polyhedron_12

How do I test my batteries on the Rx and Tx? Everybody says that only a moron flys without testing their batteries first.

I have a voltmeter, should I just look for a certain voltage on them?

Or is there a special tester that I should get.

ChopperMike

You didn't say what equipment you have. I'll assume you're flying a nitro heli and not an electric (no need to check the RX batt since the same batt powers the heli's motor). To check the RX battery you need a tester which places a load on the battery. A voltmeter alone won't do it since under load the voltage will be lower. Several different ones are available, some digital some analog.

The TX may have a analog meter in which case you need an external meter to check it. The meter that's on the TX may be reading RF output and if it is reading voltage they usually only give you a relative indication. The same VM you buy for your RX battery can be used for the TX. If your TX is a computer radio it will have a digital display of the voltage so you don't need to put an external meter on it.

Hope this helps,

Mike

polyhedron_12

Yes it is a nitro

I'm using a futaba 9chp Tx

and a FP-R149DP Rx

ChopperMike

Yeah, in your case just use the volts display on the TX and pick up a Hobbico or Hangar 9 Voltmeter to check the RX pack. The problem that can happen is a cell shorting which is more of a problem on the RX since it only has 4 cells to start with. This is why some guys use 5 cell airborn packs. If you lose a cell on the RX and are left with only 3 cells, the radio will work for several minutes and then the voltage comes down to a point where it will stop working. The TX isn't as much of a problem but you will lose some range.

I see a lot of guys when they first get into the hobby not checking their batteries and just depending on the fact that they charged them up fully. Not a good idea!

Regards,

Mike