Dumb Rx Question
 

Now that Ihave some tax money to buy some toys with I have a dumb question to ask. I am lookign at getting the Hitec Optic 6 2.4GHz radio which will come with 2-7 channel Optima Rx's. This is the link to the Rx www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p but I thought I would need a battery pack for the Rx. If so what should Ibattery pack should Iget to run this Rx?

Thanks for the help

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

I use all 6v batteries for the planes. Only exception is the gasser which uses a 4.8v for the ignition system.

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

You need a battery to run the servos and the rx.....if its a regular .40 size plane you need 600-1000mAh 4.8 to 6 volt, most use 4.8 volt as thats what general radio chargers come with....Rog
smaller 1/2a .049 planes run batteries form 110-250mAh 4.8v

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

I am using a Nexstar with a .46 Evo. The tower hobbies site says this about the Rx...

<pre>Operating Voltage: 4.8-7.4V from receiver battery power or ESC<span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">So I am assuming this would work ok? www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p Iwill also be using the second Rx in an EZ* which is why I am getting the Tx with 2 Rx's.</span></pre>

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

Well thats a lot of battery, but like I said your wall charger wont charge it to 6 volts,,,as far as I know, unless you have a separate charger,,my wall charger shows 9.6 volts for the radio and 4.8 volts for the receiver battery...Rog
make sure you dont plug the battery into the rx backwards as that will fry it!!
On the side of your rx it should show -/+/u which is (on the servo) black/red(sometimes black with red stripe)/white

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

That battery is going to add a lot of weight to the plane. Pick up a battery pack made from AA cells as it weigh a lot less

Ken

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

So a 4.8 pack will be plenty then I assume.

This will be fine then? www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

I would say, get a 4.8 volt rx battery which will work with the charger that it comes with. Something like this [link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXBGF0&P=0]battery[/link] or you could get the smaller mah one.

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

Im thinking about getting this charger, unless of course any of you see an issue with it that it may not be a viable solution. hobbyking.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

If you get that charger, then you may want to get a 6 volt AA battery pack like this one [link]http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXNHS4&P=7[/link]

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

Is there a charger that would better suit the battery packs you have suggested? I forgot to mention I already have a DuraTrax Onyx 240 for my Airsoft battery packs. That one would work fine for these kinds of packs (minus LiPo support) wouldnt it?

I will be getting a couple of these hobbyking.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp when Iget my EZ* so maybe the Turnigy charger would be a better choice for those packs?

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

im waiting for that charger to come back in stock, at 25 bucks it one of the best deals in rc, and it will work great w/ those lipo's
for the rx batteries i would use these
http://www.all-battery.com/6v1400mah...connector.aspx
or these
http://www.all-battery.com/6v2000mah...ctor11106.aspx

they should last you most of the day, i have at least 100 of their batteries and they have been working great, no complaints

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

your wall wart will charge either NiCd or NiMh, you want to stay in the 1000-maybe 1400 range,at 4.8 volts,,, thats high, I run 600 to 1000 at most, I do have 1 1400 battery from a previous owner but that was for balance....your not gonna fly all day on any pak, if you want to get 3 or 4 800mAh paks to have one on charge all the time...and get a 12 volt jumper battery from walmart for $30...they come in real handy....Rog

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

So look on line, and see what the manual & manufacturer suggest as a receiver battery.
-Snuts-

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

If You can go to 6 volts . Do it ! Its a win win move. The guys selling servos do not want you to know this.

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

Why wouldn't they want him to know about 6v batteries? Servo companies getting a kickback from the 4.8v manufacturers or something?

OP- if you are going to buy a charger that can charge and cycle 6v packs, it's good to go ahead and have them. If your voltage is marginal you still have some slush until you land and check it, and you get faster servo movement. Greater torque is also a benefit, but you won't notice it on the beginner planes at all.

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

Beginners move on to a plane that needs more servo torque, and are told to buy $150.00 worth of servos. When a 6 volt battery and standard servos from the trainer is all they need.

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

it just depends on how much you fly, and how hard you are flying. i put the 600 nicd aa's into planes i fly 2-5 times at the field. above that and i go to 1400 for the planes i fly around 10 a lot
if i bring a plane out almost all the time it gets a 2000 mah batt so i dont have to charge it every night

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

You really want to go with a 6v, not a 4.8v battery, specifically because you're using a 2.4ghz system.
It has to do with the voltage at which a 2.4ghz will "drop out" and have to relink.

I've been using 6v RX batteries with my 72mhz system for years for the extra servo "uummph" with no ill effects. With the 2.4ghz receivers, you should be using 6v RX batteries from the get-go.

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

Beware that servos are the limiting point for the RX battery voltage. Most receivers can handle 7.4 volts, but not the servos. Most servos are limited to 6 volt operation. There are a few servos that just came out that can take 7.4 volts, but are very expensive and super high performance. You could use a 7.4 volt battery with a voltage regulator, but now you are adding cost and complexity.

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

Very good point.

Well I think based on what I have read I should be on the look out for a AA 2000mah 6v battery pack for my Rx like this www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p. Thank you all for the info. I never knew that this much went into just the batteries for an Rx, although some of these same issues apply to airsoft packs also.

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

HI MY FIRST CHOISE after 20 years of flying w/b NIADS for your RX 4.8 or 6.0 for more performance-you only need 700 mah with standard servos ( 4 -5 servos )you need more mah if using digital servosNICADS handle vibration better than NIMH-you must use 6.0v if using NIMH bats your wall charger will charge your 6.0v bats just takes more hours to get it doneuse an expanded scale volt meter to check for a full charge
you will need a battery cycler to check the condition of the bats from time to time (how many mahs they are holding after some use ) for cyclers my choises a DIGIPACE OR the hobbico ACCUCYCLE-I HAVE a hobbico ELITE BUT DO NOT LIKE ITpeak charging NICAD or NIMH shortens there battery lifethey do not like it so slow charge them over night -i charge my 700mah packs at 50mah on a wall charger with outstanding battery life
THE general rule for standard servos is 100 mah for each servo-and 100 for the RX with standard servos
you will use your battery cycler to condition your bats when they are BRAND NEW so they come up to there rated capacityusually 2-3 cycles are required to get that done
check your batteries -TX and RX for a full charge before every day you are going to fly this should help some ENJOY REGARDS TONY "the omega man "

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

So is it safe to say that my DuraTrax Onyx 240 would not be appropriate for charging these types of packs then?
Would this hobbico.com/chargers/hcam3005.html not be a good item to have in my field box then sense peak charging shortens life span of batteries?
If neither of those chargers are good for what Ineed would it be better to ask this, based on my needs what battery pack would be best for the Hitech Optima 7ch Rx and what charger would be best (without breakign the bank on a nother charger and could MAYBE be integrated into my field box) to charge the suggested battery pack?

Hop im not being to difficult with all of this. :)

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

Hi!
Been in this hobby since 1975...
Charging should be done at home...over night (16-20 hours), Not at the field!!!!!!!
...Seen many new comers that have destroyed their batteries by fast charging. No NiMH cells should be fast charged the first time you charge them...Never! Doing that is sure way of destroying them.

The wall charger that came with the radio is what I recommend to charge your radio batteries (and what I use most of the time my self) All wall chargers supplied with radio systems work with either 4,8V or 6V batteries.
I Charge my Spektrum DX-6i (4,8V) transmitter with one of my JR wall chargers (with the 11v transmitter outlett)
No one uses NICad batteries any more over here in Europe! Are they still available in the US???
NIMH cells are most common and LiFe cells or LiPO are options that work good too.

If you want a fast charger...get one , but use it with discretion!

RE: Dumb Rx Question
 

So can that very same wall charger that gets used to charge the Tx also be used to charge the Rx pack? If thats the case ill just do that then and save a boat load of money and not destroy my batteries. NiCad are still very much available her in the US but as far as them being used in this hobby im not surer how widely used they are.