karolh

Are the 700 mAh battery packs that are currently the standard issue with most new radios really adequate to operate the average sport/aerobatic .60-1.20 size model using 4 or 5 servos. I know some folks will say that all radios use to come with 500 or 600 mAh batteries but for present day situations should upgrading to say an 800 mAh battery be considered as the way to go.

Karol

Rodney

You should be able to get by with these, you will just be limited to fewer minutes of flight between charges. This is a good place to have a Voltwatch installed to enable you to easily check battery status after each flight to be sure you can safely get one more.

karolh

Thanks Rodney, as for keeping tabs on the available battery power I use a DVM with a simulated load feature to check the onboard battery's status after every couple of my usual 10 mins. or so flights .

Karol

pumbadog

I read in one thread that the 2.4 radios draw less power and the 700 mah battery will last longer. I went ahead and bought a Lipo battery though. I'd hate to watch a plane fly away or crash because I ran out of juice.

karolh

What size lipo did you buy, anyway I'm giving it serious thought to change to some 800 mAh nicads from Hangtime Hobbies. Don't know why radio manufacturers don't get with it and supply batteries with larger capacity than 700, instead of only doing so for their top of the line models.

Karol

pumbadog

11.1v 2500mah

http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp...ROD&ProdID=967

Works fine in my Airtronics.

jaka

Hi!
700mAh...? Over here in Europe most radios come with 1500mAh NiMH batteries.
But there are 2800mAh batteries available in all radio stores if you want to have more capacity.

karolh

Wish it were so at this end as only the very top grade models do.

Karol

sgillmore

My Feedback: (50)

Does anyone else get the feeling we're not all talking about the same thing?

karolh, would you please clarify whether you're talking about the battery in the transmitter or the receiver battery in the plane. Judging by the responses, you're question is being interpreted both ways.

In your original post you ask, "Are the 700 mAh battery packs that are currently the standard issue with most new radios really adequate to operate the average sport/aerobatic .60-1.20 size model using 4 or 5 servos." That question leads me to believe that you're asking about the receiver battery. If that is the case, there are a lot of variables that should be factored into your decision. That said, I never use anything smaller than a 1500mAh Ni-MH RX battery anymoreeven in a 40-size plane. If you're using a JR/Spektrum 2.4Ghz system, I would strongly recommend a 6V RX battery if your servos can handle it.

foresterxt

My Feedback: (35)

I was just wondering that the other day. Why the heck do vendors still include 700mAH receiver packs with a $300+ radio. NiCad none the less! Can you even still buy NiCad packs?!? LoL. I pull both transmitter and receiver packs and replace them with 2000+ mAh Nimh packs.

karolh

You are right in your assumption, but along the way the thread seems to have wandered to include the Tx also. Strange how times have changed as back in the late 70's when I ventured into R/C a 500 or 600 mAh battery pack was the order of the day.

Karol

onewasp

Rodney

One reason for the NiCad is reliability. NiCad's still rule over NiMh in all respects except for size for equivalent capacity and are not as toxic when you throw them away. NiCad's will generally outlast NiMh by a two to one factor in usable charge/discharge cycles, are more resistant to damage by overcharge and/or deep discharge and, for high current applications, will have less internal impedance than NiMh. In general, especially for transmitters, the best choice for battery type is NiCad. Do not be misslead by the so called memory problem, it just does not exist in the way we use batteries. A good discussion of the memory myth can be found at http://dansdata.com/gz011.htm

karolh

Enlightning post ..... thanks.

Karol