ratshooter

I have a JR 8103 radio that has a battery pack from superbatterypacks.com that deosn't hold its charge. Their website is down and has been for a while. I can't find a pack locally for a decent price. One hobby store has 1200ma packs for $25 but the owner has been sick and doesn't open very often. So can you folks recommend a place to get a new pack? The pack I have now is a 2250ma pack and takes 45 hours to charge with a wall wart. Can I use a smaller pack like a 1100-1500ma pack that will charge a little faster? Like in 24 hours or so?

Thanks for your help. I can program the radio and so forth but I just don't know much about electronic stuff. I don't mind ordering on line and would like to buy local. I am in the Ft Worth Tx area and have checked with Roys and JTs hobbies. There is supposed to be a hobby shop in Weatherford that caters to electric stuff but I can't find a phone # for them.

I was checking the JR subforum and a poster named Fizzwater IIRC said he prefered Nicads over NiHi packs which is what I have now. Opinions on that are also welcome.

grizzly59

http://www.radicalrc.com/category/Tx-Packs-NiMHNiCd-20

Sanyo Eneloop 2000mah NiMH AA 9.6V 8-Cell Tx Square Pack

Sanyo Eneloop 9.6V, 2000mAh, AA 8 Cell Square Pack.
Sanyo's new more environmentally friendly NiMH battery.

Most guys are using this now days.
$39.00

BuschBarber

My Feedback: (2)

3 cell LiFe/A123 is the best choice, with Eneloop close behind.

grizzly59

The 3 cell LiFe/123, I am interested in this type of battery. Does the transmitter read the voltage of the battery properly and show it on screen. I am afraid to go under 9.6 volts. Thanks.

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

I've been using a 3S LiFePO4 battery (folks call 'em A123 type) in my JR transmitter -

The meter does read properly. 9.6V is a good cutoff voltage (3.2V/cell) to recharge at. You could go to 9V (3v/cell) but the battery will drop pretty fast at that point, I wouldn't recommend it.

Fully charged, the 3S battery will be 12.6V. It'll last a long time between 12.6 and 9.6.

You can't charge them with your wall wart charger that came with the radio. I charge mine through the battery's balance connector with my Cellpro Multi-4 charger.

Just don't forget and leave the transmitter on, run the battery clear down. It may not recover from that (the battery).

I got mine from Hobby King, planning on ordering a couple more soon.

ratshooter

Hoosier thanks for the link. I have ordered an 1100ma NiCad with the JR plug on it. Their email stated it should be here in about 3 days. Wow, what fast shipping. I went with a Nicad because I suspect thats what the radio came with from the factory. I have never had a problem with a nicad. I have never had a problem with a NiHi either. Anyway this should fix me up. So thanks for the help. TT

grizzly59

I have a Multi 4 charger. I see settings for 123 batteries at something like 1100 mah a 2300 mah batteries. Which setting do I use for a 1500 LiFe and what charge rate should I use for this particular battery?

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

You can use 1C, or 1500 ma (1.5 amps) and use the A123 settings -that gets you the correct cutoff voltages, etc, for the LiFe battery.

Of course, you can also charge at a lower rate, like 1A, it just takes a little longer.

I've modified the settings in my multi-4 to charge some 500 mah and 700 mah 2S batteries (LiFePO4, A123, whatever..) that I use for receiver battery packs - and I haven't bothered to correct the "fuel gauge" part of the Multi-4 charger. The 1100 and 2300 settings that come stock with the charger correspond to actual A123 brand batteries and have the "fuel gauge" tables for those batteries in there. I don't use that information, just charge 'em up when i want to use them..

ratshooter

I just got in and checked the mail. My new battery from Radical RC was in the box. That took 48 hours or less for these folks to process my order and have it to me. Thats just great. They will have my battery business in the future. Thanks again Hoosier for the link to these fine folks.

grizzly59

You are welcome. Happy it worked out good for you. I have bought batteries there quit often since I started the hobby in 1999.