I GOT ONE!!! (now i got some questions)

[shanenoo]

well i just ordered a black ERBE and it should be here in 3 days! just in time for my long weekend!!!!!! ive wanted one for a year now!!!


right now i'm i think i'm gonna run 2 7cells. i want to run lipos in it but i dont have any yet. im thinking of 2s since that way i can still use them in my slashes(one brushed and on VXL system) and rusty VXL. i want controllable, not insane(insane can come later)!

so any suggetsions on a brand, and size?
oh yeah and a charger.(preferably one with a balancer built in)

[ONTHEMOVE]

Do a search on lipos, lots of information.

[johnf]

I'm liking my smc packs. Great runtime, and VERY good price. I don't see them on the site right now, but they are 28c 8000mah 2s packs. Got em for 94 bucks a piece.

[RedRaider]

I can tell you that after four very short sessions on the included 7-cell 3000mAH included batteries, you'll enjoy it but it is nothing compared to 4S LiPoROIDS...

[shanenoo]

Do a search on lipos, lots of information.

thats just it there's a LOT of info but im looking for expirences. the lhs carries SMC and dyanmite lipos. just wondering how good they are. ive heard a lot of good thingsg about SMC.

[Tiernan85]

I love my SMC's they have done great with the ERBE. I have the 2S 9000mah batteries and for just bashing around I get great runtime and power with them.

as for a charger, there are lots out there, it really depends how much you want to spend. I use a Bantam BC6-10. Keep in mind alot of charges would also require a power supply. But there are charges out there with dual input current options where you can plug into the wall or use in the field.

[Novarider]

I run ***** 2s 5000mah 40c batteries and they are great batteries. For charger I bought 2 thunder ac6 chargers. They charge, fast charge, balance charge, discharge, storage charge plus it comes with a temp probe so if the battery gets to hot it shuts the charger down. I charge one battery on each charger and it takes about an hour. I like my chargers and they were only $50 each

[shanenoo]

I love my SMC's they have done great with the ERBE. I have the 2S 9000mah batteries and for just bashing around I get great runtime and power with them.

as for a charger, there are lots out there, it really depends how much you want to spend. I use a Bantam BC6-10. Keep in mind alot of charges would also require a power supply. But there are charges out there with dual input current options where you can plug into the wall or use in the field.

i know the SMC's are a great price too. i have a novak power supply so i've at least got that covered. the charger ive got is older so it wont charge lipos.

[asheck]

I run the SMC's also. They're good batteries, but imo the Hyperion are the best right now . For a charger, I would get as good as you can. Do you have a price in mind?

[phildogg]

******* lipo's perform well and can be had for alot less $ than others.
phil

[Conrad859]

7 cell nimh batteries are slow and controllable, but run really hot. I fried my 7 cells running them with the MMM. Then I got some Tenergy 2s 35c 7.4 volts 5200mah. I like them a lot. If you tighten up your slipper you get a ton of power. If you loosen it is a lot more controllable but not as fun. These batteries stay cool when running or charging. I can run them for 15 minutes with out dropping below the 7.4 volt limit, from what I was told it is bad to go below the volt limit. I got these batteries for $60 bucks a piece. I have a duratrax onyx 230 which I got for $80 bucks.

[RedRaider]

I don't think anyone can dispute the very high quality of the Hyperion G3 VX 6500 35C LiPo's. They will cost you more, but you are buying one of the top packs available on the market that has proven itself extensively.

As for a charger, I chose to go with the following setup:

iCharger 208b (built in balancer)
Meanwell S-320-12

I'll be switching over to a Meanwell SE-600-24 once I replace the internal fan in it.

This is a more costly route, but again I really only purchase top notch quality components. I am charging my Hyperion 2S G3 VX 6500 35C LiPos at 2C (20 amps) in about 40 minutes. The iCharger has some really trick features I like, one of which is a mode to place your LiPo's in storage voltage.

I bought my iCharger and Meanwell PSU from www.progressiverc.com . David is a very helpful guy, who will walk you through how to setup your 208b.

I also had a member of this forum, Hughes500Bob to make me up sone charging leads for both 2S/3S in parallel, a wonderful guy to work with as well.

[shanenoo]

keep it coming guys! i like the info im getting for all of you.

[dshaffer]

i also have the hyperion g3 6500 35c 2s lipo packs and they are great. I did tons of research on these lipo's throughout the forum and could not find one single bad complaint about them. Charging them also with the icharger 208b and yes, i also had Hughes500Bob make me a series harness so i can charge 2 lipo's at once with the icharger. Think it takes me about an hour to charge both hyperion's, but i'm chargin them at 2c charge rate (13A). Little pricey for the whole setup, but i am very, very happy with the hyperion packs and icharger 208b

[KingdomRacer]

I have a HYPERION EOS0615I DUO III-DUAL PORT ALL IN ONE CHARGER & BALANCER and I love it, just plug and charge. It does it all for you. I also have not owned any other lipos than Enerland. 2s 6000mah 25c/50c x2 and 3s 6000mah x2 which I run in series for 4s,5s or 6s. I will need more batts once racing season gets closer and w
ould like 4s hard packs closer to 50c. You know more punch off the line. I have had no complaints with my Enerlands and probably would rather stay with them. The tech guy at Castle that I have spoken to quite a few times said Enerland's are the best. Whether that is true or not, it sure made me feel better about how much they have cost me.

[KingdomRacer]

i also have the hyperion g3 6500 35c 2s lipo packs and they are great. I did tons of research on these lipo's throughout the forum and could not find one single bad complaint about them. Charging them also with the icharger 208b and yes, i also had Hughes500Bob make me a series harness so i can charge 2 lipo's at once with the icharger. Think it takes me about an hour to charge both hyperion's, but i'm chargin them at 2c charge rate (13A). Little pricey for the whole setup, but i am very, very happy with the hyperion packs and icharger 208b

Where do I get one of those Series Harness? I want to charge 4 lipos at once on my DOU3 which would help at the track instead of having to buy another charger because my DUO3 can already charge 2 lipos at once with no series harness.

[shanenoo]

well i should have it tomorrow. going to the lhs to get lipos and a charger. then i have the rest of the week off from work to play! thanks for all your help guys!

[The Captain]

Duratrax ICE charger with Equinox balancer. Read the RC magazines, it wins every time for best all around charger. It charges NiCd, NiMh, LiIon, and LiPo.

For LiPo batteries, Hyperion and SMC seem to be the sellers around here. I personally buy Checkpoint and Trakpower LiPos.

I'm currently searching for some industrial Lithium batteries.

[shanenoo]

Duratrax ICE charger with Equinox balancer. Read the RC magazines, it wins every time for best all around charger. It charges NiCd, NiMh, LiIon, and LiPo.

For LiPo batteries, Hyperion and SMC seem to be the sellers around here. I personally buy Checkpoint and Trakpower LiPos.

I'm currently searching for some industrial Lithium batteries.

thanks Captain,
yes i have read the magazines and read that too. the lhs has a good selection of the duratrax ICE chargers. i think i'll go with one of them and smc lipos.

[RedRaider]

I guess for the price the Duratrax Ice isn't too bad.

But to call it the 'best all around charger' is a reach imho.

The Duratrax Ice is only capable of charging at a rate of 8 amps, no balancer and no storage mode. You still need a external PSU to power it as well.

I still suggest the iCharger, much better charger that has plenty of headroom built into it. It charges at 20 amps - 350 watts - 8S LiPo's and discharges at 20 amps, has a built in balancer and has a mode for putting LiPo's in storage. It also can charge NiCd, NiMH, LiPo, Lilo, LiFe batteries. It is priced at $169.99, only $70 more than the Duratrax Ice and a much more versatile charger.

You can find the iCharger and a suitable PSU here at www.progressiverc.com/

David even has a Meanwell SE-500-24 PSU for $59.99. This is a medical grade PSU that delivers 500 watts / 20 amps at 24V.

[shanenoo]

well i got it last night and only got to mees around in the basement for about 5 min. and it snowed so i really dont want to take it out side. i know the salt on the roads will wreck stuff. i have to go back to the lhs today and pick up my charger. i got 2 venom 2s 4000 lipos last night. the lhs already had them charged and balanced. i wanted to get the 5000 SMC lipos but they only had one. so these batteries are just for now and will end up replacing the nimh that i use in my slash and rusty.
i gotta say that even running in a small area and on a slick floor that im impressed. i did notice though that when i get home later that i will be doing the steering mod. stock doesnt offer a lot of turning radius. maybe ill put some heavier diff lube in the center....hmmm

[Kipper]

Is it even safe to charge LiPos in series. The booklet I got with my charger, states that it is not safe to charge more than one battery pack on each lead.

[shanenoo]

Is it even safe to charge LiPos in series. The booklet I got with my charger, states that it is not safe to charge more than one battery pack on each lead.

i dont think so. my charger (dynamite passport ultra) has a built in balancer and theres no way to hook up both balancing plugs at the same time. i dont think my charger will charge lipos like that.

[Novarider]

When charging in series it's just like running in series. If you have 2x2s 5000mah batteries the charger would think it's a 4s battery with 5000mah. It takes more amps and watts to charge a 4s then a 2s so a lot of people charge them in parallel which would make the charger think your charging a 2s 10000mah battery which will require 10 amps to charge in one hour.

[zonda95]

well you could have bought 2 cheaper chargers like ******* like i did and it would be quicker and half the time

[The Captain]

I guess for the price the Duratrax Ice isn't too bad.

But to call it the 'best all around charger' is a reach imho.

The Duratrax Ice is only capable of charging at a rate of 8 amps, no balancer and no storage mode. You still need a external PSU to power it as well.

How many chargers have you seen that can charge higher than say 5A when being powered by AC? I (personally) dont recommend charging greater than 1C either, so the ICE is perfect for me. I DO wish it had internal balancing though.....

[shanenoo]

When charging in series it's just like running in series. If you have 2x2s 5000mah batteries the charger would think it's a 4s battery with 5000mah. It takes more amps and watts to charge a 4s then a 2s so a lot of people charge them in parallel which would make the charger think your charging a 2s 10000mah battery which will require 10 amps to charge in one hour.

i see your point, i suppose you dont need to balance everytime.

How many chargers have you seen that can charge higher than say 5A when being powered by AC? I (personally) dont recommend charging greater than 1C either, so the ICE is perfect for me. I DO wish it had internal balancing though.....

i like that mine does balancing. i can monitor the balance of the cells as it's charges. that way i can see if i need to balance or just charge.

[Novarider]

I balance my batteries every time I charge. It's not worth the risk to me to not spend a few minutes balancing my batteries.

[davidaxper]

I got the quattro charger with 4 3s 5800mah batteries. Can charge 4 5800mah 3s batteries simultaneous in under 2 hours.

Specification:
Operating voltage range: DC 11~15V
Power source: 12V DC (car battery) / AC mains PSU (>200Watts)
Charge power: 50watts, current is regulated accordingly
e.g. 11.1V battery, charge current approx. 4.5A
e.g. 22.2V battery, charge current approx. 2.2A
Discharge power: 5 Watts, current is regulated accordingly
Cell count : 1-15 Ni-xx / 1-6 Li-xx / 1-10 Lead acid cells (2~20V)
Current drain for balancing li-xx: 300mA
Charge termination Ni-xx: Automatic, negative Delta Peak method
Charge termination Lead acid & Li-xx: Automatic, voltage dependent, CC-CV process
Dimensions: 225.4x158.6x62.4mm
Net weight: 1.09kg



[IMG]http://*********.com/*********/store/catalog/QUATTRO-1(1).jpg[/IMG]

[shanenoo]

I got the quattro charger with 4 3s 5800mah batteries. Can charge 4 5800mah 3s batteries simultaneous in under 2 hours.

Specification:
Operating voltage range: DC 11~15V
Power source: 12V DC (car battery) / AC mains PSU (>200Watts)
Charge power: 50watts, current is regulated accordingly
e.g. 11.1V battery, charge current approx. 4.5A
e.g. 22.2V battery, charge current approx. 2.2A
Discharge power: 5 Watts, current is regulated accordingly
Cell count : 1-15 Ni-xx / 1-6 Li-xx / 1-10 Lead acid cells (2~20V)
Current drain for balancing li-xx: 300mA
Charge termination Ni-xx: Automatic, negative Delta Peak method
Charge termination Lead acid & Li-xx: Automatic, voltage dependent, CC-CV process
Dimensions: 225.4x158.6x62.4mm
Net weight: 1.09kg



[IMG]http://*********.com/*********/store/catalog/QUATTRO-1(1).jpg[/IMG]

oooowe.....that is sexy!

[31794ty]

www.spcracing.com is a good place to get batteries from.

[shanenoo]

well after reading numerous other threads on lipos ive decided to put the venom batteries off to the side. running below 100A is just too risky. luckily tax return time is here so im goin to get some new batteries. i'm undecided between the Hyperion and SPC but i'm leaning toward the hyperion. from every thing i've read they seem to be the best quality out there.
now as for wheels and tires....uhg!
too many options,
im pretty sure im going with the badland for backyard and dirt. i just wish they made them in a 3.8. i know they will strech but i dont care for the way they look.
i like the combos that redraider has on his truck.