I was contemplating switching over to 2s lipo, but was concerned that the nominal and peak voltage of 2s would be too high. So, I contacted Spektrum and listed my mod and asked about using 2s lipo.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by My Email to Spektrum
I have your DX3r radio system. I know it works fine on 4 AA
batteries, but I like to use rechargeables. But, 4 NiMH cells is only
4.8v, not the 6v that 4 alkalines provide. So, I modified the battery
tray (removed the spacer) to use 5 NiMH cells. This has been working
great for the last several months but was wondering what the max voltage
the radio can take? 5 NiMH cells is exactly 6v nominal, but can get as
high as 7v freshly "peaked". I usually wait a little while to let the
battery voltage drop back down a little to be safe.
Ideally, I'd like to use 2s lipo, but 8.4v peak voltage is quite a bit
higher than the rated 6v of 4 alkaline AA's.
And yes, I know I voided the warranty in performing the modification.
Thank you!
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And their response:
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jeff at Horizon Hobby
Hello Brian,
Thank you for contacting Horizon Hobby.
You would be completely safe using just 4 rechargeable as the system is
designed to operate that way, modifying it to use 5 cells is not going
to electrically damage it as it will also work safely up to 6 volts. DO
NOT use a 2 cell LiPO as that will defiantly damage the transmitter.
Again, thank you for contacting Horizon Hobby, if you have any further
question, please feel free to contact us again.
Jeff
Product Support Team Member
Horizon Hobby
4105 Fieldstone Rd.
Champaign, IL 61822
877-504-0233
217-403-3582 fax
productsupport@horizonhobby.com |
So, it seems that 2s is a no-go, unless regulated. But if regulated, the voltage meter won't show the true battery voltage which risks discharging them too low. Regardless, I've found that the Spektrum voltmeter is not accurate anyway, it seems to be always ~0.4v lower than what the batteries really are. But, it looks like 5 NiMH cells is fine.
Despite the system being designed for 4 rechargeable cells, the cutoff voltage of ~4v (~1v/cell) is a bit low and range has to suffer. So, I think I'll stick to using 5 NiMH cells...