Recharging battery packs

[dpilat]

I have a few questions regarding rechargeable 6 volt battery packs:

1. How often should I recharge the battery?
2. How long can the battery be used before having to recharge it?
3. If my servos start randomly jumping around, and I have no control over both servos with my radio, can my battery having a low charge be the cause?

Any input is appreciated

 

[olds97_lss]

1. It's a good idea to charge it/top it off before every bash session.
2. Depends on the pack, servo type, vehicle, servo quantity. With a good pack, decent servos, 2 hours of constant running isn't usually a problem. (1400mah pack/2 150oz servos) That's at summer temps though. I get about an hour in the winter (batteries hate cold).
3. Could be the pack, but usually they just slow down first. Like if you apply full brake and turn the steering wheel, a weak pack will make the wheels turn more slowly than normal.

Sounds more like a bad connection somewhere. Or interference.

 

[dpilat]

The battery pack is brand new, and I am pretty sure I was just running it without a lot of charge. I have a new receiver coming in the mail and I think that should solve my issue with the servos jumping.

---------- Post added at 8:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 8:11 PM ----------

how long does it take for these packs to reach full charge?

 

[BULL1TT_KEV]

If you have a good charger, do about 5 charge / discharge cycles at low amps. Like 0.2 amps for the duration, and make sure you have your charger set to run a long time. LIKE 8 HOURS.

 

[olds97_lss]

It depends on the capacity of the pack and the output of the charger.

If your using a wall charger, they usually run pretty low output. It's stamped on it somewhere in mv's. (output 100mv, 150mv etc.)

If you have a 1400mah pack and a 100mv charger, it will take 14 hours to fully charge.
mah = milli amp hour
1400/100=14

I don't go above 1A to charge my receiver packs whether they are AA cells or 2/3A cells. Most "receiver packs" are 2/3A cells (that's the style/size of the cell, short/fat). 99% of the time, I charge mine at 500mah or .5A just to not strain them as I'm usually not in a hurry.

Same math applies, 1400mah charging at 1A (1000ma) takes 1.4 hours.

If you do cycle the pack as BULLITTKEV suggests, make sure to let the pack cool to room temp before recharging or discharging. Batteries do not like to be overheated. Discharging/charging them causes them to warm up quite a bit.

 

[dpilat]

Here is the battery pack I am currently using

http://www.amainhobbies.com/product...&utm_campaign=Product-Feeds&source=google_ext

After I fully charge it, and I go run the car for about 15-20 min, should I wait until it is fully dead to recharge it, or can I throw it back on the charger every night regardless of how much I use it each day?

 

[hamz9561]

The advantage of a NiMH pack like the one you are using is that it doesn't really have a memory like the old NiCD packs of yesteryear. You can charge them every night with no really bad consequences. If you're going to be storing it for more than a few days, be sure to follow the instructions for storage.