Batteries: What type and how many?

[lespaulrob]

Hello all!

What type of batteries do you use (brand, 150/160/200/other, etc) and how many do you have? I'm doing the noob single battery pack and definitely need to order more. I was just wondering what to get and where to get them, considering my LHS doesn't have anything in stock.

[BigRHS]

I switched both of my MSRX's over to the MCPX battery ( 200mah 30C ) and it has paid off in several ways. I get better flight times, and a little better power, and they are easy to find with good prices.
I have 13 Eflight 200mah and 5-nano-tech 300 mah batteries.
I found some Eflights on ebay for $1.99 plus $1.99 shipping so I stocked up. I just got 3- 300 mah 35 C nano batteries to go along with the 2 I already had from a trade, bit I mostly use those in my MCPX's.
That was another benefit from the switch over to the bigger batteries once I got my 2 MCPX's, it gave me plenty of batteries to fly both.

[Lessthanryan]

The 200mah MCPx batteries are nice but you will need to switch to MCPx skids as well to accomodate. I enjoy the 160mah nano techs. They are very cheap ($1.50) and I have had good life and power out of them. For $1.50 just charge and fly until the LVC hits. I didn't care for the 200's as much. They seemed a bit sluggish but I also had some aftermarket CF skids on and I don't think the little bird liked the weight of it all.

[RCNet]

The problem I found with the nano-techs is that they are fatter than the other 150-160mah batteries and didn't fit the skids.

Otherwise the nano-techs are nice and cheap, and seem to perform just fine.

[lespaulrob]

What is involved with changing the connector out for the 200's? Does it require soldering? I suck at that. haha! Also, where can you buy the new connectors if required?

Originally Posted by BigRHS

I switched both of my MSRX's over to the MCPX battery ( 200mah 30C ) and it has paid off in several ways.

[BigRHS]

I should have said something about the fact that you do need to use the MCPX skids and that the skids fit just a little loose in the MSRX frame, but there are easy fixes for that.
As far as the sluggishness with the 200's, maybe it's just the way I fly or something, but i don't really feel that.
I fly it out doors and fly it hard and it seems fine to me, but we all have our own opinions and what we like and don't like.
I will say though that if you don't want to have to change anything with your bird and want to keep using the 160 size batteries, then stay with the Hyperion, nano tech's or Thunder power's. The Eflights are good, but they never seemed to last as long as the others.
I don't know that I agree with the flying until the LVC hits either. Now again, it's just my opinion, but I have not seemed to have much luck with any battery when i fly it to LVC and then land and recharge. I always time my flights and stop just before the LVC hit's. I believe it's a little easier on the batteries that way. Everybody will hit the LVC once in a while but to do it every flight that way is not good for the batteries. IMHO.
Maybe somebody that knows more then I do can chime in and set me straight.
I just know that since I started timed flights, my batteries have lasted much longer. The batteries don't seem to puff up as soon now and i get many more flights out of them, but i also have a much better computerized charger now which makes a huge difference.

[marsol]

I'm using the 160 mAh Nano-Tech. I have 12 of them, stripped the green front label to make them thinner.
I run them for 4 minute flights, to save battery and motors and recharge 6 at a time with a parallel charging cable.
I'm satisfied so far.

[Metal]

Hyperion G3 series. Little more costly.. but perform very well.

[teepeedoubleyou]

Originally Posted by marsol

I'm using the 160 mAh Nano-Tech. I have 12 of them, stripped the green front label to make them thinner.
I run them for 4 minute flights, to save battery and motors and recharge 6 at a time with a parallel charging cable.
I'm satisfied so far.

I bought quite a few of these cheap off ebay. They seem to run well enough, though I have had a couple die after 20 or so flights. Yes they are too fat to get into the holder on the skids (or more importantly, too difficult to remove). I just cut through the bottom of the battery holder! Now it'll expand to fit the nanos, and normal thickness batteries fit as per normal.

[lespaulrob]

On battery sizes...I've been running stock E-Flite 150's (I have 2) and have been pushing the MSRX pretty hard and haven't had any issues with heat or motor failures. I've been doing 4 minute flights outside and have pretty much had it a full throttle the whole time (note that this is SO much fun, but I keep craving MORE speed!). I've also been oiling my motors after every 10th flight or so with Hoppes #9 Gun Oil.

Do you guys think that the motor failures are coming from the longer runtimes on the 160+ batteries? I've had my mouse hovering over "Buy it now" on some Hyperion 160's for more power/speed/runtimes and just thought I'd ask.

I wonder if I could just sell the wife on letting me get an MCPX.

[stiletto01]

Originally Posted by lespaulrob

Do you guys think that the motor failures are coming from the longer runtimes on the 160+ batteries? I've had my mouse hovering over "Buy it now" on some Hyperion 160's for more power/speed/runtimes and just thought I'd ask.

I wonder if I could just sell the wife on letting me get an MCPX.

I'll chime in about motor failures since i'm on my 8th main.

It's really a crap-shoot. I've had motors fail with less than 30 flights and some last longer than 100.

back-to-back flights defiantly had a factor on the first few.

I think the factory was contaminated with metal dust which settled on the commutator shafts. I've opened several of my dead motors to discover the shafts eroded so much that an entire segment had worn off. Either that or the brushes are too hard.

Lubricants are good. MG's contact cleaner & lube is better.

I also use a heatsink at the top end. it seems to prolong their life a little.


Great battery selection ! I use Hyperion 160's and 240's. Real powerhouses, and if you treat them right you can expect at least 200 cycles (about where I'm at)

[BigRHS]

Originally Posted by lespaulrob

On battery sizes...I've been running stock E-Flite 150's (I have 2) and have been pushing the MSRX pretty hard and haven't had any issues with heat or motor failures. I've been doing 4 minute flights outside and have pretty much had it a full throttle the whole time (note that this is SO much fun, but I keep craving MORE speed!). I've also been oiling my motors after every 10th flight or so with Hoppes #9 Gun Oil.

Do you guys think that the motor failures are coming from the longer runtimes on the 160+ batteries? I've had my mouse hovering over "Buy it now" on some Hyperion 160's for more power/speed/runtimes and just thought I'd ask.




I wonder if I could just sell the wife on letting me get an MCPX.

No, not in my opinion.
I use the 200 mah MCPX batteries and I have only lost 1 motor since Jan. and i have flew the fire out of both of my MSRX's. About once a week I put a drop of Radio shack oil I bought in each of the top holes and 1 drop on the shaft of the motor and like I said, I have only lost 1 motor since Jan.
But i may have been lucky also. I hate to say it's because I use the oil without knowing 100%, but I know it seems to have worked for me.