DX6i rechargable battery..

[Mojo]

Hi All,

I have just joined a Club and the rules are that you have to have a rechargeable battery flight pack in your Tx. I have checked my DX6i and it doesn't look like i can remove the battery bay (so i can put the molded 4 battery NiMH pack in).. I asked and they said i'll be ok with using individual rechargeable batteries in the Tx and securing the bay cover.. So i guess i have to get an adapter and use the recharging plug on the side..

Question is..

With 4 dry cells i get ~6V, does the lower voltage of the 4 rechargeable batteries (4.8V) be good enough to safely transmit? And if so, does the amperage of the rechargeable batteries make a difference? (as they are available in different mA. And if so, which ones should i get?

Any advice will be appreciated..

Cheers,

Mo

[JeromeF]

The higher the amps the longer duration you will get. I'm not too keen on using the DX6i @ 4.8v so I just use normal Duracel batteries. But there are no rules at my club, it's my backgarden and the green out the front of my house hehe.

It might be safe though.. Anyone comment?

[cjcj1949]

You'll get about 5.3v after charging and letting it settle down. Check the volts after using the tx and recharge at 5.0v. Don't forget it's a JR centre -ve charger you need. 4.8 volts is pretty empty. You can fit a rechargeable pack and solder it. Someone at you rclub has probably done it.

Chris

[Mojo]

You'll get about 5.3v after charging and letting it settle down. Check the volts after using the tx and recharge at 5.0v. Don't forget it's a JR centre -ve charger you need. 4.8 volts is pretty empty. You can fit a rechargeable pack and solder it. Someone at you rclub has probably done it.

Chris

Hi,

I don't think anyone in my club has seen a DX6i before They were surprised it only had 4 batteries! They all run DX7, DSX9 and Futaba Radios.. They were cool about me fitting rechargeables into my radio though.. I'll try to jam a flight pack into my battery bay and soldering the connection.. If it doesn't work because of fit, i think i'll just have to use the individual NiMHs and buy a charger.. (and keep an alert eye on the voltage)..

The higher the amps the longer duration you will get.

I guess the highest mA it is then, but is that longer running time at a given voltage?

Mo

[JeromeF]

I guess the highest mA it is then, but is that longer running time at a given voltage?

Yes it will give longer running time at teh same given voltage.

[cjcj1949]

Hi,

I don't think anyone in my club has seen a DX6i before They were surprised it only had 4 batteries! They all run DX7, DSX9 and Futaba Radios.. They were cool about me fitting rechargeables into my radio though.. I'll try to jam a flight pack into my battery bay and soldering the connection.. If it doesn't work because of fit, i think i'll just have to use the individual NiMHs and buy a charger.. (and keep an alert eye on the voltage)..



I guess the highest mA it is then, but is that longer running time at a given voltage?

Mo

That's milliamps. I hope you mean mah. Same amps more hours.

[Mojo]

Yeah it's mAh, my mistake sorry

Cheers,

Mo

[sacko]

Just out of interest, but why do the club require you to use rechargeables? What's the difference between using them and just replacing non-rechargeable batteries when they are low?

[acwman]

Seems a bit weird to me aswell!

Just out of interest, but why do the club require you to use rechargeables? What's the difference between using them and just replacing non-rechargeable batteries when they are low?

[Balders]

My understanding regarding voltage on the Dx6i was that the Tx doesn't really care if voltage is starting to drop off (until it warns you of low voltage). What I mean is signal power being transmitted is not relative to volts available to the unit. I use 2700mah rechargeable's and they last forever. Having said that, I recharge them pretty regularly when flying, but leave them in when using Phoenix for ages and ages.

On the issue of using battery packs, I'm pretty sure what's been discussed before is the fact that packs are soldered together and then have a plug, as opposed to being held in by springs. This is what some clubs can be "funny" about.

[Mojo]

That is what I was told when I asked and it seems to be the reasoning behind it.. As they're soldered together and plugged in.. There is no chance of a battery falling out as the springs wear out with usage.. (In case the battery cover is pulled of accidentally or something)..

[Mart61]

I've been using 2700mah rechargeables in my DX6i since I've had it. I get something like 5.6 volts on completion of charge and fly on Phoenix for hours until the warning beeper goes off.

And the reason they won't allow ordinary batteries is? Is the club ran by a bunch of sandal-wearing cyclist environmentalists?

[acwman]

That is what I was told when I asked and it seems to be the reasoning behind it.. As they're soldered together and plugged in.. There is no chance of a battery falling out

Ah... got it, so in unlikely event of the battery cover inadvertently falling off, instead of a one battery falling out, if they're soldered together, they can all fall out at once

[barryorbik]

Mojo, I use the GP 2700 NiMH batteries in my DX6i and can easily get 4-hours flying time before they drop from 5V6 to 5VO volts. I think the DX6i may reduce the transmitter power when the trainer/Pheonix lead is in, as I too can get days playing on the sim without recharging. Point Blader made point about the rule being probably because a rechargeable pack is plugged or soldered in seems invalid as putting in rechargeable AA batteries is the same as dry AA batteries i.e still uses the battery retaining springs to provide electrical connections. May be your club has missread the BMFA rule on no dry cells in receivers. Which club did you join?

Barry

[Mojo]

It's my local club in Buxton.. I think they all use the packs that are plugged in to the transmitter (there is no springs involved) I saw one of them on DX7s.. So I think since all the batteries are bound together and the whole lot is plugged in using a clip in adapter, even if they all fall out they are still connected to the Tx with the clip in plug (however this snapping with the weight of the falling batteries is another matter in my opinion )..

I think the whole point is to secure the batts in the Tx.. So using rechargeables and securing the battery cover with tape or something would do the trick and I can recharge them without fiddling with the cover and springs etc..

But just as easily in my opinion I can use the dry cells and tape the cover and replace them when I need to.. But hey, I thought if they're happy with my single rechargeables then I'll just get them..