This Futaba transmitter's voltage meter reads 10.9 at almost full charge. It may quickly drop to 10.0 but stay there for the next hour or two before dropping to where the alarm goes off (roughly 8.8 volts).
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This Futaba transmitter's voltage meter reads 10.9 at almost full charge. It may quickly drop to 10.0 but stay there for the next hour or two before dropping to where the alarm goes off (roughly 8.8 volts). |
Q-10: I have a Futaba T6XA transmitter with an eight-cell 600 mAh capacity Ni-Cd battery pack. I tested the pack on a cycler and determined it had an actual capacity of 585 mAh. When I get to the flying field the meter reads 10.9 volts then in 15 minutes of operation it is down to 10.5 volts, and then in 15 more minutes it is down to 10.2 volts. Is this normal?
A-10: Since you tested the battery pack and found that it was close to the rated capacity of 600 mAh, yes, it is normal! Most RC transmitters consume approximately 200 to 250 mA total current when in operation. With the usual 600 mAh battery pack, you should be easily able to obtain approximately two hours of operation.
A typical Ni-Cd battery’s voltage tends to drop off rather fast initially, and then it reaches a point of 9.8-10.0 volts where it will remain constant for quite a while. I’ll bet that you would obtain the two hours of operating time before the voltage got down to 8.8 and tripped the alarm built into your transmitter.
If the two hours weren’t enough, you can purchase AA-size NiMH battery packs of the same physical dimensions with capacity ratings upward of 2000 mAh. That would provide six hours and more of operating time. But if you did that, you would need a new charger that is capable of much more current.