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This article relates to both v1 and v2 machines. V2 machines were released in October 2020. If you would like to determine if you have a v1 or a v2 machine, please read this article here.
If your machine currently has a Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery and you would like to upgrade it to a lithium LiFePO4 battery, please follow these instructions.
Step 1: Make sure the replacement LiFePO4 battery has been supplied by an Authorised Spinfire dealer. If you have sourced your own battery, we cannot guarantee its performance. Please make sure it’s at least a 12v 18Ah LiFePO4 battery identical in size to the battery you are replacing (181.5mm (L) x 77mm (W) x 167mm (H)) and we recommend you choose a battery known to be high quality. It should have M5 or M6 terminals and you can vary the ampere-hour (Ah) value (eg, a 20Ah battery is fine to use) as long as the dimensions remain the same.
You will also need to make sure you have a Lithium LiFePO4 charger which is different to the charger supplied with your original SLA battery. These can be purchased through your local Authorised Spinfire dealer.
Step 2: Identify the machine type you have by checking this guide here. Also identify if you have an EXTERNAL or INTERNAL battery.
Step 3a: If you have an EXTERNAL battery, please replace it with the new one. This process is self explanatory, however, feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Step 3b: If you have an INTERNAL battery inside a v1 machine, please follow this guide to replace it with the new one: https://www.spinfiresport.com/kb/how-to-install-or-replace-an-internal-battery-v1-machines/
Step 3c: If you have an INTERNAL battery inside a v2 machine, please follow this guide to replace it with the new one: https://www.spinfiresport.com/kb/how-to-change-an-internal-battery-in-a-spinfire-ball-machine/
Step 3d: If you have an INTERNAL battery inside a v1 machine and you wish to convert it to an EXTERNAL battery, please follow this guide: https://www.spinfiresport.com/kb/converting-an-internal-battery-to-an-external-battery/
Step 3e: If you have an INTERNAL battery inside a v2 machine and you wish to convert it to an EXTERNAL battery, please follow this guide: https://www.spinfiresport.com/kb/how-to-convert-an-internal-battery-pro-2-or-1-machine-to-an-external-battery/
Step 4: Once you have replaced your SLA battery with a LiFePO4 battery, please note the following:
- If you have a v1 machine, your battery bar indicator will not accurately display how much battery life you have left. It will appear full right up until the moment it goes flat. You can simply ignore your battery bar indicator and your machine will still perform perfectly (and better than it did on an SLA battery). You should also be aware that depending on the LiFePO4 battery you purchased, it most likely has a battery management system (BMS) which can shut down your machine when the battery is getting flat. This can happen before the ball machine has a chance to save the settings, meaning after you charge back up your machine, the settings you were using (speed, spin, interval and elevation) will need to be entered again. In technical terms, this is because the BMS may cut off the battery at 11V – 11.5V while the Spinfire software will shut down the machine at 10.8V (this value is set for SLA batteries). If you avoid running your battery flat and charge it after every session, you can minimise this issue.
- If you have a v2 machine, you should follow this guide to adjust the setting on your machine to use a LiFePO4 battery. If you fail to complete this step, your machine will still perform well, however, your battery bar indicator on your control panel LED will not display the correct amount of battery remaining. https://www.spinfiresport.com/kb/selecting-battery-type-sla-or-lithium/
You can now use your machine with your new LiFePO4 battery.