It's an exciting time to be a modeler. Recent years have seen major advancements in the world of R/C electronics from heading-hold gyros to digital servos. The batteries that are used to power these wondrous devices are also seeing significant advances, and one of the companies leading the way is Skyborn Electronics. Skyborn's line of PowerfLite™ Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) battery packs and accessories provide modelers that have unusually high power demands a lightweight alternative for powering their on-board electronics.

Maximum Power, Minimum Weight

The big advantage of PowerfLite Li-Ion battery packs is their extraordinary ability to provide three times the power of typical Ni-Cd or Ni-MH cells in half the volume. Unlike their lithium metal cousins, Li-Ion batteries are completely safe and stable. As their name implies, Li-Ion batteries contain lithium in its ion state, which is very stable and non-reactive. In fact, Li-Ion batteries have been used reliably for several years in all sorts of consumer electronics from cell phones to camcorders. It has only been since the inception of the PowerfLite line of batteries that this marvelously compact power source has made its way to the R/C market.

The PowerfLite Line

Using a variety of Li-Ion configurations, PowerfLite has created one of the most diverse receiver battery lines available anywhere. All configurations are either 7.2V or 14.4V. The 7.2V packs require a voltage regulator to adjust the voltage to 6 or 4.8 volts. The more powerful 14.4V packs are designed for use with a PowerfLite Multi Voltage Module (MVM). The MVM adjusts the battery's voltage to proper levels and can distribute its power to as many as three different on-board applications at once. There are three MVMs to choose from, each with different combinations of 5A, 3A and 2A connectors.

PowerfLite SUPERBatteries: These receiver packs use a more conventional cylinder-type Li-Ion cell that is a little larger than the cells used in standard 4.8V Ni-Cd and Ni-MH packs. Only two of them are needed to create the 7.2V packs, which range in capacity from 1200mAh-4000mAh. The 14.4V packs require four cells and are available in 1400mAh-4000mAh capacities. These packs are ideal for sport and large-scale airplanes.

PowerfLite Prismatic Power Bar: These unique packs use cells that are rectangular and have an aluminum casing. They stack better and are lighter than cylindrical cells. With just a few exceptions, almost all of these packs measure a compact 1.5" x 2" x 1.2", making them a nice fit for small-scale sport planes, helis, and sailplanes. Both the 7.2V and 14.4V varieties are available in 1200mAh to 2400mAh sizes.

PowerfLite Polymer Power Bar: The most compact batteries in the line, PowerfLite Polymer Power Bars use a gel-type Li-Ion chemistry that is encased in feather-light Mylar. They are about the size of a credit card and range in thickness from 1/3" to about 1/2"-perfect for park/slow flyers or as separate power sources for auxillary applications.

The 7.2V versions are available in a wide variety of capacities ranging from 570mAh all the way up to 1140mAh. There are three 14.4V packs to choose from: two different 570mAh versions and a large 1140mAh pack.

PowerfLite packs can only be recharged by PowerfLite chargers. Operation is simply plug-and-charge. The 7.2V charger features an LED to indicate charge status-red to indicate charging and green to indicate when the charge cycle's complete. PowerfLite offers three versions of the 7.2V charger that differ only in the number of packs they can charge at once. The PF-2501 has one charge lead, the PF-2502 has two, and the PF-2503 has, you guessed it, three. The bigger, more powerful 14.4V packs require PowerfLite's PF-3000M. It, too, is a simple plug-and-play type charger but requires the user to time the charge, as it doesn't indicate charge status.

The PowerfLite Possibilities

While by now you've probably thought of all sorts of ways PowerfLite packs can make your life easier, check out the handy diagram opposite to see how a single PowerfLite 14.4V pack and MVM can simplify a typical sport plane setup. As you can see, PowerfLite's phenomenal line of Li-Ion power solutions offers modelers all sorts of lightweight alternatives for power hungry applications.