Battery Chemistries Explained

Different RC applications demand specific energy densities and discharge characteristics:

• LiPo (Lithium Polymer)
  • Voltage: 3.7V nominal per cell (4.20V fully charged; up to 4.35V for LiHV).
  • Key Strengths: High energy-to-weight ratio, massive discharge punch (C-rate), and lightweight construction.
  • Best For: High-performance RC aircraft, EDF jets, fast RC buggies, and FPV drones
• NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride)
  • Voltage: 1.2V nominal per cell (~1.40V fully charged).
  • Key Strengths: High chemical stability, highly forgiving to deep discharge, and simple plug-and-play charging.
  • Best For: Entry-level RC cars, starter kits, rock crawlers, and radio transmitter power packs.
• LiFe / LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate)
  • Voltage: 3.3V nominal per cell (3.60V fully charged).
  • Key Strengths: Exceptional thermal stability, long cycle life, and a native safe voltage for servos without needing a voltage regulator.
  • Best For: Dedicated receiver batteries (RX packs) and turbine jet ignition systems.
• Li-ion (18650 / 21700 Cylindrical Cells)
  • Voltage: 3.6V–3.7V nominal per cell (4.20V fully charged).
  • Key Strengths: Maximum capacity per gram of weight, ideal for low-to-moderate continuous current draws.
  • Best For: Long-range FPV drones, radio transmitters, and endurance thermal gliders.

Soft Case vs. Hard Case: Which One Do You Need?

The external housing of a pack determines its physical protection level and overall weight efficiency.

Hard Case Batteries

• Construction: Internal lithium cells are enclosed in a rigid, impact-resistant composite plastic shell.
• Why Choose Hard Case? Surface RC models (cars, trucks, buggies, crawlers) run in punishing environments. Stones, chassis flex, sharp jumps, and battery strap friction can puncture bare lithium pouch cells.

Soft Case Batteries

• Construction: Cells are wrapped in lightweight heat-shrink plastic with thin aluminum protective layers.
• Why Choose Soft Case? Airframes need maximum weight savings. Soft-case packs eliminate unnecessary grams, providing the thrust-to-weight ratio needed for 3D airplanes, helicopters, EDF jets, and acrobatic multirotors.

What do all these Battery Specs mean: S-Rating and Capacity

Every LiPo label displays three primary numbers:

• Cell Count (S): Indicates how many cells are wired in series to create total pack voltage.

  • 2S (7.4V): Standard 1/10 scale RC cars and small trainer airplanes.

  • 3S (11.1V): Parkflyers, mid-size buggies, and intermediate sport planes.

  • 4S (14.8V): 1/8 scale bashers, high-speed EDF jets, and performance wings.

  • 6S (22.2V): High-power monster trucks, 70–90mm EDF jets, and 60-inch aerobatic planes.

  • 12S / 2x 6S (44.4V): Giant-scale 3D aerobatic airframes and large commercial drones.

  • More cells mean more power! But when a car says that it can support 3- and 4s batteries it does not mean that its good to only use 4s batteries.

• Capacity (mAh): Milliampere-hours indicate fuel tank volume. A 5000 mAh pack delivers 5 amps of continuous current for one hour. Higher capacity extends run time but adds physical weight to the model.

Common Connector Types

Using low-resistance connectors matched to your electronic speed controller (ESC) prevents overheating and voltage drop:

• XT60 & XT90 (with Anti-Spark): High-reliability gold-plated connectors standard across modern airplanes, jets, and custom builds.
• EC3 / EC5 & IC3 / IC5: Horizon Hobby standard featuring secure locking tabs and smart telemetry pins on IC variants.
• Deans (T-Plug): Classic low-profile connector, best suited for low to medium-current sport models.
• 4mm & 5mm Bullet Insets: Direct-pluggable gold terminals flush-mounted directly into hard-case car packs.

Some golden Rules to make your life a bit easier!

• Don’t run them until they're dead: Stop flying or driving as soon as you notice power dropping. Running a LiPo completely flat ruins the cells permanently and makes the battery swell up.
• Put them in "Storage Mode" when not in use: Never leave a battery sitting 100% full or completely empty for more than 2 days. Use your charger’s Storage setting (around 3.8V per cell) so the battery stays healthy on the shelf.
• Always plug in the little white balance plug: Every time you charge, connect both the main power lead and the small balance wire. This ensures all individual cells charge evenly and safely..
• Never charge unattended or on flammable surfaces: Always charge inside a fireproof LiPo safety bag or metal ammo box, away from wooden tables, carpets, or curtains.
• If it looks like a balloon, stop using it: A puffed or squishy battery is a damaged battery. Safely discharge it to zero and recycle it—never try to charge a swollen pack.

Match the Right Pack to Your Setup

Pairing the proper voltage, dimensions, weight, and discharge rating to your motor and ESC prevents component failure and unlocks peak performance.

Need guidance picking the right battery chemistry, high-C pack, or charger setup? Drop by our showroom in Bruges (Maalse Steenweg 367) for hands-on technical advice, or explore our full collection of LiPo, NiMH, and LiFe batteries online.