Battery Guide By:Spike Fourm:NSA

[Ripperman79]

Hey guys i just looked for a bit of a battery guide on the site and after a "Thread Titles Only" i found nothing. So i thought this might help anyone new to buying batteries or anyone looking for questions concerning airsoft batteries. Agian this is NOT MY WORK i source this to Spike of the Nova Scotia Airsoft Thread Here: NSA Fourms Battery Guide

Batteries are very important. They make your AEG work and, stuff.
There are 4 general sizes for non-lipo batteries:

Small - used in small stocks and in handguards, usually.
They generally come in 8.4v, and 9.6v packs.
http://www.khmountain.com/airsoft/images/FF024.jpg - small 8.4
http://www.khmountain.com/airsoft/images/FF025.jpg - small 9.6

Large - Used in fullstocks or battery bags
Again, typically come in 8.4v and 9.6v, but can exceed that. 10.8v are not uncommon.
http://airsoft-club.com/shop/images/AS1190.jpg - large 9.6
http://airsoft-club.com/shop/images/AS1191.jpg - large 8.4

Stick - used primarily in AK models. Can have either "mini" or "large" size cells.
http://www.khmountain.com/airsoft/images/FF023.jpg - stick with mini cells.

Nunchuck/Butterfly - used where you have to cram a lot of battery into a small space. Often used where mini batteries would be used, such as M4 handguards. Can come in large or small battery sizes.


Custom - for weird guns that just don't fit regular packs.
http://www.redrc.net/wp-content/uploads ... Rocket.jpg - weird pack.

What do all those numbers mean?
X.Xv - voltage of your battery. Voltage regulates rate of fire, and trigger response. Generally, if you're running a stock gun, use whatever voltage the original battery had. If you're unsure, just run an 8.4v.

xxx(x) mAh - Milliamps per hour. This is how long your battery will last, and how much juice it can output. A big, beefy mechbox won't run on a 600mAh mini battery. A rule of thumb is you get one shot/revolution of the mechbox per mAh. Higher capacity batteries are usually Large type batteries.

Connectors, what are they?

Connectors, if you haven't figured out, connect the battery to the gun.
Most guns come stock with either a Large Timaya or a small Timaya. (http://www.thecrawlerstore.com/images/P ... or_set.JPG)
Generally, these suck. They are made from flimsy plastic, and the pins have a tendency to bend. They also are very small, so the juice coming from your battery takes longer to get through, making the gun less responsive. Picture trying to drink a 2L of pop. Using a timaya connector is like drilling a hole in the cap, and sucking the pop out of it.

Guns that are to be used should be outfitted with a Deans connector (http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/radio ... nector.jpg)
These connectors allow much more juice to flow through (now you've taken the cap off the bottle, and are drinking like that), are more durable, and are generally better quality connectors.

What does NiMh/NiCad mean?

The two main types of battery chemistry in use are nickel-metal-hydrate (NiMh) and Nickel-Cadium (NiCad). NiCad batteries tend to be cheaper than NiMh, but are of lesser quality, in terms of needing maintenance. They must be discharged fully after every use, and only charged completely from a discharged state. They also must be stored fully discharged. If this is not done, the battery will develop what's known as "battery memory". This means that it will hold less and less of a charge, until it's to the point of being useless.
NiMh batteries do not require discharge after use, and can be partially charged with little to no battery memory. They should be stored partially charged, because the chemical compound in them consumes energy. If there is none in the battery when it is charged, the chemicals will start eating the battery itself, which can ruin the battery, and be a hazard.

I found a Smart Charger for $20. Is it any good?

99.999999% of the time, no, it won't be. As i stated in my newbie guide, your charger will be the second most expensive purchase you make. Having a good charger (one that you can select the type, mAh, and voltage) will keep you from overcharging and ruining the batteries.
if you insist on using a 'set and forget' cheap "smart charger", you may (and probably will) end up ruining the battery. Using a wall charger is terrible, because they will continue to charge your battery until it explodes and burns the house down. Using a wall charger is NOT recommended. But, if absolutely necessary, the rule for charging with a wall charger is Mah of your battery divided by the mA of your charger. never use a charger with a larger mA than your battery's mAh, or a charger with a higher voltage than your battery. This will cook the cells.
Some wall chargers will have a trickle charge option when the battery is completely charged, however, these kinds of chargers are usually only designed to be used with one specific kind of battery.
If a wall charger looks like this http://snapcdn-zoovy-2.simplecdn.net/im ... harger.jpg , it's crap. Get a good one.


Get good batteries, it will save you headaches in the long run.

(this is a WIP, I will edit and add [and cover LiPos] later)

[Guges Mk3]

Good start, lots of detail, but how about adding information on Internal Resistance. This is more important then mAH and definitely more important then connector type.

BTW, the Gold Tamiya's made by Prometheus has a 25AMP rating (so I was told)...far better then the alloy ones and renders your soda bottle example incorrect.

[Kos-Mos]

Two posts above yours.

Called Battery FAQs