ZERO-322

My Feedback: (2)

Is there any harm in using a 6v 2000mah battery for a AR7000 receiver or should I stick with the 4.8v 1100mah battery that came with my radio ? reason I am asking is someone at the local hobby shop told me not to because it can burn out the receiver , which I have never heard of before so i thought I would ask

alan0899

G'day Mate,
If I were you I would stay away from that hobby shop, the RX will handle up to 9 volts, BUT most servos don't like much more than 6 volts.

redfox435cat

the dude at the hobby shop is a dumb@@@. Which I've found to be common. The reciver can take it just fine. Some servos don't like 6V, futaba retract servos come to mind.

ZERO-322

My Feedback: (2)

well the servos that I am and have used for quite a while now is the Spektrum/JR DS821 which clearly states that they will run off of 4.8 or 6v battery ,couldn't understand why he would say not to do that I figured maybe he knew something I didn't , so as always I figured I would clarify things and ask the question here

Thanks guys !

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

I have those same servos on my Skylark 70 with a 1200 mah NiMh 5 cell (6 volt) pack. It is just fine with that combination. Your LHS guy is a tad wrong.

CGr.

cvause

Always use a 6v or higer battery for Spektrum. You risk brownout with a 4.8V

ZERO-322

My Feedback: (2)

You risk brown out ? now there is something I haven't heard yet either , please can you explain in detail why ?

thanks

Phoenixangel

Brownout is a reboot of the rx,in a low voltage situation these rx's reboot causing a disconnect called brownout buy one of these and it should not be an issue 4.8 or 6v .
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/post...750&toStyle=tm

Redback

I have been running Spektrum for a couple of years now. I must have 7 or 8 receivers, some with 6 volt batteries and some with 4.8.

To date I have not had any problems with receiver lock outs. Only precaution I take is to make sure my batteries are fully charged before going flying!

With regard to the 6volt 2000mAH battery the only thing to be careful of is how you charge it, especially if you use the charger that came with the radio. These are intended to charge a 4.8volt battery at (I think) 50 or 60 milliamps. It seems that they will charge a 6v battery (never tried it myself though), but it will take a very long time.

Good luck

Terry

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

The DS821's are much nicer with 6volts. I just switched toward the end of last year, and it was a pleasant upgrade.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

That wont happen if you use a battery capacity that is appropriate for the installation and check the battery before each flight with a loaded volt meter. I personally wouldn't bother with a voltwatch.

ChuckW

I agree. I've never had a problem with Spektrum receivers regardless of whether I run 4-cell or 5-cell batteries. Of course the smallest pack I probably have is 1400mAh, most are 2000mAh or larger. I use a good chargers so I know how much is getting pulled out of the batteries and how much I'm putting back in. Every plane that I take to the field gets completely charged the night before, I never just toss it on a charger for a short period and think that will be good enough. I cycle them a couple times a year to get an idea of their capacity. There is a volt meter that applies a load in my tool box that goes to the field and I use it. I also make sure all of my batteries are wrapped in foam and secured well in the plane. There is no way to ever completely eliminate the possibility of failure but taking a little extra care can definitely reduce it some.

As for the hobby shop guy saying not to use the 5-cell pack, he is nuts just like everyone has said. A local hobby shop here has people behind the counter who do the same sort of stuff. They know just enough to give bad advice.

Nathan King

Bingo! The browouts stem from current drain in excess of what the battery is designed to handle (which temporarily depresses the voltage), not from 4.8V batteries in general.

The gentleman that helped you at the hobby store is mistaken. Receivers can handle a 6V battery, but as mentioned, some servos have trouble with a fully charged five cell battery. If this happens, you can always use a regulator. Keep in mind that a five cell battery of the same capacity will not last as long as the four cell but will give your servos more speed and torque.

ZERO-322

My Feedback: (2)

Ok so i am to understand that a 5 cell 6v 2000mah battery pack is just fine ? can anyone suggest a good charger that will cycle my battery as well ?

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Depends on how much you want to spend. I have an Accucycle, Triton, and an ICE. All do just fine. Don't rely on the wall-wart type charger for the 6 volt battery. Some say it will work, but I have my doubts. It was designed for 4.8 volt cells no matter what some may think.

Of the three that I have, the Accucycle is the easiest, but I feel that the ICE is the most useful, does all sorts of batteries.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXHDJ1&P=ML

CGr.

ChuckW

I really like the Accucycle Elite: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXEYD4&P=ML

Another good option for less money is the Accucell-6 from Hobby City. The main problem is that it is DC only so you'll have to get a power supply if you want to run it off of AC house current. The price is hard to beat. Looks like they are out of stock though.
http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...lancer/Charger

http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=7373&Product_Name=Turnigy_Accucel-6_50W_5A_Bal/Chrg_(USA_Warehouse)