lottostud2000

I have a 6 volt nimh battery pack in my plane ( 2000 mah ) I have beem charging it with the charger I got with my cap 7 radio for 2 years I can fly for 1 to 1 1/2 hours now the guys I fly with say I can't do that and I would like to know why ( Seems to work for me )

ro347

My Feedback: (13)

Whats bad? You cant charge with TX charger....or fly for 1.5 hours?

Well...By charging with the original TX charger....you are unable to cycle to determine the condition of the battery at the present time. Your battery might be going bad and you might not even know it. An aftermarket charger allows you to read whats going in and coming out of your pack when you charge /cycle. If you are intrested in upgrading..check out the Hobbico accu-cycle elite or something similar. Someone on here was selling one for $85 /new in the classified section - which is a good deal.

And again....you've been using this battery for 2 years....and have no idea of its condition. It might be on its way out, but you wouldnt know until something bad happens.

redfox435cat

the guys at the feild are used to 600mAh nicads that last about 45 min

Either way iff your going to push the limits of the battery capacity you need to get a computerized charger cycler. I recommend the triton 2.

also you need a volt meter to check the planes voltage at the feild. the plane doesn't give any pre warning when the battery gets low, some like to think "when it gets slugish I'll bring it down" NOOOO. The thing shivers for a second and quits. This is for nitro planes, disregard for electrics, the motor cut off is plenty warning to bring it down.

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

The other issue would be that your wall charger that came with your radio is designed to charge 4.8 volt batteries so your 6 volt pack has more than likely never been charged to it's fullest. If you are up sizing your voltage, you do need a charger that is designed for it. Good Luck, Dave

KW_Counter

A wall wart stated to charge a 4.8 volt 600 mAh battery will charge
a 6.0 vollt 2000 mAh battery - it will just take a long time.
I do it all of the time. It just means I plug it in Thursday night
instead of Friday night to fly on Saturday.
The reason they work is because they charge at a voltage that is higher than the battery.

I do recomment you get a charger that will cycle and monitor battery charging.
I have the Triton 2 and it does a very good job.
Hobby King has some good chargers atgreat prices - check them out.
It is good to cycle your batteries once or twice a year just to see how they are doing.

Irecommend you check out the battery forum here at RCU.

Good Luck,
KW_Counter

rich141

i am wanting to chang from nicad to nimh and would like to learn the differance of the batterys
dose any one know a web site that will give the right info

KW_Counter

Rich,
Check out Red's RC Battery Clinic:
http://www.hangtimes.com/redsbatteryclinic.html
His normal link www.rcbatteryclinic.com does not seem to be working today.
Also, there is a battery forum here on RC Universe.

NiMh and NiCd batteries are very similar in their treatment.
They need to be formed and charge with the same equipment.
Memory is not a problem in either but I like to cycle twice a year to check them.
NiCds contain a heavy metal and need special disposal.
Usually Home Depot has a disposal box.
They are not as environmentally friendly as NiMhs.

I prefer NiCds as they hold their charge longer on the shelf.
Also, if NiMhs sit long enough they need to be reformed in order to get them
working properly again. They just seem to be a higher maintenance item.
However, when working they do the job just fine.
These are my opinions based on my experience.

Not sure what other info you are looking for.

Good Luck,
KW_Counter

Rodney

These are all good sites for factual information on batteries.
http://www.rcbatteryclinic.com
http://www.camlight.com/techinfo/techtips.html
http://www.whenshtf.com/showthread.php?t=2153
http://www.srbatteries.com/nimh.htm
http://dansdata.com/gz011.htm
http://users.frii.com/dlc/battery.htm
Your use of the charger you are presently using is very good. Your batteries will last longer using this slow charge method than they will using the faster charge that so many are using now. Unless your time is limited on how long you can charge, no need for a more expensive charger. The recommendation to monitor your battery with a loaded voltmeter before flights is a good one; even better, put a Voltwatch on your plane and check it before and after every flight for very reliable battery status.

jaka

Hi!
Do you still have NiCad's!???
2100-2800 mAh NiMH cells (AA size) is what is used mostly over here. NiCad's were out many years ago due to their enviromental harzards.