Battery life on the 9303

[fletchnuts]

I'm considering purchasing a 9303 and I was curious what the expected battery life of the transmitter is when using the standard battery that ships w/ the tx. Can someone give me an idea of how often I'll need to charge it if I spend a day at the field? Is it worth it to buy a bigger battery pack?

[capebob]

If you use the supplied battery you will have to charge every day. I don't recommend fast charging a JR transmitter battery in the transmitter because of the $#%@ fuse. I bought a 2100ma NiMh battery and I'm good for all day and then some.

Bob

[marked23]

The stock 600ma battery is likely good for just under 2 hours of use.

I too bought a 2100mah NiMH battery. I usually let it go more than two weeks before I charge it... and even then, it's just down to 10v or so. I figure I'd get about 8 hours of radio time.

http://hangtimes.com will sell you the perfect replacement pack.

One more thing... a higher capacity battery is going to weigh a bit more... and change the balance of the radio... see what I did to fix it (http://www.helifreak.com/viewtopic.php?t=8665).

-Mark

[fletchnuts]

Great, thanks for the info! So if I'm using it for sim stuff, can I leave it plugged in (w/ the provided charger), or do I have run the battery down and then recharge?

[marked23]

No, don't just leave it plugged in. Run it down to below 9.6v and then charge. You would do best to get a good computer charger. Having one will help you maintain your batteries and never overcharge them. Something like the Duratrax ICE charger is a good all-around charger.

-Mark

[xircom]

Great, thanks for the info! So if I'm using it for sim stuff, can I leave it plugged in (w/ the provided charger), or do I have run the battery down and then recharge? using the original charger, the light is off when the plug is in, so I suppose not ?