HorizonRC.com How To - Understanding RC Batteries

Whether you run a nitro or electric car - regardless of scale, size or speed - your RC vehicle is going to use a battery pack of some type. Unfortunately getting the right battery for your vehicle isn't quite as simple as going down to the local hardware store and picking up a pack off the rack. With so many different sizes, types, chemical compositions and designs, getting the right battery for your application can take some research. We've done the legwork to try to help answer some of the most basic questions for you regarding Ni-Cd, Ni-MH and Li-Po battery packs. From charging, discharging, storage and more - we have you covered.


For more information please visit the links below:

If you like our videos check out our podcast, the R/Cast, every Thursday at

Horizon Hobby is now on Facebook! Visit us at

[horizonhobby]

I was referring to the MSC12L which is $58.49 on the Horizon Hobby Website and is a brushed ESC

[horizonhobby]

@RCHobbiesandMore What's the KV rating on the motor? 3300Kv? If so a good 30-40C LiPo should work well

[horizonhobby]

@jetsman66 It depends on the charger. The first few charges on a NiMH or NiCad pack may take longer as the cells in the pack need to be conditioned before they hit their optimum performance. The best way to think of it is for every 1000mAh of capacity it will take about 10-minutes to charge fully.

[horizonhobby]

I also used the bulb dischargers back in the day with GE1157 bulbs. They would (generally) draw about 2A/bulb but the problem was that it wasn't a constant current. As the voltage dropped so did the amp draw. I will say that I don't cycle LiPo batteries, there's really no-need. For NiMH and NiCad (if you still have them) you can use a 20-30A discharge rate. End voltage for NiMH packs should be .9v per cell or 5.4v for a 6-cell pack.

[horizonhobby]

The ESC is the Electronic Speed Control. The ESC is basically a voltage regulator that transfers the power from the battery to the motor and allows you to have a range of speeds.

[horizonhobby]

all depends on the stock ESC. If it can handle a more powerful motor then you can go with something with fewer turns for better speed.

[horizonhobby]

9.6? Are you trying to use like a Nikko or Tyco pack made up of AA-Cells? If so don't, those cells can't handle the current draw. If it's a Sub-C pack that's different and that would have more speed due to having more voltage than a LiPo.

[horizonhobby]

Yes. Check the ratings on your speed controller, you can exceed the maximum voltage there. Also, even if your electronics can handle the voltage the chassis may not be able to. For example, you could put a 6-cell LiPo into a mini chassis but it would get to be so fast that it would be difficult to control AND the drivetrain components may not be able to handle the power.

[horizonhobby]

Think of C-rating as how well a battery can release it's current. The higher the C-Rating the higher the amperage output. However you can get to a point of diminishing returns. LiPo packs become more efficient when they get a little warm. If you go with a super-high C-rating pack you'll never get to the point of warming the pack up in-use and actually go slower. For most club racing something between 25-35C is just fine, especially for stock.

[horizonhobby]

Check out the version of this on the Horizon Hobby Website. There's a glossary of terms there and the C-rating is listed there.

[horizonhobby]

There are recycling centers setup in many stores and hobby shops. I would suggest you take your old batteries into there and they have collection boxes setup.

[horizonhobby]

A little warm is normal. Can you define hot? If they're getting too hot you could be using too low of a C-rating with a motor that draws too much current.

[horizonhobby]

@lewken9 It will simply run longer. mAh refers to the capacity of the battery.

[horizonhobby]

Depends on what you're looking to do with it. For bashing the Dynamite Silver and Gold series are really nice packs. If you're club racing the Dynamite Platinum packs are really nice, I've raced these myself and done very well. For all-out competition I'd check out the packs from Team Orion and Thunder Power. Both have very good batteries.

[horizonhobby]

There could be if your ESC is not rated to handle that voltage.

[horizonhobby]

@MegaSoccerhero Well you didn't list the capacity of the 9.6v pack so I don't know what the runtime difference would be but the 9.6v "should" be faster, however most times they're honestly not. The 9.6v is popular in toy-grade RC because they're cheap to produce and because they're a bit smaller.

[horizonhobby]

@48clonetrooper The 7.4V 4200mAh 2S 25C LiPo, Hard Case: Deans from Dynamite (DYN5352D) would work well, but you'll need to swap connectors on the ESC to Deans.

[horizonhobby]

I'm personally very fond of the Dynamite Platinum series batteries. I'd check them out along with the line of packs from Team Orion too.

[horizonhobby]

@Doamino41 As long as you use LiPos within the voltage ranges of the ESC's you'll be fine. The main thing is that you need to make sure that you use some sort of LiPo cutoff as neither the Super Cub or Spitfire's ESCs have one. I know I ruined 2 LiPo's in my Spitfire myself because I didn't use a cutoff.

[horizonhobby]

Like I said in the video it is my opinion that LiPo batteries are safer. I have never seen one go off in the pits when being charged correctly. I can't count how many times I've seen NiMH packs go up because of problems. The last one I saw the vents on the top of the cell didn't open when it started to over heat and it exploded right in the pit. It was like someone set off an M80.