Oh thanks for letting me know, that one looks nicer and its 4x cheaper

Alright Ill probably buy a couple or few of those so I have more flight time, Would it be advised to upgrade the Transmitter battery later on or no? The one that comes with the Tactic TTX850 is 2000 MAH, I take it this will outlast the cheaper batteries I can buy for the receiver? Im interested in having 2 battery 2 switch for redundancy (just in case)

A 4.8 v 2000 mAh battery is what you will need for the airplane as well. One of those in the transmitter and one in the airplane will let you fly for 2 or 3 hours. (12 to 18 ten minute flights.) If you use redundant batteries in the airplane, you can use lower capacity batteries totaling 2000 mAh or more with the same result.

One of our club trainers is that exact airplane it flies very nicely with an O.S. 40 LA (no longer available) but the O.S. 46LA I believe still is. These are entry level engines and you will be told to use any number of engines from what I just mentioned to a Saito 4-stroke. This is your first airplane - It will be taking some lumps and bumps so you don't need a high end engine. You will likely find a bunch of these engines new and used on E-bay or in the Buy&Sell area of this site. A radio is another matter. Definitely a 2.4 GHz "programmable" is highly recommended. You will likely end up with more than one airplane making the radio key to your happiness. Futaba, JR, Spektrum, and all the others offer what you need. 6 or 7 channels will suit your needs for a long while. If you get into warbirds where you have flaps, retracts, bomb drops, and bomb bay doors you obviously need lots of channels so 8 or more is in order. More channels = significantly more money. Research your needs thoroughly. But just getting started you can get buy with a simple 4-channel Tactic.

Oh wow I didnt know they lasted that long thats nice

I would definitely like an OS for ease of use but Ill probably have to settle for a Chinese engine , Ive already ordered the Tactic TTX850 but am undecided on an engine. the eagle 2 kit is due to arrive today

Does one need different battery charger if using a 2000 mAh jrf? I think I read somewhere that if you charge a battery pack with that much capacity with the charger that comes with a radio it will not reach full capacity and dwindle quickly. I am going to buy a couple receiver packs myself and was going to buy the usual 600 mAh

Calvi

Is there a charger that charges all types or one that is reputable ?
If I do a dual battery/switch for the reciever what would you suggest for batteries? Id like to be able to fly 1-2 hours safely without concern the battery will die.

Mike

Well I think im getting ahead of myself the more I read the more questions I have I dont need to buy the batteries till Im about done with the build right

Yes that is correct, don't worry about that yet, you may want to just use the battery that comes with the radio you choose. Do you have a multimeter?

No I do not, should that be something I get with the battery for rx when the time comes. I assume this is the best fail-safe way to be sure? I read more about dual battery/ switch and that is not something Im ready for. things with Ohm's and voltages go right over my head

you can get a voltage monitor fairly cheaply that should get you going. I use a multimeter while putting the battery pack under a load because I already have the meter. I think you can get a monitor that has colored led's that you can stick to the side of your aircraft that you can acutually see while flying. I just can't find it right now to give you a link. Under $20 I think.

Hobbico VoltWatch2 4.8V/6V Rx Battery Monitor

Thanks I've added that to my list looks like a convenient little device

The chargers that came with most radios charge at 50 mAh. At that rate it will take 40 hours to charge a 2000 mAh battery. You should have at least a volt meter to check the charge on the battery. A fully charged 4.8 volt battery will read 5.4 or more volts.

On the other hand, if you have been using 600 mAh packs and not having any problems, there is no reason to go to larger capacity. The 600 packs are more damage resistant and some say they last longer than the higher rated packs.

Jim

Thanks for the info Jim I use the 600 mAh and test before every flight using my meter and a resistor to give it a half amp current draw. I stop flying at 5 volts. usually 3 flights of 10 to 12 minutes. It is good to know that the 600 mAh is hardier than the 2000 mAh. I think I will stick with what I know. I take out 3 planes when I go to the field so 9 flights is more than enough for me.

Calvi

As long as your charger puts out more current than the battery uses as it self discharges (usually microamperes) and the voltage of the charger is great enough, the battery will eventually become fully charged; it will just take a lot longer. In fact, charging at lower currents is usually beneficial (over fast charging) as the battery will last for many more charge/discharge cycled if always charged at around 0.1C. Now this is for NiMh or NiCad batteries only; LiPo or LiFe are being used a total different story. If using other than a Nixx type battery, a specific type charger is required .