How to Charge RC Car Batteries

RC, or remote-controlled, cars are a fun toy even for adults. Their only downside is that the batteries go dead quickly. Many RC cars provide additional batteries so that you can keep a fully charged one ready to go. Maintaining an RC car's battery is a routine that will make it easy for you to always have a charged battery for your RC car and never have to wait for the fun to start. This process provides a longer battery life, no memory development and full power when you use the battery.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Charger
• Extra battery
• Outlet

1. Plug the charger into a wall outlet. The best place to set up your charging station is in a place where it won't be in the way or need to be moved in the middle of a charge.

2. Hook the battery up to the charging pack. Some batteries have a cable that runs from the adapter and plugs into the battery; others may have a base to sit the battery on.

3. Ensure that the charging indicator is on. Most of the time this is a red light that only glows when the battery is hooked up to the charger. Some also have a meter to show the charging process.

4. Leave the battery to charge for at least 8 hours. Allowing a full charge each time will help your battery continue to charge completely instead of "thinking" that it is fully charged after only a few hours. Batteries can develop a "memory" and not charge after a certain time, if that is what it has become conditioned to.

5. Unhook the battery for use and repeat the process with a backup battery. Cycling the batteries this way means you always have a full one to use.

Tips & Warnings

• Besides charging fully, you should also drain the battery fully before charging it.

Resources

• RC Truck N Car Tuning

[diamonddann]

on 10/13/2009 NiCad

If you have a Nickel Cadium battery you need to use the following equation:

Battery capacity x 1.4 / Charger Output

For example:

For a 600mah small battery on a 250mah charger: 600 x 1.4 / 250 = 3.36 hours

For a 2400mah large battery on a variable charger charging at 120: 2400 x 1.4 / 120 = 28 hours


NIMH

Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are less charging efficient and use the following equation:

Battery capacity x 1.5 / Charger Output

For example:

For a 1050mah small battery on a 250mah charger: 1050 x 1.5 / 250 = 6.3 hours

For a 3300mah large battery on a variable charger charging at 120: 3300 x 1.5 / 120 = 41.25 hours

[diamonddann]

on 10/13/2009 I don't know who this fool is. Don't listen to what he said above. He doesn't have the first clue about how to charge an RC battery. He is making the same mistake that thousands of uneducated people make all the time when they go to charge their batteries.

I own an online toy company, and have been doing this for over 10 years. I really want the correct information to be available to consumers because when it is not, it is me and other companies like mine that have to deal with the dissatisfaction of the customers.

HERE IS HOW TO CHARGE AN RC BATTERY!!

NiCad

If you have a Nickel Cadium battery you need to use the following equation:

Battery capacity x 1.4 / Charger Output

For example:

For a 600mah small battery on a 250mah charger: 600 x 1.4 / 250 = 3.36 hours

For a 2400mah large battery on a variable charger charging at 120: 2400 x 1.4 / 120 = 28 hours


NIMH

Nickel Metal H...