Tips On Powering RC Servos, Receivers, Radios and Vehicles with LiPos, Voltage Regulators and BECs

Practically all radio controlled vehicles have rc servos onboard. Those servos need power. How are you going to provide it?

The most common is to equip a glow-powered vehicle with a 4-cell NiCD or NiMH battery pack plugged into the receiver. This works, but certainly has its weaknesses; namely weight and limited scalability. A better alternative is to use lithium batteries because of their low weight, long run times and high power output.

Electric-powered vehicles commonly use the electronic speed controller (ESC) to divert a little bit of power to the receiver and servos. This works as long as the battery voltage is not too high and the servos are not too powerful.

These two methods don’t work in all cases, but they do suggest solutions that will. One solution is to equip a battery that is dedicated to powering the radio system, and this is controlled by a voltage regulator. The other is to leech the power from the motor’s battery through a battery eliminator circuit (BEC). These dedicated devices can supply the exact voltage you desire, and can handle any situation.

Voltage regulators take in a slightly-too-high voltage (6V – 13V, though it varies) and send out a voltage that the servos are happy with.

Indeed, you are often given the choice of a few voltages in the range servos can accept (4.5V – 6.0V). More voltage makes the servos faster and stronger, so using the highest voltage your servos are rated for is a simple way to maximize their performance.

The most common battery to power a voltage regulator is a 2-cell lithium polymer, like the Thunder Power Pro Lite 2s1320 or the Thunder Power Receiver Pack 2s3400. These Li Poly batteries are used because they are extremely light and have no self-discharge.

Battery Eliminator Circuits (BECs) take power from the main battery and reduce the voltage for the r/c receiver and servos. BECs are for electric-powered vehicles, rc helicopters, rc airplanes, rc boats and some versions can handle high voltages (up to 50V). This means your R/C vehicle can operate with only one battery.

There are a few important things to look for while shopping for your next rc radio system power solution. Specifically, pay attention to specifications on input voltage, output voltage, and output current. Because these devices exist for all sizes of remote controlled vehicles, it is very easy to buy one that is too large or too small for your application. Get the size and model right, and you’ll be confident in your servos’ performance and consistency. It’s a good feeling.

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