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General Information
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Body Posts
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Receiver Pack
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Receiver Packs

Introduction To The Receiver Pack


Powering the receiver on a nitro truck with disposable alkalines can get expensive quickly. There are several rechargeable options out there, so it can be real confusing to know which route to take. So since the move to a rechargeable solution is often one of the first things a nitro owner decides to do, I thought this would be a good topic to shed some light on.

Rechargeable NiMH Cells

One option is to use rechargeable NiMH AA cells in place of the alkalines. However if you do this, you need to remember that a rechargeable NiMH AA battery only gives you 1.2 volts instead of the 1.5 volts that you receive from an alkaline battery. This may not seem like much at first, but when you consider that 4 alkalines give you 6 volts and 4 NiMH AA cells give you 4.8 volts, the difference stands out a little plainer. What this means is that your servos will be operating with 4.8 volts instead of 6 volts, and this will result in them having less torque and a slower transit time. To some people this may not make a difference, in many cases however this is not the preferable method due to the impact on performance and handling.

Rechargeable Alkaline Cells

Another option is to use rechargeable alkalines AA cells. The cells themselves are cheap, and the charger itself is reasonably priced, which makes them a good alternative. They also give you 1.5 volts per cell which means that you will have a total of 6 volts when using 4 cells, so they have an advantage over the NiMH cells in that aspect. However their overall lifespan is nowhere near as long as a set of NiMH cells, often being 5-6 times shorter. So plan on buying replacement cells more often than with rechargeable NiMH cells.

Rechargeable Receiver Pack

The first two options involved the use of AA cells that fit in the stock receiver pack. There is a disadvantage in that method due to the fact that when you change the cells you must physically remove them to charge them. This often requires removing the receiver pack's cover in many trucks. However a third option offers the ability to charge without being removed from the truck and the best features of the other methods above. That option is a rechargeable receiver pack.

You have actually two options when it comes to powering the Losi LST with a receiver pack. You can use either a flat pack such as the Venom 1200 MaH Receiver Pack, or a hump pack such as the Trinity RC5304 Receiver Pack. Either option will give you a full 6 volts, due to the fact it uses 5 1.2 volt cells. With a little creative wiring it can also easily be charged without having to remove it from its normal resting spot.

The preferred setup on the Losi LST would be to use the flat pack. There are two reasons for this. One is the fact that you are moving the weight of the pack lower on the chassis. While the difference overall may be negligible, every little bit helps. Secondly, by emptying the space under the tank where the battery holder resides, you can add rear steering, or replace the stock tank with the optional high capacity tank.

Below is a list of receiver packs that should work for powering the receiver.


Flat Packs



Below is a list of receiver packs that should work for powering the receiver.

Hump-Style Packs



Part One:   Introduction To The Receiver Pack
Part Two:   Wiring A Receiver Pack
Part Three:   Receiver Pack Care

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