Definitive Battery Answer?

[Jeff Waegelin]

Well, I was searching about which battery type FIRST gave us, and I found some conflicting answers. Are this year's competition batteries EX or ES type?

[Gary Dillard]

Our battery was marked with the part number EX, the parts list says EX, so they gave us an EX. The spec they put out is for the ES.

[gvanman]

>>Well, I was searching about which battery type FIRST gave us, >>and I found some conflicting answers. Are this year's >>competition batteries EX or ES type?

The correct battery is the Exide Powerfit ES 18-12.
Last years battery was the EX 18-12.
Apart from the label, both batteries are identical.
If anybody needs batteries at this late stage of the game,
you'd better email me quickly!
>>gvanman@ameritech.net<<

[Ryan Albright]

is there a rule this year that states we can only use the 2003 batteries or can we use all of the old ones to

[Jeff Waegelin]

Thank you for the answer! I don't think we need any more, but I was trying to figure out which batteries were from which year.

[Gamer930]

Originally posted by Ryan_team710
is there a rule this year that states we can only use the 2003 batteries or can we use all of the old ones to

You have to use this 2003 batteries in matches.

The Model 18H Deep Cycle Excide battery was specifically supplied by Exide to FIRST. You may not be able to find an exact off-the-shelf duplicate. You may use a similar 12V battery in the pits and during the Thursday test runs. You may use batteries from previous years for this purpose also. You must use the FIRST supplied Kit battery in the competitions. FIRST will replace defective batteries at the competitions. FIRST will not provide charged batteries to teams that have not maintained their own charged batteries. http://jive.ilearning.com/thread.jsp...t=45&trange=15

FIRST isn't selling extra batteries also to teams. I think this is one of the ways to equal out the vets with rookies. (all teams have 2 batteries to run competition matches on)

FIRST will have replacements at competitions if needed]

Search on the FIRST fourms and you will get a lot of information on this topic

[Gary Dillard]

Originally posted by gvanman
>>Well, I was searching about which battery type FIRST gave us, >>and I found some conflicting answers. Are this year's >>competition batteries EX or ES type?

The correct battery is the Exide Powerfit ES 18-12.
Last years battery was the EX 18-12.
Apart from the label, both batteries are identical.
If anybody needs batteries at this late stage of the game,
you'd better email me quickly!
>>gvanman@ameritech.net<<

gvanman, we've contradicted each other in similar threads on this before, and I don't know what they sent you, but the batteries we received in the kit this year were marked EX. We got some spares from Exide directly and they look and behave identical except they say ES. But it doesn't matter if they are identical, FIRST has ruled that you must use the ones sent in the kit for competition, and according to the kit of parts (and what we received) that is the EX 18-12.

[RyanC35]

Exide was bought out by Yuasa, the new part number is NP18-12B, and a west Michigan supplier is Cisco at 616-534-8651(ask for Tom). $73.02, three to four day delivery.

[Mike Bobak]

Cisco Systems is a supplier or just some mild mannered company with the same name?

[Tristan Lall]

Might this help?

From Exide's front page

Exide is a sponsor of the FIRST Robotics Competition
Need a battery for the competition? Please e-mail Dave Harris

I haven't tried this yet, but my team may soon be in contact with Mr. Harris....

And incidentally, the Yuasa part refers to a battery that while potentially the same in electrical characteristics, has a different outward appearance (colour, markings, brand and model number). You'd probably be hard-pressed to convince an inspector that it was the same.

-Tristan Lall
Team 188
Woburn Robotics

[tenfour]

I also thought that we could only use the 2 batts. from this year, but we had 3 matches that were nearly in a row. Since we drain each one completely in 2 minutes, I asked an official about that rule. He (and several others) stated that we could use batteries from the last 2 years. Most teams just do it even though they didn't even ask, but we did the honest thing and still won out.

From what I saw at AZ, just let common sense prevail. Look at the spirit of the rule--Its a shame to not be able to play because the battery is dead.

-Tenfour

[gvanman]

>>Exide was bought out by Yuasa
This was the industrial battery sector - not the Automotive division which supplies the batteries to 1st.

Gary Dillard wrote:
>>gvanman, we've contradicted each other in similar threads on this before, and I don't know what they sent you, but the batteries we received in the kit this year were marked EX. We got some spares from Exide directly and they look and behave identical except they say ES. But it doesn't matter if they are identical, FIRST has ruled that you must use the ones sent in the kit for competition, and according to the kit of parts (and what we received) that is the EX 18-12.<<
Gary and all - It is as confusing for me as well!
I got involved at the beginning of February after getting a call from a Canadian team who had spent 10 hours on the phone trying to find replacement batteries. I could have just told them that I did't work for the Automotive division and that would have been the end of it - instead, I looked into the problem and got the team supplied with replacement batteries.
After checking out various websites relating to the competition, it became obvious that there were lots of teams in need of batteries so I started digging and found - utter confusion!!
To cut a long story short - Exide supplied 1st with the EX 18-12 for last years competition and did the same again for this years as well. Both times, these batteries were EX 18-12 and were a special batch with this designation. This year the number of teams has increased and the EX 18-12 batteries supplied to 1st has all but been exhausted. Dilemma - what to do now? There are no more EX 18-12 available (1st may still have a few, I don't know). I have tried to make sure that I am not breaking any rules by informing teams that the EX and ES are the same batteries. I finally got to speak to 1st about this and they were more than happy that I was helping out and told me to carry on. I would still like to see an official ruling that says the ES is acceptable for the competition, especially when some teams have damaged their original batteries and the only replacements available are the ES.
There are local competitions in Ypsilanti, MI on Saturday and I will be going to see 'what it's all about' and also to see what happens to teams using the ES batteries.
Up to this point, I have helped maybe 35-40 teams to locate replacements and would not want them to be penalized because there are no EX available.
Good luck to you all in the competition!
Cheers.