How To Make Your R/C Traxxas Radio Rechargeable
I really like Traxxas products, but I was surprised to find
that their radio doesn't have a charging jack. Most other companies, such
as Futaba and Airtronics, have jacks on even their cheap radios. This
gives you the option to later add Nicads or NiMH batteries after your finances
recover from the initial shock of buying their products!
This is an easy project. As long as you are careful,
most anyone can do this. You will need to buy a 9.6 Volt charger, a jack, and
some rechargeable batteries. This mod will take maybe half an hour to
complete. You'll need a soldering iron, solder, some wire, a drill and
bit, and a screwdriver.
This is a DIY project, but do this at your own risk. I'm
not liable for any problems you might cause!
Remove any batteries, then remove the screws from the
case. Please note that there is a potentiometer in what
looks like a screw hole. Don't mess with it. Once
the case has been opened up, lay it on the table like in the
picture above. |
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Connect a wire to the solder tabs as shown in the picture
above. Use whatever color wire you wish, but be sure to
keep the polarity correct. In this case, I used black for
the negative connection, white for the positive.
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Here's where I put my charging jack. Make sure you
don't drill the case until after it is taken apart, otherwise
you might drill into something inside the radio. The
connector is out of the way of any of the internal parts, and is
hidden on the back of the radio. Connect the two wires
from the battery tray that were soldered in the previous step. |
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Here's what the finished product looks like. Looks as
good as any factory jack, and is just as functional. |
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To charge the batteries, just connect it to the
charger. No more swapping batteries. |
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I chose NiMH batteries. Nicad may be a better choice
for you. Let me explain. NiMH have a higher internal
resistance and will self-discharge in a matter of weeks.
So unless you charge the radio just prior to use, the pack may
already be weak. Nicads have a much better internal
resistance and will maintain a charge longer when just sitting.
The big plus for NiMH batteries is their incredible
capacity. Just keep in mind everything has a price.
If you keep the pack charged, then NiMH would be a better
choice. |
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Years ago I bought a couple of these chargers and Nicads to
add to my Futaba radios. They probably are no longer
offered, but you can get a similar charger from places like
Radio Shack. Just get one rated at 9.6 Volts, and about 60
mA. Just make sure that you buy a jack to fit your
charger, or you'll need to change the plug to match.
When wiring your jack, make sure the polarity matches your
charger! |
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Last updated 03/09/05 All rights
reserved.
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