I powered my with the same 2S Lipo like Reto except I went with a 2200 mahr battery for extended operation and added a 2S low voltage detector so as to not overdischarge the Lipo.
I have read the ArduStation build instructions and the description on the store. I understand I CAN power it with a 2 or 3 cell LIPO battery. Can I get a standard voltage requirement for this unit? I would like to be able to power it using a standard 12v regulated power supply.
I know a 3 cell Lipo is 11.1 volts does that mean 12 volts is too much?
I'm placing the ArduStation in a box, with other components that will use the 12 volts. I'm hoping to not have to add an additional power supply just for the ArduStation. It would be a shame to have to build a voltage regulator just to go from 12v to 11.1v, but I can do it, just need to know BEFORE I connect 12v regulated voltage and blow the board.
The 5 volt regulator in the ArduStation does not have a heatsink other than the tab on the TO220 case. With a 12 volt input ( which is probably slightly more than 12 volts) the regulator will have to drop 6 volts assuming ~1 volt drop across the input protection diode. If you are using the ArduStation to power pan and tilt servos for tracking, the 5 volt regulator may start to really heat up due to the increase current load in an enclosed case with other components. Might be smart to either put a small heatsink on the regulator or vent the case or both.
The case is all ready vented, as we are using a small computer powersupply w/ fan to circulate air though the case.
However your note about adding a heatsink to help dissipate is duely noted.
Will the ArduStation run on a simple 5v input? PC Power supplies have both 12 and 5 volt feeds. It seems due to heat concerns, it would it be better to run the ArduStation on the 5v feed rather than the 12 volt feed. Is this a correct assessment?