Battery Confusion    Gallery
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as Guest



Users viewing this topic: none
    Search This Thread  
 
Printable Version

All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> Giant Scale Aircraft - 3D & Aerobatic >> Battery Confusion
Page: [1]

Tower Hobbies Get Coupon Codes Brands  
Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
Battery Confusion - 9/25/2012 6:33 AM   
RCP57


 

Posts: 391
Score: 100
Joined: 3/3/2002
Last Login: 5/18/2013
From: Brookshire, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Did a lot of reading and I am still confused. Tried reading the Battery section but there are too many different types of applications there. All I am interested in is giant scale planes. I am getting back into the hobby after a 2 1/2 year layoff, plane is a good 7 years old. Man has battery technology changed. Got rid of my old NiMH batteries but would like to know what everyone is using. Plane is a 35% Yak with a DA100, DSM2 radio equipment. Figured a simple 2500 mah 6v AA NiMH pack for the ignition would be fine. But what about receiver packs. Mah is not the issue, but battery technology is at least for me. LiPo, Li-ion and so on. Bought some Fromeco A123 packs but not too keen on not being able to check to voltage. What is everyone running in giant scale planes? Bring an old flyer back up to battery speed.

_____________________________

Later,
Mike

Hide Signatures
       Post #: 1

RE: Battery Confusion - 9/25/2012 1:41 PM   
BarracudaHockey



Posts: 18350
Score: 280
Joined: 7/13/2003
Last Login: 5/17/2013
From: Jacksonville, FL, USA
Status: offline 		A123 on the ignition and reciever. If it were me I'd run a 1100 to the ignition and dual 2300's to the reciever.

Don't get caught up in the voltage checking, its something everyone that comes from nickel based batteries has to get past in their brain but let me tell you, its all I run in my big stuff. Fly a flight or two, charge the battery and see how much goes back in. It will tell you how many flights you can get, divide by two for safety sake. They charge so fast and easy at the field, and hold a charge forever.

No regulators, fast charging, no self discharge. Really no downside.

I get mine from www.wrongwayrc.com

Also, if you have one of the older DA ignitions I wouldn't run it on 5 cells, and if you go A123 get a voltage drop down diode. Their newer ignitions will run on higher voltage.

_____________________________

Andy - Helicopter Forum Moderator
AMA 77227 Leader Member- Contest Director
www.JaxRC.com

Hide Signatures

(in reply to RCP57)
       Post #: 2

RE: Battery Confusion - 9/25/2012 2:47 PM   
K-Bob


 

Posts: 1206
Score: 169
Joined: 11/27/2009
Last Login: 5/18/2013
From: Anytown, USA
Status: offline 		+1


_____________________________

K-Bob. The K is silent. "The only time you can have too much fuel is if you are on fire"

Hide Signatures

(in reply to BarracudaHockey)
       Post #: 3

RE: Battery Confusion - 9/25/2012 3:43 PM   
evan-RCU



Posts: 3857
Score: 105
Joined: 2/5/2002
Last Login: 5/19/2013
From: Charlotte, NC, USA
Status: offline 		+1 sorta... I still run NiMh in my 103" Yak and you can get low self discharge ones at a great price through, where else, Hobby King. If going lithium the A123 or the LiFe packs through HK. Lots of choices now and if you use lower voltage A123 or LiFe and have 6.0 volt servos you don't need a regulator.

_____________________________

Revver #125, Pico Owners Club #3
R/C Anonymous. My name is Evan and I have not flown for 14 hours.

Hide Signatures

(in reply to K-Bob)
       Post #: 4

RE: Battery Confusion - 9/25/2012 3:47 PM   
Zeeb



Posts: 3366
Score: 111
Joined: 11/11/2004
Last Login: 5/19/2013
From: Highland, UT, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: BarracudaHockey

No regulators, fast charging, no self discharge. Really no downside.

I get mine from www.wrongwayrc.com

Also, if you have one of the older DA ignitions I wouldn't run it on 5 cells, and if you go A123 get a voltage drop down diode. Their newer ignitions will run on higher voltage.


+2 since I'm not sure if "sorta" counts.... lol

Andy is right on target and the DA ignition module will have to be pretty old to not take A123 voltages, DA can tell you which serial numbers are affected if the OP is worried.

The other thing for the OP is that you've inadvertenly stumbled into probabaly the best (IMHO) solution available despite your reservations and while I like Fromeco most of my stuff does come from WrongWay RC these days....

_____________________________

Zeeb

Hide Signatures

(in reply to BarracudaHockey)
       Post #: 5

RE: Battery Confusion - 9/26/2012 4:35 AM   
RCP57


 

Posts: 391
Score: 100
Joined: 3/3/2002
Last Login: 5/18/2013
From: Brookshire, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Good thing with the Fromeco batteries is that you can order them with the internal balancer. I have one of their ION Cube charges which they don't make any more but it works perfect. Been looking and the new HiTec 4 port charger but it does not charge A123 batteries.

_____________________________

Later,
Mike

Hide Signatures

(in reply to Zeeb)
       Post #: 6

RE: Battery Confusion - 9/26/2012 1:54 PM   
BarracudaHockey



Posts: 18350
Score: 280
Joined: 7/13/2003
Last Login: 5/17/2013
From: Jacksonville, FL, USA
Status: offline
quote:

Been looking and the new HiTec 4 port charger but it does not charge A123 batteries.



Sure it does

_____________________________

Andy - Helicopter Forum Moderator
AMA 77227 Leader Member- Contest Director
www.JaxRC.com

Hide Signatures

(in reply to RCP57)
       Post #: 7

RE: Battery Confusion - 9/26/2012 7:32 PM   
opjose



Posts: 12247
Score: 280
Joined: 11/26/2005
Last Login: 5/19/2013
From: Poolesville, MD, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: BarracudaHockey

No regulators, fast charging, no self discharge. Really no downside.



Re: Regulators

I learned how problematic regulators can be the hard way.

I put an 8A regulator on my plane to power eight high torque servos and one regular servo.

Everything was fine until I hit the forth or fifth servo connection.

When turning on the plane the servos would freeze or start moving erratically.

Or if everything came up correctly, moving more than a certain number of servos at the same time caused the same behavior... ( no there is absolutely NO binding anywhere... )

It turns out that each servo throws a momentary spike as it powers up and of course while it is in motion. This puts a very fast transient on the line that overtaxes the regulator, exceeding it's capacity for a fraction of a second.

I ended up with two 8A regulators on the plane to eliminate this problem.

Each regulator had IMHO fairly small CAPs, so I assume that's the main reason for the problem.

NiCD's and NiMH batteries suffer no such issues as they can tolerate the momentary high draw with aplomb.





_____________________________

Don''t worry, be happy and fly something!

Hide Signatures

(in reply to BarracudaHockey)
       Post #: 8

RE: Battery Confusion - 9/26/2012 8:19 PM   
tande


 

Posts: 925
Score: 100
Joined: 12/23/2003
Last Login: 5/19/2013
From: Millington, MI, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: BarracudaHockey

A123 on the ignition and reciever. If it were me I'd run a 1100 to the ignition and dual 2300's to the reciever.

Don't get caught up in the voltage checking, its something everyone that comes from nickel based batteries has to get past in their brain but let me tell you, its all I run in my big stuff. Fly a flight or two, charge the battery and see how much goes back in. It will tell you how many flights you can get, divide by two for safety sake. They charge so fast and easy at the field, and hold a charge forever.

No regulators, fast charging, no self discharge. Really no downside.

I get mine from www.wrongwayrc.com

Also, if you have one of the older DA ignitions I wouldn't run it on 5 cells, and if you go A123 get a voltage drop down diode. Their newer ignitions will run on higher voltage.

Or this http://www.electrodynam.com/rc/EDR-207/index.shtml .....I've been using this regularly & it works just fine....FWIW

Hide Signatures

(in reply to BarracudaHockey)
       Post #: 9

RE: Battery Confusion - 9/27/2012 4:29 AM   
RCP57


 

Posts: 391
Score: 100
Joined: 3/3/2002
Last Login: 5/18/2013
From: Brookshire, TX, USA
Status: offline 		I had a long talk with HiTec today and advised them that a hobby shop owner told me that the Hitec x4 would not charge A123 batteries. Mike @ Hitec was nice enough to give me a lesson on batteries which I appriciated. Looks like the charger will charge LiFe which is the same as A123.

I also spoke with Desert Aircraft today about running A123 batteries with their ignition. They told me there was no problem at all because once under a load the batteries are stable at 6.6 volts.

Even an old fart can learn.

< Message edited by RCP57 -- 9/30/2012 5:06 AM >

_____________________________

Later,
Mike

Hide Signatures

(in reply to tande)
       Post #: 10

RE: Battery Confusion - 9/28/2012 12:57 AM   
Cobra1



Posts: 511
Score: 100
Joined: 2/15/2002
Last Login: 5/19/2013
From: Monrovia, MD, USA
Status: online 		A123 since 2008 on both ignition and rcvr. My 50cc edge uses about 200mah per flight. I fly 8 times and put about 1600mah back in the pack. This has not changed in almost 400 flights on this one airplane. Love my A123s.

Hide Signatures

(in reply to RCP57)
       Post #: 11

Page:   [1]
All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> Giant Scale Aircraft - 3D & Aerobatic >> Battery Confusion
Page: [1]





Jump to:


 
Google 



Search | Marketplace | Event Calendar | Local Clubs | Magazine | Product Ratings | New Products | Discussion Forums

Photo Gallery | Instructor Search | Field|Track|Marina Search

Advertisers | Hobby Vendor Resources | Rate Manufacturers | Sign In/Sign Up

SITE MAP!   : :   FORUM RULES

RC Universe is a service of Internet Brands, Inc. Copyright © 2001-2013.

Charities we support that also need your help
Yorkie Rescue | Humane Society | ASPCA | Crohn's-Colitis America


0.281RCU1