flight pack question

[chansen1953]

Hi guys,

I am just revising my flight pack batts, and just wondered if there was a better battery option....

I do not run the receiver&servos on the main ESC BEC power, because of the danger of loss of control if the main battery is drained or fails.

I have been using a voltage regulator set at 6V and powered by a 1300 25C 3S LIPO.
This has worked out fine, but the Lipo can die if you forget to switch off and drain it fully.
This pack typically weights 120g and is 35x25x73 form factor, which is a nice size to fit in the aft compartment under the Rx tray on a standard trex600 style heli.


I have heard about LiFePo4 batteries, and wondered if these might be more suitable.. and I also notice lots of people use a a 2S LiFe battery with no reg. ?

What do you guys think is the best flight battery system to use on a 600 heli ??

one other issue .. do I need a special charger for LiFe or LiFePO4 batteries... ?? My charger only handles LiPo, NiMh, NiCd and Pd cells

[CyprusDave]

Like you, I use a seperate LiPo RX battery on my 600, using one of these:
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...or_Lipoly.html
It has some very bright LEDs to indicate the charge state of the RX battery, which are pretty hard to ignore, I've yet to forget to disconnect the RX battery.

Another, probably better, option would be one of these, connected to the balance connector on the RX pack:
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...rm_2s_4s_.html
I have a similar one fitted to a quad (were the ESC low voltage cut-offs are disabled), and believe me, it's impossible to ignore the buzzer when it activates.

I'm pretty sure LiFe batteries require a different charge program, so going down that road would mean new charger, etc.

Given the low cost and simplicity of the low voltage monitor, I think this would be the best answer

[chansen1953]

thanks dave, My UBEC is a cheaper one, and does not have the warning lights, but yes its a good feature, so I might get a couple of these.