Batteries... Why so large?

[ScaredShooter]

Batteries… Why so large?

I want to know if I’m seeing something wrong, or if I’m totally crazy:

[sorry for babbling]

According to (very) rough estimates of random people online, a typical NiMH battery should provide approximately 1 BB shot per MAH. Henceforth, we expect a 2000mah 8.4v to supply about 2000 shots. This has been pretty true in my experiences, although we must accept that tons of factors lead to fluctuations in battery efficiency; including, but not limited to battery, spring, connectors, etc… We also know that although the ancient NiCd batteries needed to be fully discharged to prevent “memoryâ€

[Icepick]

tl;dr

Share your battery stories! How much do you carry and shoot??

[ScaredShooter]

tl;dr? Something doesnt compute..

[chilicon]

Basically, to shorten this, he's asking why do people carry around 1x 4000 mah NiMhs or 2x ~1000mah LiPos if you only need half that.

Then he asks for how much we carry, and how much of it we use.

That's basically it. I don't know why I read the whole thing.

Also, http://lmgtfy.com/?q=tl%3Bdr+meaning

[ScaredShooter]

ah, too long, didnt read.
Thanks Urban dict.

Sorry. Whatev.

[ScaredShooter]

What an imbecile I now feel like

[Marauder]

I use 2 different 9.6v nunchucks and I've never gone through both of them in one event, which have been up to a night game plus a full day game. I think you're onto something here, though I don't worry about it much as I plan to convert to GBBR's.

[chilicon]

Nah man, it's okay. You just could have shortened it a little.

[ScaredShooter]

Basically, to shorten this, he's asking why do people carry around 1x 4000 mah NiMhs or 2x ~1000mah LiPos if you only need half that.

Then he asks for how much we carry, and how much of it we use.

That's basically it.

..Right so..
Why do people carry so much?
And how much do you carry/use?

[ScaredShooter]

I use 2 different 9.6v nunchucks and I've never gone through both of them in one event, which have been up to a night game plus a full day game. I think you're onto something here, though I don't worry about it much as I plan to convert to GBBR's.

Cool, I have a whole list of worries for GBBR practicality though.
But that's really another story. They're pretty cool, and realistic seeming, so I respect that.

What's the mah rating(s) on your two 9.6vs?

[chilicon]

I usually carry a 9.6v 2300 mah and a 7.2v 2300 NiMh batteries. More then enough, but since one battery came spare, I just like to keep it along just in case one gets too low.

...Can't speak for why other people carry so much, however. :P

[pseudoanimosity]

I've found that larger batteries (in terms of MaH, and NiMh) maintain a higher peak voltage for longer that lower MaH batteries.

Example:

My 4,000 MaH 9.6v battery peaks at about 10.4v when fully charged, and stays that way for about 500 shots

My 9.6v 2,000 MaH battery peaks at about 10.4v when fully charged, and stays that way for about 200 shots.

Also, a quick side note: I feel bad for all you guys who buy your batteries from retailers, seeing as I get mine from http://www.cheapbatterypacks.com for hella cheap.

[ScaredShooter]

That seems reasonable. Yeah, I think perhaps people just end up with extra battery from pretty normal things, such as one coming with the gun, and then you purchasing a better one. Like I said in the little book up top, stuff from Hong Kong comes cheap. While I was paying and waiting for shipping, I decided to add another 7.4v 1000mah to my cart, for an extra $6 I think haha. They were the only ones I could find to fit my gun anways, the custom NiMHs (for Type 97) are more expensive and I'm a LiPo fan.

[ScaredShooter]

I've found that larger batteries (in terms of MaH, and NiMh) maintain a higher peak voltage for longer that lower MaH batteries.

Example:

My 4,000 MaH 9.6v battery peaks at about 10.4v when fully charged, and stays that way for about 500 shots

My 9.6v 2,000 MaH battery peaks at about 10.4v when fully charged, and stays that way for about 200 shots.

Great point! Yeah, I was talking about amperage discharge at the top. It stays more stable with the batteries that have more cells to draw from.

Edit: That has the effect of keeping voltage higher, since your gun basically draws in Watts. It’s not a lightbulb, but watts is the total energy used (volts*amps).. So when it pulls less of one, it has to draw more on the other. That process actually leads to more heat and resistance and more of the original problem.

[Ivan Daylovich™]

Do you really want your battery to just be able to fire as many rounds as you expect to need?
What if you need to shoot significantly more than you expect? You don't want the bare minimum. You want to play it safe.

Next is the price. A 4Ah battery is not twice as much as a 2Ah battery, so why not get twice the capacitance for less than twice the price.

I have a 4Ah battery. I don't need to charge it every game. I had it die on me once after 3 months.