Tokyo Marui SOPMOD battery

[Jedi_Master]

I have been looking at the Tokyo Marui HK416D AEG and it is apparently powered by their 8.4v 1300mAh NiMH SOPMOD battery.

 

The SOPMOD battery looks easy to insert / remove from the rifle stock. However, is the SOPMOD any good?

 

Are TM using a proprietary battery designed just to give the company more money. Do I have to use SOPMOD or can it be replaced with an equivalent LIPO battery (no idea of relationship between NiMH and LIPO power outputs, or connector types). If a LIPO can be used, is it better value and have a longer battery life?

 

Hopefully, someone has the answers.

[Esoterick]

Best bet is to get the gun rewired to deans, it's a simple job but needs a good power soldering iron otherwise the solder won't take properly. Basically where the SOPMOD connector goes gets removed and a standard wire with your connector of choice(deans, tamiya etc) soldered onto the contact bar that runs through the buffer tube. If you want a gun tech to do it the going rate was around £15 last time I checked but you may get it done for free if you are buying the gun from their shop.

 

The proprietary batteries are not very good plus you can get 3+ LiPos for the same or less money. I don't think one SOPMOD battery would even last a day of moderate use.

 

I have a TM HK416 and it's a great gun, I run 7.4v 1450mAh LiPos which last me the whole day. I can happily get 2000 shots out of one battery but I rarely fire anywhere near that much, on days I do I swap the batteries over at lunch.

[Lozart]

Or if you don't want to feck about with the guns wiring then you can get an adaptor: http://eagle6.co.uk/shop/catalog/product/view/id/581/s/triggertalk-battery-adaptor-for-m4-416-next-generation-recoil-shock-series/

[Esoterick]

The real thing to be mindful of either way is that space where the butt plate clips onto the stock is at a premium: on my HK416 I quite often have to readjust the wires a few times to close it as they get caught and on my Recce rifle I have to push a load of the wiring down one of the two side tubes on the stock and that just about fits. I thought about cutting some of the plastic out on my HK416 but I don't see the point for what amounts to a minute or two of faffing with the wires.

 

What Lozart is suggesting looks fine I am just not sure if it would effect the space in the stock and you will have to pay for it either way. You can also get gold contact bars which have better conductivity(which could be highly neglible) but are meant to be easier to solder a section of wire onto.

 

The other option is a baton adapter but it locks off one of the two tubes so I really can't see the point as you will be running a crane stock battery(1 in each tube). If for the sake of argument you want to sell the gun in a couple of years time, outside of some very eccentric people no one is going to want to have to buy SOPMOD batteries.

[Jedi_Master]

Thanks for the advice. So basically SOPMOD batteries are over priced and not that good compared to a Lipo. The best option is to get the shop / tech to rewire it, or do it myself with the Eagle6 kit (which even my lack of skills looks manageable and no soldering needed).

[jcheeseright]

SOPMOD batteries are shite, the gun itself is awesome.

 

Get someone with a monster soldering iron to put a deans connector onto the contact bars in the stock (it's very simple with a powerful enough iron) and just use standard LiPo batteries. I use these: http://www.componentshop.co.uk/7-4v-1300mah-25c-continuous-discharge-lipo-battery-101mm-long.html
They're a bit of a squeeze to fit in the tube down the side of the stock, but they definitely DO fit.

 

I wouldn't advise getting any of the battery adaptors, they're all really expensive for what they actually do.

[Jedi_Master]

I purchased the HK416D and had Russell at Combat South change the SOPMOD connector for Deans, and have fitted a single LiPo 7.4V 1300mAh 20C. Getting the standard 416D stock meant having a little more space inside than the DEVGRU stock. Just need to get out skirmishing now to try it all out. Thanks for everyones help.

[Randymanpipe]

You popping that beast gun down to green ops this Sunday jedi?

[Jedi_Master]

You popping that beast gun down to green ops this Sunday jedi?

Dying to give it a field test but at the moment no idea what my wife has planned for the bank holiday.

 

Edit: Been given 'permission' to play soldiers in the woods or maybe indoors if wet

Edited August 25, 2015 by Jedi_Master

[Randymanpipe]

If you've been renting upto now, you gonna need a dump pouch for your mags, what mags you running with that bad boy?

[Lozart]

you gonna need a dump pouch for your mags

 

That's not entirely true. You can just reinsert them into the mag pouches. Dump pouches are fine if you don't mine clattering about once you have a couple of empties in there.

[Jedi_Master]

I have a Warrior chest rig which takes my mags and speed loader, as well as a dump pouch for a belt rig if running very light. I am used to putting mags back into the pouch, so will most likely just do that. Keeps the mags secure and quiet.

 

I have 3 of the standard TM 82 bb mags (including the one that came with the rifle) and one hi-cap TM 520 bb mag. Thought that would do to start with.