Which Batteries should I use? (Focusing on the Goggles)
IQ- Apr 17
- 6 min read
We had this question come up a lot, especially for the goggles. I will try my best to explain so you can make the better decision for yourself. This is going to be a tedious read but hang in there!
XT60, what is it?
Hobby grade R/C vehicles will use rechargeable batteries and due to different manufactures and companies producing these vehicles, they tend to use a specific connector. Some companies will make proprietary connectors (so you can only use their stuff) or they will use generic ones.
We decided to go with the XT60 as the performance and availability is more common than the rest. (EC and Deans might argue against this) Knowing this, it is best to get a battery that has an XT60 connector for the goggles. Please see the main picture at the beginning of this post or see the battery connector towards the middle in the above picture.
The second most important is to check the "S" or cell. The goggles can use 2s to 6s batteries so please make sure you get one within those parameters.
Ok, I will get an XT60 battery for my goggles, which one exactly?
The first number that you might see is the "mAh". (We won't go too much in detail but go briefly over this) The "mAh" is basically the storage size of the battery. For example, a 5 gallon water tank can take up to 5 gallons of water. The "5 Gallons" indication is basically the "mAh" for the battery.
mAh = The storage size for power to be stored
However, the larger the mAh, the bigger and heavier the battery will get. Here, we have the most important decision: 1) Bigger for longer run time or 2) Smaller battery for lightweight.
Bigger mAh = Longer run time but bulky and heavy
Smaller mAh = Smaller, lighter, and easier to find a place to hold them but shorter run time
Smaller batteries with lower mAh are lighter, smaller, and more compact. When you are running these batteries with your goggles, you have options to keep them in place while you are in your FPV goggles.
You can have a "clean" setup by using a battery strap or velcro to attach it to your goggle's battery strap and due to being lightweight, you may not even feel like it is there.
However, this is at the cost of run time as they will power on the goggles for a shorter amount of time.
The next choice is a larger mAh battery. They are more bulky, longer, and heavier.
Usually you will need to leave these on your lap (if sitting down) or shove them in your pocket when operating.
A concern might be after you are finished with your FPV experience. If you are not careful, you may end up dropping the battery or the goggle if you are not mindful as they are attached to each other by the cable.
Lastly, there are two different types of batteries:
LiPo: Lithium Polymer
Li-Ion: Lithium Ion
LiPo's are more common in R/C as they can generate more burst power (amps), perfect for high speed, high performance R/C vehicles.
Li-Ion's are used mostly for radio transmitter batteries but they can be drained further for more run time.
Li-Ion's, especially with more cells, are heavier than LiPo's.
How to properly use the battery
This is the rule of thumbs for each battery:
LiPo's must not be used below 80% of its' full capacity
Li-Ion's can go down to roughly 70% of its' full capacity
Each cell for both LiPo and Li-Ion's fully charged is 4.2v. However, the LiPo can only be used safely down to 3.5v (technically 3.3v but it is a good habit to only use them down to 3.5v to keep them healthy)
The Li-Ion's can be drained down to 3.0v (technically 2.5v but good habit to keep them healthy)
Over draining (use) of batteries may permanently damage the cells as they will no longer recharge after use or in some cases, may cause fires. (In a multi-cell battery, if one or more cells are dead and you try to charge them, it might overcharge the good cells and cause fires)
So it is important to not over drain LiPo below 3.5v or Li-Ion below 3.0v.
You can also check this in your goggles as they have a rough "v" readout.
However, the goggle will give you the overall average and here is a "cheat" chart below:
2s LiPo - Fully Charged (8.4v) Stop and Recharge (7.0v)
3s LiPo - Fully Charged (12.6v) Stop and Recharge (10.5v)
4s LiPo - Fully Charged (16.8v) Stop and Recharge (14v)
5s LiPo - Fully Charged (21.0v) Stop and Recharge (17.5v)
6s LiPo - Fully Charged (25.2v) Stop and Recharge (21.0v)
The formula to calculate the average "v" is as follows:
V x Cells = average V
Example: 4.0v x 2 (cells) = 8.0v
Another thing to point out, the goggle's average "v" count is estimated and not exact so it might be best to shut it down before hitting the actual stop and recharge time to ensure you don't damage the battery.
Breaking down the "run" time
We'll go with 3 batteries for simplicity:
4000mAh LiPo
4000mAh Li-Ion
1000mAh LiPo
The rough average for the Goggle X amp draw is 0.35a
4000mAh LiPo's 80% number is: 3200mAh (this is the lowest it should be drained where the "v" would be at 3.5v)
So, we can only safely use 800mAh for this battery.
(4000 - 3200 = 800)
Formula: 800 / 0.35 = 2286 (rounded up) which means 2.286 hours or...
2hrs and 17mins
Now, using the same mAh but it is a Li-Ion:
4000mAh Li-Ion
3hrs and 16mins
Why do we get almost an extra hour off the Li-Ion? Because we can use almost 30% on the Li-Ion rather than 20% on a LiPo.
1000mAh LiPo
34mins
Conclusion for goggle battery choice: By sacrificing weight and the compact form factor, using a larger battery for your goggles will add 1hr and 43mins of run time. This might be important when you are out in the field and charging is not available or worry about switching out batteries.
R/C battery
To calculate the run time might be more tricky for the XplorerHD camera due to the different settings that will drain less or more. However, the key is to keep an eye on the average "v" meter in your goggles.
It is the same formula if you are using a LiPo to power on the camera (and possibly your R/C vehicle)
Here it is again: (LiPo ONLY)
2s LiPo - Fully Charged (8.4v) Stop and Recharge (7.0v)
3s LiPo - Fully Charged (12.6v) Stop and Recharge (10.5v)
4s LiPo - Fully Charged (16.8v) Stop and Recharge (14v)
5s LiPo - Fully Charged (21.0v) Stop and Recharge (17.5v)
6s LiPo - Fully Charged (25.2v) Stop and Recharge (21.0v)
We do HIGHLY recommend using the piggy back harness included in the kit to power on both your R/C and the XplorerHD as you will only have to manage 1 battery, keep the weight down on your R/C, and it is an easier way to operate and store the battery.
The potential draw back is that your R/C might not have an XT60. Don't worry, there is a very easy solution.
We have this issue with our EDF choice, the FMS Viper 70mm, as it uses EC5 connectors. You can basically find all different types of R/C conversion connectors that will work with the XT60.
Another thing, the camera kit can only take up 6s batteries (25.2v) so if you have an R/C that runs 8s, it is better to power it off of one battery (most 8s cars uses 2x 4s batteries) or might need to run a 3rd battery to power on the XplorerHD.
Also, if you have an R/C that only runs on 1s, you will need a separate battery to power on the XplorerHD as the minimum voltage "v" needed to power it on is 7.0v.
I hope this helps clarify your needs on the batteries and if you have any questions, please contact our support team at support@ironquad.com or DM on instagram.
We look forward to your next adventures and please share your moments with us by tagging us on YouTube or Instagram!
If you want to check our system out, please click here: https://www.ironquad.com/xplorerhd
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