Originally Posted by
XeroMyHero
Back in the 80s when i had tamiya cars they used AA battery for the receiver and they lasted for days with them, The 5 cell NiMH battery that come with these new RTR don't last but a few hours. You can buy rechargable AA batteries if cost is an issue for you. I am looking for run times. I hate batteries, I hate charging batteries for hours just to play for half that time. I want to set up the receiver to where you don't have to put batteries in it every few hours. I was wondering with this new tech how affective running AA batteries are vs. NiMH batteries.
So if you use 4 Duracell batteries and they last all day working the servos, and NiMH 5 cell battery pack only last a few hours. Then I would say the AA batteries are more affective and longer lasting. Now if you only get a few hours with 4 Duracell batteries, then it would not matter what battery setup you use.
In the end I will find out once I get the RTRs and test out battery usage and which ones will last longer. It is odd how this forum pushes Lipo batteries, electric motors, 100+ mph cars. I got a 10 year old and a 14 year old that I want to get them out of their phones and computers and get out side and into a hobby that is some what active. They don't need 100+ mph cars and hit some other kid and brake an ankle, or Lipo batteries that need supervision when charging. or a safety bag in case they blow up. I need it to be plug and play and very simple, but at the same time give them more play time and fun. These are kids.
I will get the cars in a few weeks. I will run tests on batteries and see how long each setup will last. Which ever lasts the longest I will go with. I will post my results to share with others who many have the same questions.
The thing is, you're basing your attitude towards electric rc cars on what you remember 30+ years ago and a lot has changed since then.
First off, modern chargers and batteries give you the ability to charge a battery faster than you can run it down in your car. This means that with 2 batteries you can run nearly non stop. I can literally charge a pack from dead to full in under 10 minutes, while the same battery gives me 20+ minutes of run time in my electric rc cars. Because lipo battery cells have a higher voltage, fewer cells are required per pack. This makes lipo batteries more efficient.
Second off, if you are concerned about the safety of lipo batteries then you need to get rid of almost any portable electronic device in your house as almost all of them have lipo batteries in them. Almost all modern electric rc cars have a low voltage cutoff built in to prevent over-discharging, and almost all chargers are capable of safely charging lipo batteries. As long as your kids have the most basic level of aptitude, they shouldn't have a problem running lipo batteries in their rc cars.