Ni-Mh batteries for RC models

Ni-Mh

— a relatively old type of battery, which, nevertheless, is quite widely used nowadays. Nickel-metal hydride batteries are somewhat larger and heavier than lithium-ion and lithium-polymer models of the same capacity, but they are cheaper and have a number of other practical advantages. Firstly, they normally tolerate high charge and discharge currents — this allows you to power “gluttonous” electric motors without problems, and also contributes to charging speed. Secondly, the voltage of such cells remains stable until almost completely discharged. Thirdly, such batteries are very reliable in general: they are not prone to overheating and fires, have a wide range of permissible air temperatures and are not subject to the "memory effect" (reduction in capacity when charging an incompletely discharged battery). So, although batteries of this type are gradually being replaced by more and more advanced lithium ones, they are still very far from complete disappearance.

In general, it makes sense to pay attention to such power supplies in two cases (in addition to situations where they are directly recommended by the manufacturer of the radio-controlled model). The first case is if the model is planned to be operated in extreme cold or heat, where Li-Pol and Li-Ion batteries “feel bad”. The second is a situation where the optimal type of battery for some reason is not known at all: unlike lithium, Ni-Mh batteries do not have special requirements for power management circuits and can be used in almost any model.