Battery's affect on gun condition

[Convenant]

Hello,

I would like to ask the more experienced and knowledgeable members of the community to enlighten me on the impact of the battery on the gun's performance. I plan on using a 8,4V on a VFC HK416, and I'd like to know if it would be worth it for me to invest in a better battery considering the following:

- I will be playing semi 90% of the time
- I do have a smart charger

1) Will a bad quality battery affect the gun's durability/damage the gun?

2) If so, which type of battery does the community recommend?

Thank you!

[Windows]

The short answer is no, A poorly performing battery will not damage your gun.(unless it is damaged to the point of thermal problems). The only factor of weather a battery will damage your gun is voltage under load. The higher the Voltage, the more current and stress you will put on your gun. Also, if you have a very powerful motor, this can also adversely effect the life time of your internals.

The type of battery I recommend is completely dependant on your gun and what you plan to do with it. Typically I recommend 11.1 Lithium type as they have very high performance for a given weight and size. The high voltage and low internal resistance allows fast trigger response and high rates of fire. But that's not to say other batteries don't have their uses.

[Spadona]

The safest bet would be to always buy batteries with the same voltage as the one that came with the gun, or recommended in the manual. Usually these would be 8.4v batteries, but most guns can safely use a 9.6v with mild stress on its internals.

A higher voltage results in better trigger response, and high rate of fire.

The second property you should consider is its amps, which is often denoted by mAh (ex. 1600mAh). This determines how long your battery would last.

[SuperHog]

The motor needs voltage to perform. 11.1V gives it more life and torque for a fast cycle. The only drawback is stock trigger switches burn out faster than 8.4V. You really need to look at upgrading to a MOSFET trigger system.

[KenTsui]

Lipo, obviously. Better performance in general in compact sizes. 11.1V Lipo's have better trigger response, but I'd get a mosfet for sure to prevent contacts being burnt.

7.4V if you don't want to mess with a mosfet, though there's no reason not to. It's the first thing I do to every one of my guns.

[ThunderCactus]

Originally Posted by SuperHog

The motor needs voltage to perform.

High voltage is bad for a motor, amperage is good, that's why industrial servo motors are all 220v 3ph instead of 480/600v
It's also why most of us recommend the 7.4v LiPo for stock guns, generally same power output as a 9.6v mini but with much less trigger arcing due to the lower voltage.

I'd recommend the 7.4v LiPo, or a 9.6v mini battery if you don't want to get into LiPo. If you find the ROF too slow with the LiPo, you can upgrade the motor or gearset to increase ROF.

[Kos-Mos]

Originally Posted by Windows

The short answer is no, A poorly performing battery will not damage your gun.(unless it is damaged to the point of thermal problems). The only factor of weather a battery will damage your gun is voltage under load. The higher the Voltage, the more current and stress you will put on your gun. Also, if you have a very powerful motor, this can also adversely effect the life time of your internals.

The type of battery I recommend is completely dependant on your gun and what you plan to do with it. Typically I recommend 11.1 Lithium type as they have very high performance for a given weight and size. The high voltage and low internal resistance allows fast trigger response and high rates of fire. But that's not to say other batteries don't have their uses.

Not exactly how it works.

Ohm's law. High voltage = low current and vice-versa for constant load.

Current causes heat.
Voltage causes arcing and carbonation/oxidation of switches and motor commutator.

While it is better to have higher voltage, there is a very narrow spot where the voltage is high enough to minimize damage and still reduce appreciably the heat generated by current.
However, motors work solely from current draw. The more current they can pull, the more torque they generate. Voltage = maximum speed.

To answer:

9.6v NiMh or 7.4v LiPo are good start.
11.1v LiPo or anything higher than 9.6v NiMh is for pure speed and will cause damage over time.
8.4v is actually the perfect voltage if you can fit a large enough battery. Any full-stock gun usually can, and 7.4v 6000mAh LiPo fits, or 5000mAh 9.6v NiMh. Both are large enough to deliver a hefty current and let your motor perform.

[ThunderCactus]

I hate that there's so much to explain to noobs about batteries these days -_-

[Azathoth]

Kos-mos you forgot to talk about the difference between a large 9.6 nimh pack vs the small type.

TL;DR
The type of cell used in the pack wil have an impact on your performance. 2/3a, sub C, 4/5 SC, 4/5 A

For non-LiPo chemistries, typically the larger internal volume of the cell the better performing the pack will be.

Originally Posted by ThunderCactus

I hate that there's so much to explain to noobs about batteries these days -_-

I don't think much has changed people were just more ignorant of what is available. Connectors, small vs. large type cells, wire quality and material, wire jacket etc.

[Kos-Mos]

Originally Posted by Azathoth

Kos-mos you forgot to talk about the difference between a large 9.6 nimh pack vs the small type.

TL;DR
The type of cell used in the pack wil have an impact on your performance. 2/3a, sub C, 4/5 SC, 4/5 A

For non-LiPo chemistries, typically the larger internal volume of the cell the better performing the pack will be.





I don't think much has changed people were just more ignorant of what is available. Connectors, small vs. large type cells, wire quality and material, wire jacket etc.

It was implied, since 99% of people won't be able to identify a 2/3A from a Sub-C. Capacity is easier to explain since they have a direct relation to the size of the pack.

BTW, it also applies to LiPo packs. Higher drain rate packs are a lot thicker than low drain or B-Grade packs.

[Azathoth]

Originally Posted by Kos-Mos

BTW, it also applies to LiPo packs. Higher drain rate packs are a lot thicker than low drain or B-Grade packs.

You are correct. I was thinking surface area and volume somewhere and missed something.

[ThunderCactus]

Have you tried explaining how a LiPo works to a complete noob recently?
There's a lot more to it than;
Buy a 9.6v mini NiMH
Buy a $35 pirahna charger
shoot until the gun stops cycling, throw the battery on the charger and jerk off for an hour

Now you gotta explain discharge rates and amp draw and why higher voltage is bad, why lower voltage on a LiPo isn't a bad thing, mosfets, the dangers of LiPo's, and after having said "it could light on fire" a dozen times you now have to convince them that they're actually really safe to use and have huge advantages to NiMH lol