griesel

I got my Aurora 9 two days ago and of course turned it on for a quick look.
It was beeping; but I kept it on for about 5 minutes.
After an overnite charge; about 10 hours; It was at 100%. After 43 minutes
of on with the transmitter off the battery was at 0%.
The battery is rated at 1300MAH and according to Tower the drain is 300 MA.
which translates into over 4 hours. I took the battery out and hooked it
up to a Hobbico Accu-cycle Elite charger. I used the chargers nominal
values for a Nimh 1300Mah battery 0.5 amps charge; 0.3 amps discharge;
6.6 volts end discharge and cycled it 6 times. Note 6.6 volt is higher than
the Aurora 9's 6.0 volt warning. Also I was not able to change the Aurora
9 at the Nimh setting to 6.6 volts like it can under Lipo settings. Software
fix needed?
chg dchg Mah
458 262
570 427
676 568
794 673
934 771
1052 940
1163 1054
At this point I decided it was good enough as the maximum usage I intended
was about 1.5 hours with overnite charges. I highly recommend charging the
battery for at least 16 hours or more with the supplied wall-wart before you
turn it on. Battery dimensions HxWxL in mm. 14x43x100. The case is 10
mm longer, otherwise the battery is a tight fit. I am hoping someone will
come up with a reasonable priced Lipo for this transmitter like you can buy
for JR's and Futaba's.

GhostRider32

Super cheap.

http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s..._20C_Lipo_Pack

A.T.

Unfortunately, that is the fastest way to "kill" or seriously reduce the capacity of NiMH batteries.All rechargeable type batteries are supplied in a literally dead, or with lipol apartially charged state for safe transport, and must be charged before first use to ensure longevity

1. As supplied, the battery has a "chemical" charge only.
If the battery were to be charged before despatch ex factory, it would be flat before it hit the retailer's shelf.
2. NiMH do not reach full capacity until after at least the third use (charge).
3.NiCD were reasonably forgiving in the event of overcharge / overdischarge / hard knocks but NiMH are not. Majority of NiMH cells have a shorter life span thanwe used to expect of NiCads, best never to exceed 1c or one hour charge rate.
4. Black wire corrosion is just as much if not more evident in NiMH than was experienced with NiCad.

When Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) was introduced in the early 1990s, much was made of its memory-free status.NiMH do suffer from crystal build up also known as "memory" but to a lesser extent than NiCd. No proven research is known that specifies best maintenance except all concur that repeated cycling of NiMH is not recommended because of the shorter service life.
NiMH were introduced solely to satisfy the EU "Greenies" as under the changed CE regulations, it was to become to expensive to continue with the supply and then subsequentreturn to anddisposal by the supplierof thepoisonous NiCD cells. NiCad are still allowed for use by emergency & medical services in lieu of NiMH.


101 re Charging RC Batteries - Titan Energy
Battery University
Battery Comparison of Applications
R/C Battery Clinic - Archived Articles Listing.

More information availableunder "Battery Care, Performance & DIY Battery Packs." at
Alan's Hobby, Model & RC FAQ Web Links

Aurora 9 Mixes, Setups, Tips, Undocumented Features. {frequently updated}

Regards
Alan T.