Hello!
I have noticed that sometimes one of my MiniTroopers stops with a red led light and then the unit reboots. It is not a battery problem (it also happens with the battery full). Any ideas why this is happening?
Thanks,
Michael
Blinking red light means that voltage has dropped below minimum operating level and board has restarted.
I have seen this behavior (with fully charged batteries) and the issue was bad battery itself. It has lost its capacity and couldn’t provide enough current under load (which will result in early voltage drop).
So replacing battery should resolve the issue: https://totemmaker.net/product/3-7v-battery/
In testings (constant driving, flipping, with BLE connected) I have managed up to 40 minutes run time:
Thank you, I will try a new battery. I would love to order from your store but unfortunately the postage is really high. Would this be the same battery?
Edit:
And would a larger capacity battery of the same type be ok?
Thanks,
Michael
Yeah, shipping price is high. Also couldn’t find battery alone at our distributors.
Link you posted has correct one. Only difference - it will be 5mm wider compared to ours.
Most important aspects: LiPo 3.7V, 250mAh or more, must have protection.
Make sure to check polarity before plugging in. X3 does not feature reverse voltage protection, so it will release a magic smoke (I have witnessed it).
In case battery came with wrong polarity - you can easily swap wires inside a connector.
And would a larger capacity battery of the same type be ok?
Yes, it would. And if you buying off the shelf battery - I suggest to look for higher capacity one.
It will last longer and could provide a bit more power. The only issue - you need to fit it inside MiniTrooper frame (but it has some extra space).
Board can also work with 18650 battery, but it would take 9 hours to charge (for 3000mAh capacity) and add a lot of weight.
Thank you! I’ve ordered a 630mAh which should fit nicely in the frame. I will let you know how I get on 
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Hello!
So I got the new batteries and they work great. BUT when I changed the power cable from the second unit I managed to rip the power connector from the board… 
I had a look and it doesn’t look like it can be soldered, the material is different… So I am wondering if conductive glue might be ok to glue it back onto the board. Or do you think I might need to replace it?
Thanks,
Mike
Can you post a picture, to see what happened to the connector?
Also, forgot one important detail about the batteries. There is also “internal resistance”. Lower resistance batteries can provide more current. Our little one can peak up to ~1.8A.
So even battery has higher capacity - it could deliver less current (if it’s higher resistance). Most of the times these details aren’t mentioned in shopping list description.
This looks like it can be soldered. Or is solder pads (conductive material) ripped off the board?
Try to clean surface, heat up pad and apply solder wire. If it sticks - then connector can be soldered back.
If this works - you can cut + - legs in half. Will give more space for soldering iron tip. It is tight in there.
Thanks for the reply. I think that is the problem, the solder pads were ripped off and it is only the board material that’s left. I tried to solder it but it doesn’t stick
Yech, looking closely I see now that pads are gone. At this point battery functionality is gone and it is only USB powered. Officially it’s recommended to get a new one.
Unofficially - it can be salvaged:
Solder wires to marked spots and leave connector dangling (or try to glue connector to the board). It will work fine if taken with care.
Also, if you decide to get a new board - contact me. We have a new version with 4 servo ports.
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Thank you for the great support! A bit fiddly but i managed to solder the connectors and its working again 
Thanks again!
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