Fail Safe Unit Question

[wvrednek]

A new track near me is oppening up and they require you to have a fail safe unit on your truck. OK... I read online that you have to use NiCad batteries INSTEAD of alkalines for the unit to work properly. Does anyone know if this is true or is it a sales gimick to get you to buy more stuff?

[Killerush]

I personally like NiMH batteries rather than NiCd. Alkalines will run out faster with the failsafe due to increased load, but will work.

[Grant Tokumi]

It is true. If you use alkalines, you run the risk of experiencing premature failsafe activation, meaning the vehicle could go into failsafe even with fresh batteries. Alkalines don't handle high current as well as nicad/nimh do. When they experience high currents, the voltage drops with it. And the voltage could drop to the point where it dips below the failsafe cutoff threshold, and put the vehicle into failsafe. You may be ok with standard servos, but if you use strong servos or other things that draw high currents, then you could have problems. But no reason to try it out first. Use the alkalines with the failsafe, and if you experience normal operation, then you are fine and won't need the nicads.

[wvrednek]

so which is better NiMh or NiCad?

[AreCee]

so which is better NiMh or NiCad?
Buy the NiMH because those are currently available whereas the NiCads are almost phased out because of environmental issues.

[Duster_360]

I was amazed at how quickly a set of alkalines was drawn down running on my Tmaxx using stock radio gear with a Hitec 645 servo. I could trigger my Ofna failsafe after about a half hours running. I would reset and go back to running, but once it started soon as I did some hard turns or a series of quick turns, failsafe would set again. Was time for new set of batts.

I use 5 cell NiMh rx pacs only now and rarely have the prob (been over a year since last time). I get better servo performance too since servos are supplied with a higher voltage for a longer period that alkalines did which is characteristic of NiMh batts. With alkalines, voltage starts dropping pretty much as soon as you turn them on.

[wvrednek]

hey thanx alott guys ill stop by my hobby shop tonight an get some new batteries:)

[dhutch]

Yeah, NiMHs are better than NiCads. However, a 1200mah NiCad set will still well outlast alkalines in terms of runtime. And also last years if not abused.


Daniel