass fuse accessible on the back panel near the power button.  The LASAM 3.0 units have two automotive blade-style mini fuses on the internal circuit board near the charging and external battery ports.  Good quality, fast-blow, 5 amp fuses should always be used if replacement is needed.  None of the LASAM units have been designed to be used while being plugged into the wall/charging.  

The LED panels on the scoreboards require a higher voltage and current to properly power them.  Therefore, 12V batteries are needed for the scoreboards.  

Battery Capacity

The energy storage capacity of batteries is measured in amp hours, or Ah.  The amp hours is usually displayed next to the voltage.  The internal battery on the LASAM units is a 6V 5Ah battery.  This size is required to properly fit inside the enclosure.  For the external battery 6V 10Ah is generally used, although this can be replaced with a 6V battery of any size. The external scoreboard battery is 12V 20Ah AGM.

Charging

Proper charging is key to battery longevity and maintenance.  Appropriate chargers should be used for the correct battery chemistry, voltage and size.  After use, batteries should be fully charged before storage.  Prior to use, you should inspect your LASAM unit and batteries a day or two beforehand to ensure batteries are charged and systems are working optimally.