Rechargable Battery for Spektrum DX3

[fanke19]

I did a search, but came up blank. Either I don't know how to use it...or nobody has asked the question yet.

Does anybody have the ACTUAL part numbers and/or sources that they used to buy their rechargable transmitter battery for the Spektrum DX3?

I'm interested in both Nimh and Lipo.

[fanke19]

Oh yeah...I almost forgot...

It seems like the easiest thing to do would be to buy a couple packs of the normal Double-AA sized rechargables from Best Buy or somewhere like that...but in the past it seems like our luck with those batteries is less than great. It seems like those batteries just don't have the life span that a good soldered pack does.

I don't know...maybe it's just me.

Anyway...any help would be appreciated...as I'm getting runtimes of an hour with my rock crawler and now I'm faced with a huge "alkaline" budget

[Soya]

Well I use 2500 mah nimh's in mine, work fine for me. But it you want a pack, common sense has a 2500 mah lipo:

http://www.commonsenserc.com/product...products_id=32

Spektrum had a 1500 mah nimh on sale soon:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=SPM9521

Or you could go with a 2500 mah nimh pack from JR:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...rodID=JRPB5011

On all of these you will have to change the plug, though.

[mann0mann]

On a DX3, they use a special battery pack that has like a 9-volt terminal on the end. It's not like alot of the airplane radios where they use a servo lead wire.

To my knowledge the largest pack they make pre-built it only 700 mah from JR.

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=JRPB958

So you're best bet really is just to get loose cells. If you don't have a charger, this is a nice package -

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=DYN1975

-Mike

[Nabil]

1. put the 2400 venom AA rechargables in the holder
2. go to radioshack and buy a 9v plug
3. solder a deans to the 9v plug
4. use your charger to recharge
5. un plug the holder from the 9v connecter
6. put holder into radio
7. crawl

FYI. i hate just about everything made by venom. these cells are the only thing i would buy. oh yeah they are 2400 mah too

[Phatmac]

Originally Posted by e-hills4x4

2. go to radioshack and buy a 9v plug
3. solder a deans to the 9v plug
4. use your charger to recharge

x2

before I did this, I just used test leads with alligator clips to go from my charger to the 8-cell holder, I used a piece of paper to separate the alligator clips at the deans plug. Just make sure you double-check the polarity, or you'll let the smoke out of the batteries (oops).

With NiMH, they do have a fast self-discharge rate, if you're not topping them off 1x a week, it's almost better to use NiCd *gasp* because they don't self-discharge as fast. YMMV.

[fanke19]

Thanks for the links. I'm going to call somebody at Common Sense RC and see if they can answer a question or two for me also.

It appears as if they have two battery packs, one that will fit the JR family and another that will fit the Futaba family. But the Futaba model is also advertised as being equipped with a voltage cutoff...but that verbage is NOT mentioned for the JR pack.

[fanke19]

Well, they answered my question...the JR model does NOT come with the voltage cutoff option...he said there is no room inside the battery area of the controller for it. So Futaba guys get a nice little perk there.

[Joat]

If your gonna use nimh go with a ultra low discharge or ready to use nimh batts, sanyo eneloops , that way they dont go dead so fast.
I bought a lipo tx pack for my futaba 3pm 2.4 off of ebay, I am sure ebay has something for your TX

[fanke19]

I think I'm going to spend a little extra and go with the Lipo battery.

[Mnster]

Lipo with no cutoff would never work for me. The reason the batteries go dead 20% of the time is because I left the radio on overnight.

I do see it's advantages though. I'm sure it feels lighter.

[Soya]

If you wanted you could toss in a real small lipo guard or something to be safe with a cutoff

[Joat]

Originally Posted by fanke19

I think I'm going to spend a little extra and go with the Lipo battery.

Actually the eneloops for 8, cost more then my lipo pack $25 shipped for my futaba 2200 mah lipo ,verse eneloops running $14 + for only 4 not including shipping

[Joat]

Originally Posted by Mnster

Lipo with no cutoff would never work for me. The reason the batteries go dead 20% of the time is because I left the radio on overnight.

I do see it's advantages though. I'm sure it feels lighter.

Crazy light, everybody that held my radio did not think it had the batterys in it
I can not leave mine on, the freaking blinding azz blue led wont let me.
I just weighed my lipo tx pack, 145 grams, my 8 cell nimh weighs 222g without the holder , and 3 sony high discharge li ion cells ,1500 mah are 128 grams, but I would have to cut the inside to make the cells fit, which I prob will do later down the road ,since lilo cells are a bit safer

[Nova's Ark]

Originally Posted by fanke19

I think I'm going to spend a little extra and go with the Lipo battery.

I think that is a wise move.

I have a Spektrum DX6 that I used on four different crawlers. The factory battery was a joke and would maybe last an hour. I contacted Kamikaze for a part # and then went to Max Amps and bought a 3S Lipo in 2500 mah from them. The battery has a built in balancer. It has been an absolutely great purchase. The battery last weeks. I only charge it about once a month. It more comfortable to carry since the battery is so much liter. Slowly but surely I am switching all my batteries to lipo.

[fanke19]

I caught this purely by accident on the spektrum website just now...and I thought I would share it with you guys...

Heads Up, Use the right batteries in your Spektrum transmitter for best results
Monday, March 17, 2008

Warning concerning use of non-standard transmitter batteries
Spektrum transmitters are designed to be operated on 9.6 or 4.8 volt Ni-cad or NiMh batteries only. Use of Li-Po or other power devices operating at higher voltage can add heat to the system, possibly overloading the power regulating transistor for reduced output. Despite what aftermarket battery manufacturers might suggest, use of non-standard batteries offers decreased reliability of your Spektrum. Our service department has received failures associated with Li-Po packs.
For increased flight time, please use increased capacity NiMh cells, like the JRPB5011 2500 Sanyo pack. Charge these packs with the JRPC223 9.6 volt 270mAh output charger.

[Nova's Ark]

Originally Posted by fanke19

I caught this purely by accident on the spektrum website just now...and I thought I would share it with you guys...

Heads Up, Use the right batteries in your Spektrum transmitter for best results
Monday, March 17, 2008

Warning concerning use of non-standard transmitter batteries
Spektrum transmitters are designed to be operated on 9.6 or 4.8 volt Ni-cad or NiMh batteries only. Use of Li-Po or other power devices operating at higher voltage can add heat to the system, possibly overloading the power regulating transistor for reduced output. Despite what aftermarket battery manufacturers might suggest, use of non-standard batteries offers decreased reliability of your Spektrum. Our service department has received failures associated with Li-Po packs.
For increased flight time, please use increased capacity NiMh cells, like the JRPB5011 2500 Sanyo pack. Charge these packs with the JRPC223 9.6 volt 270mAh output charger.

Yeah, yeah, whatever. Spektrum told me the same garbage when I called them about a question I had for my DX6. Do you know how many people are using Lipo in their Spektrums? A lot. Spektrum should improve their products and offer better customer service so that people wouldn't have to modify their transmitters on their own.

[Joat]

Can the the spectrum use regular alkalines x 8? if so then their bulletin is b/s
As long as you stay within the voltage of alkalines you should not have a problem so 1.5v x 4 or 8 = 6.0v or 12v ,the only problem I see is with 6.v as lipo/ion is gonna be 7.2 to 7.4 v, but anything using 8 alks or nimh cells can and should be ableto handle any 3s pack

[JAM MaxAmps.com]

Guys I run one of our 2500 Li-Po TX packs in my DX3 my DX3.0 and my DX7. In the DX3 and 3.0 you need to make a little wire harness that you solder to the back of the batery rack tabs in the TX its self. It really easy and only takes minutes to do. I put a deans micro plug on the harness and switch out the Futaba plug on the 2500 Li-po pack with one also. Plug the Li-Po in and your set. you can watch the TX's voltage on the screen and there is no need for an LVC or balance taps on the pack.

It works great and I know it's been a while since I have had to charge my TX'er.

The pack can be found here: http://www.maxamps.com/Lipo-2500-111...Brick-Pack.htm

Oh yeah and with this mod the original battery rack can still be used if need be.

Jason

[mudboger07]

Originally Posted by Nova's Ark

I think that is a wise move.

I have a Spektrum DX6 that I used on four different crawlers. The factory battery was a joke and would maybe last an hour. I contacted Kamikaze for a part # and then went to Max Amps and bought a 3S Lipo in 2500 mah from them. The battery has a built in balancer. It has been an absolutely great purchase. The battery last weeks. I only charge it about once a month. It more comfortable to carry since the battery is so much liter. Slowly but surely I am switching all my batteries to lipo.

lol so whats the part number......