Batteries: Varying Voltage et al

[hardfourteen]

I have an electric Evader which calls for 7.2V battery. Can you alter to saying 7.4 or 11.1?
Can you substitute Lip0 for NiCd or NiMh? or vs versa? Just waiting for Spring!
Dave

[P3tras]

It depends on a model. Could you post more information/links about your car so maybe we'll know the answer

[hardfourteen]

I have several rc's. I was just wondering in general if switching voltage can be done or should be left as is. I know I can increase from 1500 to 3000 and so forth but was just wondering about voltage since i have a fair variety of batteries NiMh NiCd Lipo (alkaline  )

[P3tras]

If the voltages on your lipos and niXX are close enough (~3V), I think it should work OK

[hardfourteen]

Thanks, maybe give it a try and see what happens. Won't be the first - or last - time if I wreck something!
Dave

[P3tras]

Just make sure that you plug battery in right polarity (red wire to red wire, black to black). I did that mistake once when I plugged lipo battery to nimh plane

[jdr00ejr]

Here's my experience for what its worth...

I have a toy grade Monster Truck from Radio Shack that I got years ago as a gift.  Was around $100 at the time.  It asks for a 7.2v battery.  One day I wanted to drive "again" without waiting for the battery to charge so I slapped a 9.6v I had laying around in it.  It worked - but everything got much hotter much faster.  Now, I've done this hundreds of times in the past 5+ years with no issues.

HOWEVER...

I am playing with some really old 20+ year RC Cars/Monster Trucks that I was given from my Step-Dad as they were simply collecting dust in his attic.  The Speed Controller on them is Futaba and says it's only rated at 7.2V to 8.4v.  I wouldn't dare put a 9.6v in it.

I've thought about the Lipo Route...but I think for now I'm going to stick with the 7.2v to 8.4v Nicd or Nimh.

That's my 2 cents on the subject...

[5 cross your lip]

the problem is the brushed ESC is they dont have a lipo cutoff so you risk the damage of your lipo...another thing that most brushed
ESC wont take the C rating of the lipo and will get very hot and you risk the chanch of burnning up your ESC and/or your motor so check with the manufacturer of the ESC to see if it is posible to use the lipo regardless of battery voltage...i burned up a ESC testing out this theory and lessend the life of a modifided 12T motor (had to replace the brushess)

[tcprogrammer]

The motor and/or ESC could possibly be damaged by the increased voltage, however usually it takes more than 1 or two volts to do this.  As for a higher C rating: this alone cannot damage anything.  The C rating measures the constant current that the battery can deliver before it overheats.  The battery CANNOT 'push' current into something and damage it.  The current must be drawn from the battery by something (like the motor.)  Too high (or in some cases too low) voltage CAN damage electronics.

The motor+ESC will draw a certain amount of current based on the throttle with no regard for the battery.  That is true for any battery type.  You have to check the rating of the motor and then buy a battery with a high enough 'C' rating so that it can handle the expected current draw.