Glider power systems

After reading the annual installment of the 12V vs.14V soap opera and the
"We can't power any more electronics" whine, I took a little time to read
the Maxwell Electronics information on their Ultracaps.

See: http://www.maxwell.com/index.html

Maxwell makes a pretty good case for combining a small ultracapcitor with a
NiMH or Lithium-ion battery for use in typical consumer electronics like
computers and cellphones. It seems to me that the devices in our gliders
could use the Maxwell approach. Transmitters place a high demand on the
batteries for short periods and the varios and flight computers place a low
demand for long hours.

The Sealed Lead Acid batteries most of us use are great for short, heavy
amperage demands but not so hot for powering electronics for long hours.
The typical NiMH or increasingly common lithium-Ion are great for low
current devices but not good at high current demands. Maxwell's solution is
to combine a low amperage power source with an Ultracap so the Ultracap
handles the high-current short-duration, demands like transmitters and the
main lithium-ion battery handles the low-current, long-duration demand.

Of course, you still need the same AH's to go the distance but your
transmitter will get the voltage it needs at the end of a long day. We need
our EE's to quit arguing about 14V vs. 12V and whip up a nice circuit for an
Ultracap + Lithium-ion battery.

Bill Daniels