old n slow

I charge the Tx and Rx batteries tonight but can't fly tomorrow. I can't fly for several day for whatever reason. Must I recharge and for how long should I charge using the supplied charger? I hope I am making myself clear. Basically can I charge today and not fly for 5-7 days without recharging?


Old and confused

kingair41

My Feedback: (13)

Get in the habit of alwas charging the night before regardless of the previous charging. The chargers that come with the radios are not constant current chargers meaning that the supplied chargers can vary from more than 50 mils down to under 50 mils depending on the state of the batteries at the time of charging. Develope the habit and have fun.

bbbair

A good set of batteries should hold the charge for a week or two as long as you are storing them in a warm place (cold temperatures will reduce the lifespan of the charge).

A good investment is a Battery Cycler, these magic devices discharge your batteries and bring them back to full charge plus give you a record of how much charge was left in the battery. A handy tool to have.

agexpert

My Feedback: (1)

Invest in a volt-meter and a field charger. Follow the above advice as well, but monitor your batteries at the field. I am buying only lithiums now, both LiPo and LiIon....longer run time and MUCH longer shelf life.

Have Fun!! That's an ORDER!

rajul

My Feedback: (58)

NiCd and NiMH batteries can self-discharge over a period of time. Ni-MH has a higher self-discharge rate (3-4%/day) than Ni-Cd (1%/day). Use a good peak charger, and top off your packs before flying. It is not advisable to completely discharge your packs and re-charge (if you're using a time-based charger), as doing this regularly will shorten the life. Also, do not leave your pack in a fully charged, or almost fully charged state, for a prolonged period, as this will also shorten the life. If you're not going to be flying for a long time, discharge the pack to about 1V/cell

Don M.

My Feedback: (5)

After 20 years in the Hobby I finally bought a field charger ( Sirus Pro Plus ) and it has been one of the best purchases I have ever made. I can charge while I having coffee before leaving, in the van on the way to the field or at the field. I will never be without one again.

WILDCRASHWILLY

I charged up three of my planes last Friday Night, "A WEEK AGO TODAY", and did not get to fly last weekend. As a result I will recharge each plane and my Tx's for one hour tonight. I figure about an hour of charge loss per week on healthy batteries is normal. I have found this works rather well in the past when I got into this situation. Be advised however,,, ALWAYS check your planes with a volt meter prior to flying at the field because sometimes things do go wrong. My Tx's have built in voltmeters. On the planes that I own not equipped with a volt watch, I check with a volt meter before every flight during the day. Overkill I know but, I have found issues between flights that saved planes. If they are low, then I quick charge them from the flight box.

scratchonly

Check "RC battery clinic" on google. This subject is discussed at length. The advice there is to get an inexpensive plug in timer at home depot and charge at normal rate for 1 hour per day when inactive. I used the method this summer and it worked fine. As stated get a ESV, they are a fine low priced investment.

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

As mentioned, it's best to use a "smart" charger with delta peak detection technology, such as the Sirius Pro or the GP Triton 2, which stops charging after the battery pack has reached full capacity. If you use a dumb charger and keep on topping off on a daily basis, then you could overcharge or give the battery pack memory (in case of NiCad) and significantly shorten the life of the battery pack. Once in a while, it's a good idea to discharge the pack down to 1V or 0.85V per cell and then recharge them all the way back up. The Triton, Sirius tester, or other cyclers allow you to do this.

old n slow

Appreciate all the replies. This is the way I'm going. Purchased a couple Voltwatch monitors and have installed them in planes. If I'm unable to fly within two days after charging will put on charger just before going to bed if I know for certain that I will be flying the next day. Also ordered a Hobbico Accu-Cycle Elite from LHS to help keep batteries in tip top shape. Have to much invested to lose over a battery pack.
Again thanks for help.

Ain't this a great site.

Jim