Topic: Powering an Apogee Minime--best current options?

[jim1274]

I've spent the last hour or so perusing old posts on AC and battery power options for my Minime, and am confused on what are the best current options for AC and battery power.

The Minime I bought off the yard sale only included a battery, and no AC power adapter.  The battery is a BEAST---heavy and BIG.  I'm guessing it is an SLA, and suspect it was selected for LONG run time(?)

I'm looking for a more compact battery option and an AC adpater for my Minime.  I noted the Minime will run on a range of voltages--is their an optimal voltage for the unit?  Or is that irrelevant if within the voltage operating range?

I really don't need much over, say, 3 hours on battery power--could use the giant battery if longer run time was needed.  What would be my best option for a battery?  Would I want to use the supplied battery harness that has a female 4 pin that connects to the existing battery then terminates in the plug that goes into the Minime?  Is that a Radio Shack "M" adaptaplug tip size?  The existing wiring harness has a second unused 3 pin female plug too--what is that for???

What about AC wall power?  In the absence of finding an original Minime AC wall adapter, what is my best option?  There are times when I plan to use the Minime with other gear that is AC powered, so seemed best to just run it off AC too.  Is there any reason to prefer battery over AC power when AC is available?

I'm sure this has been covered before, but I'm having trouble putting the pieces together, and the optimal current day power options are probably different than what is in the older posts.

[deadheaded]

the walmart type lion battery, which should power the mini me for almost 9 hours.  i can make you an ac adapter and the cable from the battery to the mini me.
thanks
ed
kindkables.com
 

[jim1274]

If the compact walmart type lion battery will power it that long, I maybe don't even need to mess with an AC adapter.  (If that small lion will go 9 hours, the giant SLA battery REALLY seems like overkill now) I have a box full of orphan wall warts from over the years--any reason I could not just splice on the correct plug tip from Radio Shack on one of those if I decide to go with AC power?  My best bet would be to see if I have an old wall wart that is the same voltage and meets or exceeds the current rating of the original factory wall wart, or am I missing something?

the walmart type lion battery, which should power the mini me for almost 9 hours.  i can make you an ac adapter and the cable from the battery to the mini me.
thanks
ed
kindkables.com

[stober]

the walmart type lion battery, which should power the mini me for almost 9 hours.  i can make you an ac adapter and the cable from the battery to the mini me.
thanks
ed
kindkables.com

I use the walmart type battery and Ed makes the BEST cables to power the Mini-Me from one of those.

[jim1274]

the walmart type lion battery, which should power the mini me for almost 9 hours.  i can make you an ac adapter and the cable from the battery to the mini me.
thanks
ed
kindkables.com

I use the walmart type battery and Ed makes the BEST cables to power the Mini-Me from one of those.

Yeah, I'll just get Ed to make me one.  The cable I made for the R-44 to walmart battery from Radio-Shaft (can I say that?) parts does not exactly instill much confidence, but it does work. 

Thanks for reminding me to leave the work to pros until I am more skilled....

[jim1274]

the walmart type lion battery, which should power the mini me for almost 9 hours.  i can make you an ac adapter and the cable from the battery to the mini me.
thanks
ed
kindkables.com

I use the walmart type battery and Ed makes the BEST cables to power the Mini-Me from one of those.

Never heard back from Ed on price and details on making the cable and possibly an AC adapter, so guess off to Radio Shack it is....  Just take the minime and battery over and match up the plugs.

[jim1274]

the walmart type lion battery, which should power the mini me for almost 9 hours.  i can make you an ac adapter and the cable from the battery to the mini me.
thanks
ed
kindkables.com

I use the walmart type battery and Ed makes the BEST cables to power the Mini-Me from one of those.

Never heard back from Ed on price and details on making the cable and possibly an AC adapter, so guess off to Radio Shack it is....  Just take the minime and battery over and match up the plugs.

Ed did get back to me and had the cable built and shipped right away.  That was an excellent cable and much nicer than the Radio Shack adapta-plug cable I use for my R-44.  His cables are a much higher quality than the Radio Shack option, IMHO.

[skaggs]

what voltage did you get?  i have used 6v and 12v SLA's for my minime?  I don't use it that much anymore, and i can still get 5 hours out of the SLA's, but a nice light lithium would get it out more.  And since Ed can make me a cable i might go get one.  thanks

richard

[jim1274]

what voltage did you get?  i have used 6v and 12v SLA's for my minime?  I don't use it that much anymore, and i can still get 5 hours out of the SLA's, but a nice light lithium would get it out more.  And since Ed can make me a cable i might go get one.  thanks

richard

According to the manual, the Mini me will operate on a DC source between 6 and 16 volts--I went with a 9V DVD external battery pack.

I had Ed make me a cable for this 9V battery:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250451484801

I had 2 of these batteries for my R-44 and just bought 2 more for the Minime.  These are nice batteries for the money, and a lot smaller/lighter than that SLA beast that came with the Minime.

I'm not even sure what voltage the SLA that came with the Minime is.  Never put a voltmeter on it.  The cable Ed made is very nice and highly recommended.  Not worth messing with a Radio Shack adapta-cable, which is what I did for my R-44.  Just contact Ed at kindkables.com.  You won't be sorry. 

[intpseeker]

the walmart type lion battery, which should power the mini me for almost 9 hours.  i can make you an ac adapter and the cable from the battery to the mini me.
thanks
ed
kindkables.com

kindkables just made me a beautiful cable for my mini-mp. It is now happily powered for hours on a wally mart $10 rechargeable 9 volt. As a bonus, Ed is great to deal with.
 

[jim1274]

the walmart type lion battery, which should power the mini me for almost 9 hours.  i can make you an ac adapter and the cable from the battery to the mini me.
thanks
ed
kindkables.com

I ran my minime from a fully charged walmart type battery for 3 hours, and while it had one green charge light level left, it would not seem to be good for 9 hours.  I was running phantom power.  I did not run until dead, but 9 hours seems very optimistic.

[stevetoney]

^ Agree.  I really doubt that a mini-me could ever get 9 hours on a wally-world.  I had a mini-mp and 5 to 6 hours was average, which IMHO is still pretty dang good.  I'm guessing that the mini-me draws similar or even more current than a MMP.

[jim1274]

^ Agree.  I really doubt that a mini-me could ever get 9 hours on a wally-world.  I had a mini-mp and 5 to 6 hours was average, which IMHO is still pretty dang good.  I'm guessing that the mini-me draws similar or even more current than a MMP.

I can't say for sure, but would be wary of trying to get more than 4 hours out of the wally-world battery on the mini-me, which is just fine for a typical gig.  Never ran a wally-world to full discharge, so can't say how much is left with one green light left.  The mini-me came with an SLA beast, but it was so bulky and heavy, I'd rather carry 3 wally-worlds than that beast.

[deadheaded]

the walmart type lion battery, which should power the mini me for almost 9 hours.  i can make you an ac adapter and the cable from the battery to the mini me.
thanks
ed
kindkables.com

I ran my minime from a fully charged walmart type battery for 3 hours, and while it had one green charge light level left, it would not seem to be good for 9 hours.  I was running phantom power.  I did not run until dead, but 9 hours seems very optimistic.

the 9 hour figure came from doing the math, which in the real world does not always apply.
here's the math:  the mini me draws 5.5 watts / 9 volts = .61 amps.  the walmart battery is 5.4 amp hours / .61 = 8.85 hours.