What is the best battery / charger best for summit ?

[Gobigorstayhome]

I am a nitro nut . I have the two tmaxx's and the jato. one for speed , one for bashing/ jumping . My son has the stampede . the batteries don't last long in the stampede . I seen the summit and wanted one . I will be getting one but I wanted to know what is the best batteries for it and also a charger as due to mine only charges one batt at a time . need to know mah also . Thanks<_< :wacko:

[SWEETZ28]

I am a nitro nut . I have the two tmaxx's and the jato. one for speed , one for bashing/ jumping . My son has the stampede . the batteries don't last long in the stampede . I seen the summit and wanted one . I will be getting one but I wanted to know what is the best batteries for it and also a charger as due to mine only charges one batt at a time . need to know mah also . Thanks<_< :wacko:
Hi for a dual battery charger for the price I like my mrc 977 PRO it charges 2 batteries at one time and also does lipos but only at a 2.5 amp rate.
Duratrax makes a dual charger that is good but you can't charge lipo packs.

[BigDaddyMaxx]

Well, The best batteries will depend on how much you are willing to spend. I mean if you willing to spend $100+ on one battery then Lipo is the way to go but if not there are some other good choices anywhere from $40 to $70.

As far as chargers, I also like the MRC 977. It is a good charger that will charge 2 batteries at once. They only thing I don't like is the fact that there is no memory so you have to adjust it for the batteries every time. I also use the Dynamite Vision Peak Ultra. I like it but it only chargers one battery at a time.

[Gobigorstayhome]

Does dynamite not have a charger that charges two packs at one time ?
and does it charge the lipo batts ?

[Self Medicated]

Does dynamite not have a charger that charges two packs at one time ?
and does it charge the lipo batts ?

Yes they do:
http://www.dynamiterc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=DYN4033

But it does not charge lipo.

[Ricky-Bobby]

i dont belive that dynamite charger linked above but you might want to double check on that...

[trxbeast193]

well if you are planning on staying with electric get a charger that can do lipo. if money is not a problem get a hyperion 606i or the duo

[Self Medicated]

i dont belive that dynamite charger linked above but you might want to double check on that...

Huh?:confused:

[Mizzou]

Onyx 280 is a good charger

[MooseDrool]

Onyx 280 is a good charger


Mitch, It is an onyx 240. NOT a 280. nice try though;)

[BigDaddyMaxx]

Also note that the Onyx 240 and the Dynamite Twin Peak will not charge Lipo batteries.

[cooleocool]

The Dynamite Twin Peak is a decent charger. I used to have one, and it served me well over the 4ish years that I owned it. With that said, most high-end battery builders recommend getting a charger with an adjustable delta peak setting- something that the Twin Peak (and the Onyx 240) does not have.

I would recommend the Duratrax Onyx 230 charger. It is only a single battery charger, but it will charge all of the popular battery types that we have today (Ni-Mh, Li-Po, LiMn, Li-Ion, and even Ni-Cds). I currently own two of them, and they are great chargers for the money. I have an unfinished review on my website here (http://www.huronoutfittersracing.com/reviews.htm).

As for batteries, many people will probably recommend SPC (http://www.spcracing.com/) or Promatch (http://www.promatchracing.com/), as those are the two popular battery builders these days.

[Gobigorstayhome]

I am not into racing as much as just bashing / jumping . Do I need to go with the lipo batts ? I am a newbie to electric as mentioned , so what kinda run times will I get with lipo compared to the other batteries . Am I wasting my time getting the other type of batteries . I don't mind spending extra for the more expensive batteries, but It looks like I will have to get two chargers for the lipo. What kinda run times are they getting with the maxx/revo trucks with the other batteries ?

[Self Medicated]

You'd probably get about 10 min. of run time with Nimh batteries. With Lipo, you would be getting at least 30 min. of run time, depending on the capacity.

[BigDaddyMaxx]

....................but It looks like I will have to get two chargers for the lipo. What kinda run times are they getting with the maxx/revo trucks with the other batteries ? Not necessarily, The MRC Super brain 977 can charge 2 lipo batteries at the same time but don't forget that you will need a lipo balancer as well. Lipo batteries can give you a long running time depending what Mah rating you get. The higher the Mah the longer the run time. The only problem with running lipos in the Summit is that the ESC does not have a lipo cut-off sensor. So you may need to get external sensor as well. Though, going to the Lipo batteries sounds expensive at first but I think they are worth the investment in the long run.:cool:

[Jeep4x4]

What would be a NiMH battery for this car

[Jakey]

You'd probably get about 10 min. of run time with Nimh batteries. With Lipo, you would be getting at least 30 min. of run time, depending on the capacity.
I'll bet good Nimh packs will give more than 10 minutes of runtime.

[hal001]

I just put a set of energ 4600 nimhs in my emaxx with twin 550 motors and got 25 minutes run time. That was alot of hard running. Now i got a set of energ 4600 nimh's for the wet stuff, and got a set of 8000 lipo's for the dry stuff. Cant wait. I would think that with that 770 motor and a good set of nimh's a guy could at least get the same run time. I don't know thou. Anxious to find out.

[Gobigorstayhome]

I just put a set of energ 4600 nimhs in my emaxx with twin 550 motors and got 25 minutes run time. That was alot of hard running. Now i got a set of energ 4600 nimh's for the wet stuff, and got a set of 8000 lipo's for the dry stuff. Cant wait. I would think that with that 770 motor and a good set of nimh's a guy could at least get the same run time. I don't know thou. Anxious to find out.
Does this mean that lipo batteries should not get wet . I never thaught of getting the batteries wet because again I use nitro, and nitro and water is not a good combination . This is another question of the different batteries ,is there one more for the new water proof summit/ revo /maxx ? I know that the summit is built to go into water so that's one place I will see how it works .

[hal001]

I am no lipo expert, just got em in the mail actually. But everything i have read say's no. Don't get any water on lipo batteries. So i thought i would get em for long run times when it's dry, and keep my nimh's for when it's wet.

[BigDaddyMaxx]

Yes, it is true. Lipos will get ruined if you get them wet but there is a way to prevent them from getting wet as well. You can get a can of Platidip(or equivalent) and dip the ends of the batteries(the open ends of the shrink wrap). This will seal them from moisture. I know a few boat guys that have done this and sank their boats but never have had a problem. I also have done it with mine and never had a problem.

[cooleocool]

I was told when asking a popular battery builder about the question of water and Li-Po batteries to put the pack in a baggy to keep the water out.

Ni-Mh cells need to be dried off, too, otherwise the cells will corrode. :fear:

[Gobigorstayhome]

What are the best nimh batteries . It seem like I may be leaning toward them . I think if I might get a battery wet , it should be the cheaper one. both batteries must produce the same power , The lipo just lasts longer (longer run times) . Is that a true statement or false ? Yes I have read the ways to try to keep batteries dry , but for that chance of getting any moisture in there , I might go with the nimh ones. But still undecided at this point .

[cooleocool]

The two companies I linked to above carry what is considered to be the "best" packs according to many forum members. I would have a look at them. The nice thing about Li-Po batteries is that they are so light, so they improve the power to weight ratio.

[Just 4 Fun]

The two companies I linked to above carry what is considered to be the "best" packs according to many forum members. I would have a look at them. The nice thing about Li-Po batteries is that they are so light, so they improve the power to weight ratio.

It's more then just the power to weight ratio. Power to weight ratio is very important, especially in trucks like the E-maxx, and E-revo. With brushless systems they are almost a requirement. Lipos have a 'C' rating, which determines what the battery can give in a continuous form. Then there is the bust rating, which is usually what a cell can "burst" out in 10 seconds or so. Aside from that, Lipos don't really have peaks like NiMh and Nicads do. They can be charged and in a couple of days still pack a ton of punch. Where as NiMh's really perform best right off the charger when the pack is at it's peak. When It comes down to it, Lipo is lighter, faster, holds it's voltage better, and 100% better with brushless systems. Price and the life of the pack aside, Lipo is simply superior. (in my opinion)

[Gobigorstayhome]

I don't plan to go brushless with the summit . I like to keep everything original as possible ( unless I am having the same part break time after time ) . I know that if I wanted to go brushless that lipo batteries are the way to go . lipo would be the way to go if I am competting in a race and wanted to get everything out of it . Saying that if I use lipo is this going to shorten the life out of the 775 titan ? I would like to get peek performance like everyone else, but also like to make the truck last too . So is lipo batteries going to burn out the speed controler / motor ? Remember I am new at the electric models .

[The Oracle]

Thats a good question- if the 775 is a reliable motor and built well, then in principle using lipos wont have any detrimental effect; you will be able to squeeze maximum speed and power from the motor and have longer runtimes to boot.

If however the 775 is more like a larger version of the 550s (in every way imaginable), then using lipo may just allow the motor to fail that much quicker; there is no denying that there is something iffy about the titans of late.

The esc will be fine though with lipos, so long as you follow the LVC advice; install one, lol.

I think using quality 7 cell nimh packs would be easier alround though in truth...

[Jakey]

... there is no denying that there is something iffy about the titans of late.
I think the incredible capacities of today's batteries (LiPo and some Nimh packs) allows runtimes that overwhelm the heat dissipating capabilities of the Titans, hence the overheating and failing motors. Stopping every 8 to 10 minutes and allowing the motors to cool would eliminate many of the failures.

[harry697]

I think the incredible capacities of today's batteries (LiPo and some Nimh packs) allows runtimes that overwhelm the heat dissipating capabilities of the Titans, hence the overheating and failing motors. Stopping every 8 to 10 minutes and allowing the motors to cool would eliminate many of the failures.

Makes sense.Most of the guys I race spec class with are still on their original Titan.Those guys are the kind that only run their trucks on race day.The motors stay clean and only run 6 minutes at a time.I can't stand to only run my Slash on race day,so I'm on my 4th Titan and counting:D

All the mud puddles I hit at full speed probably aren't helping my motor life either;)

[Gobigorstayhome]

[QUOTE=The Oracle

If however the 775 is more like a larger version of the 550s (in every way imaginable), then using lipo may just allow the motor to fail that much quicker; there is no denying that there is something iffy about the titans of late.
I think using quality 7 cell nimh packs would be easier alround though in truth...[/QUOTE]
I think your right , if you want the motor to last a very long time then go with good nimh batteries so your not maxxing out the motor all of the time . overloading the motors all of the time will shorten the life of the motor, so using a good nimh batteries would keep the motor at a cooler temp then using the high performance lipo ones . traxxas rates the voltage on there speed controler and motor but there not giving a amp rating . This may be a good question for traxxas to handle . Unless I overlooked the info that I have read over !!

[Gobigorstayhome]

Is there any charger out there that can charge two nimh batteries at once but also charge lipo batteries ?

Now I dont mean all at once .

[BigDaddyMaxx]

Is there any charger out there that can charge two nimh batteries at once but also charge lipo batteries ?

Now I dont mean all at once .
Yeah, there is. As I had mentioned in my first post. The MRC Super brain 977 can charge 2 batteries at once. It can charge 2 Nimh or 2 Lipos at the same time. The only problem is that when charging Lipos with it is that the amperage will be limited. So it will just take a little more time than a "strictly" Lipo charger.


MRC Super Brain 977 (http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXLCJ6&P=ML)

[Gobigorstayhome]

Thanks Big Daddy Maxx ,

I looked at all of the chargers that was posted but I must of missed the information when I was looking at the super brain. I typed in the charger mrc super brain 977 on the internet and got some views on it . most of the views are saying that there was some battery damage on this type of charger. I think it was human error on there part . I think if your using your charger properly that it should work just fine . Watch your settings when charging etc. This charger looks like the one I will go with. I think I have made up my mind with the batteries too, I will go with the nimh at first and in the future I can always go to lipo if I have too. With going to a new charger I can charge both . The charger I have now works fine for one battery but This charger can charge two at a time and do lipo's too. Thanks again BDM...

[rjm2519]

A single 775 will give longer runtimes than two 550 titans, if the traxxas one is the mabuchi motor as the titans are then when properly broken in the power will be more than the two titans and the motor has plenty more torque. And you can run it better on two six cells than the titans.

I used the mabuchi 775 motor on my emaxx for a while, here is a link
http://banebots.com/pc/MOTOR-BRUSH/M2-RS775-144

[BigDaddyMaxx]

Not a problem GOBIG. Most of the views I have read about the battery damage was because they were using the old 969 that have been updated to the 977. Which has a limited ability because of the power source. I can tell you that I have had the 977 for a few years now and I have not had any problems with charging my NIMHs or LiPo's with it. The only thing is that you just have to remember to balance the LiPo during or after the charge with a good balancer.

[NOFX]

What are the best nimh batteries . It seem like I may be leaning toward them . I think if I might get a battery wet , it should be the cheaper one. both batteries must produce the same power , The lipo just lasts longer (longer run times) . Is that a true statement or false ? Yes I have read the ways to try to keep batteries dry , but for that chance of getting any moisture in there , I might go with the nimh ones. But still undecided at this point .
Hi .I'm a total newcomer to electric trucks , what batteries did you end up with ? I want to go nimh (they rarely go off like the one on youtube) Thanks

[Hughes500Bob]

OK NiMH .... get an Onyx 240 and it will charge 2 NiMH packs safely at the same time. Id personally get two cell pro multi 4s as they can do a lot more and will serve you well for lipos in the future.... or the cell pro 10S!!

GPs, Intellect are great cells. SPChttp://www.spcracing.com/index.php?categoryID=14 energy 4600s are another good choice.

Personally I have been using lipos for over three years and would not consider anything else ...... but that's me!

[Hughes500Bob]

You could call John the battery Guy http://www.fastrcbatteries.com as he is nice to talk too and has a lot of info on batteries!

[hal001]

Dude, just go to maxamps website, buy the combo for some savings, you get a duo charger that can charge just about anything, will do 10 amps each side, my friend has this combo for his son, and he can run for 45 minutes pretty much flat out. If playing in the hills and some bashing, about an hour and a half. The batteries are 8000mah, and charging at 1c=8amps, takes about an hour or less. Buy something good and have no regrets, you get what you pay for most times, plus there packs are water proof. Just make sure you buy a lvc from them as well to get a low voltage cut off as to not wreak you packs. Me and his dad, both have a monster mamba systems in our's and get about the same run time, but with twice the performance. Just ask for the traxxas ends for the charging ends and battery ends when you order. Or give em a call and tell em what you want, they lot's of times give discounts for phone orders.

[rccar306109]

I saw an add on rctech for the maxamp lipos.
dont need LVC
water proof
cant overcharger
and a bunch of other stuff.
SMC also has great batteries.

[rccar306109]

here it is- can be safely charged at 67amps!!!
http://www.maxamps.com/proddetail.php?prod=Life-4500-66-Pack&cat=223


NEW! MaxAmps Green Series Life 4500 2S2P 6.6V Battery Pack


MaxAmps.com brings you the exclusive "Green Series" LiFePO4 battery packs. These new "life" packs will not catch fire or explode from over-charging. In addition to being safer than lipos, they are more robust.

They provide 1000+ usable cycles(4 times longer than lipos) under the same discharge conditions which makes these new packs the ultimate in performance and value. The new 4500mah 6.6V pack can be safely charged extremely fast using our Hyperion line of balance chargers under the LiFePO4/A123 setting.

Features:

Perfect fit in all standard rc car battery trays.

Up to 15C balance charge rate(67 amps) for quick charging.

1000+ usable cycles.(low cost per cycle)


Inherently safe technology.

Low voltage cutoff is not required.

4500mah Capacity
6.6 Volts
45mm X 138mm X 26mm(same flat format as lipos)
30C Constant(135 amps)
60C Burst - 1780 surge watts(270 amps)
320 grams
Water-sealed for all-weather protection
Comes standard with Hyperion taps
Comes standard with 12awg Deans Ultra wire
We add the connectors and balancing taps for you
Money Back Guarantee
Normally ships within 24-48 hours
Exceeds safety standards of the IATA
Built today with factory fresh cells
Can be recharged unlimited times per day
Copper Tab Cells for lower resistance
Low-maintenance and user-friendly
Environmentally friendly

[timdog]

Those look interesting, but they are 6.6V...

[nitrostarter]

Those are a waste of time. Get Lipos. Specifically, Hyperion G3 VX series lipos.

[hal001]

What size of the hyperion g3 vx fit in the summit.

[Hughes500Bob]

http://media.hyperion.hk/dn/g3lipo/G3-Specs-EN.pdf

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d610b3127ccec7abe5aba93700000040O00QbsmThs1cMQ e3nwc/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

The 5000 mAh VXs might be a little snug length-wise ..... but should fit. Why not go for the 2S 6500s??

While we are on these subjects .... IMO Best charger = iCharger 208B. Best Lipos = Hyperion G3s

[sanddunesaddict]

So overall 4600 or 5000 packs?
Promatch,SPC, or that other link the battery guy??
I have a couple of HI-Energy 4500 packs I bought a Hobby People when I bought the truck and charge them on my Team Orion Advantage charger.In high gear only I get about 30 minutes of run time...I coudnt believe it especially for 33 bucks a piece.

I was wanting to try 5000 but not sure if the 4600's are better.

[Hughes500Bob]

I run the Hyperion G3 CX 25C 5000 2S in my Summit with a Chargery BM6 on the BEC balance tap for voltage protection. They are lighter in weight than my other set of Integy 25C 2S 5000 packs. If you are ever considering going brushless in the Summit I reccomend the G3 VX 35C 6500 packs which would be perfect for any brushless upgrade.

Lipos require some sort of low voltage protection because the EVX-2 does not have any LVC built in for lipos. You CAN NOT run a lipo down like you do a NiMH battery or you will ruin it.

[hal001]

I got a mmm monster 2200kv in mine, and currently have maxamps 8000mah in it, but would maybe like those g3vx 35c 6500 packs for a lighter weight and quick charge. Hmm.

[RC Car Guy]

alright so I have 2 questions about the Super Brain 977 charger. it says it charges Lipo at 2.5 amps is that right? so how long does it take to charge i Lipo with 5000+ mAh?

[LaTuFu]

Holy raise thread from the dead, Batman.

[87 GN]

RC CG I am sending you a PM.

Edit PM out: I think he used the search button, atleast..

[snowslider]

Good to see the you used the "search" button...

[b@3]

How are all these old threads getting dug up?

There are far better options other than the super brain 977 out there. I thought that I read that the 977 doesn't use the CC/CV method for charging lipos which is needed. The 977 is just outdated for today's standards. Theoretically it would take about 2 hrs to charge a 5000mah @ 2.5 amps.

[LeyendaManny]

Hi guys, I m new in this, and I wanted to know what do you think about the Onyx 245 dual charger , I
know that it is able to charge a lot of batterie types, but how well it actually performs? is good or bad?
And what other charger could be similar to it. ( Im getting a summit so I want to get the best charger for
it, and please forgive if I said something wrong, I am learning English, and if you guys, see something
that is incorrect please correct me, I will be very thankful) (=?

[Jimmie Neutron]

It is ok... but for the price on the weak side in my opinion. I do not like that there is no storage feature for LiPo.

You can get into a single 10 amp iCharger, 5 amps more than one side of the 245, for about $90. It requires a power supply, but those can be bought ready to use for about $25. You can add a $20ish ParaBoard and be able to charge 6 same cell count LiPo's at once for $135.

[Sactown_Summit]

I have the 245 charger and its great. Does everything and every battery I have. I do hear the argument that it doesn't discharge or have a lipo storage setting, but in all honesty all you have to do is watch the charge and stop the lipo charge around the proper storage voltage for your particular pack. Other then that..... for the money, and all the options you have for different batteries its a great deal. If you buy it at Tower Hobbies with a coupon code you can get it for about $100 plus of minus. Especially when every dollar counts its a great bang for the buck dual charger that is reliable, balances your batteries, and has alot of postive reviews to back up all the above.

Hard to beat in my opinion

[LeyendaManny]

Thanks a lot, I really appreciated your answers and I already have 110$, in tower hobbies costs around 120$, and honestly in
this moment I'm not thinking about getting lipos, maybe in the future, I will run with the stock batteries and the onyx 245 I
Think it will be just perfect for them, ( I m in highschool, and I really love this hobby but it is hard to me in this time of my
Life safe a lot of money, I had to safe money for tree long years in order to buy my SUMMIT!! and right now I would only
need 20$ more to get the dual charger, if you guys really think the onyx245 will be enough to run with the batteries that the car comes with, so what do you recommend me to do? (and thanks again guys for answer my questions)

[LeyendaManny]

And I said 20$ more because of the shipping and all those things or maybe more because I am from Costa Rica and here is
Too expensive, because there is a unique company with prices that you think tha car is a bugatti veyron with extended
Wheels and tiny size, and it actually is a REVO a normal one with a litle difference : THE PRICE. 1250$ when on the net you
Find it around 550$-600$, so I get my summit from RCPLANET, I was going to buy it from stormer hobbies where is cheaper and you are able to select your color but people saythat rcplanet is one of the more safety online shop when you buy from another country that is not U.S.A, there I payed 589$ 30$ more than stormerhobbies, but it was safety and the other day
They released the summit with the lipo combo at the same price but without the batteries......I almost got crazy

[satyrisci]

For comparison, I spent $65 each on 2 SPC 8200MaH 25C Lipos, $170 on a 6S 30A Icharger, and $50 on a 350W MeanWell power supply to power the charger. I charge both for 30-45 minutes, and I can bash for an hour or 2 hours of crawling/bashing.

[Rum Guy]

I saw an add on rctech for the maxamp lipos.
dont need LVC
water proof
cant overcharger
and a bunch of other stuff.
SMC also has great batteries.
Maxamps green series life batteries it what you saw I can not speak to weather they live up to what they claim or not but certainly sounds good.

[Jimmie Neutron]

All LiPo's should have a LVC. No matter the brand.

All LiPo's are somewhat water resistant because of the way a LiPo is made... the cells are sealed in all LiPo's. The only way water can hurt them is to corrode the cell wrap.

You can overcharge a LiPo... any LiPo, no matter the brand.

A member of another forum did a test of a MaxAmp LiPo vs a cheap China pack. Both had the same ratings... the China pack out performed the MaxAmp and you could buy 8 or so China packs to 1 MaxAmp. I would link you to the thread where this was discussed but MaxAmp sued to keep the information buried.

[satyrisci]

I use 2 SPC 8200mah 2s2p Lipo packs in my Summit. I have used them for about a year now, and they are great. I use 1 in my touring car from time to time. They are $45.95 on SPC's website right now.

http://spcracing.com/index.php?productID=153



I charge them with an iCharger 306b, but that's $170 and needs a power supply. I bought my Meanwell 350W PSU for $50