ORIGINAL: KW_Counter
A 2000 mAh 11.3 volt LiPo won't last as long as a
2000 mAh 9.8 volt NiMH. So you need to charge more often.
I haven't seen this at all on pairs of IDENTICAL radios otherwise.
Not only do the NiMH tend to self discharge at a faster rate, but the LiPo packs seem to yield more "safe" flying time.
Though the BIG problem with the LiPo's is once you hit that voltage curve "knee", you have SECONDS to get your plane down... whereas with a NiMH pack you have minutes... so it is better to keep those LiPo packs charged and not let the voltage drop past 10.4v... if it gets that low it's time to recharge.
FYI I'm using 2600mAh LiPo packs on most of my JR gear.
I've tested the new 9503 2.5gHz DSM/2 units up to 16v for long durations with no problems what-so-ever.
Yet I've seen an 11.1v LiPo RX pack blow a recent vintage 2.4gHz Futaba's input circuit... go figure.