How do I know if I am ready for LiPo?

[HELLO_ANGEL1]

Just wondering if you guys could give me some pointers to knowing if I am ready to get LiPo for slash 4x4. My mum is saying that I shouldn't get it until I go to the track and know for sure that I can control even the power of the slash 4x4 ultimate stock battery; the 4200mah 7-cell Nimh battery. Would that be a fair demand? i think I am ready cause i've been in this hobby for like 3 years now, and find Nimh batteries a bit too slow for me now. Thanks in advance guys!

[Dknuckles]

Anyone can run lipo as long as they are responsible. My kids run lipo. However I do not let them charge thebatteries. You just need to understand about how to take care of them.

[El Sob]

+1 with Dknuckles! Anyone can run lipos. Just make sure you have a charger that can charge lipos. If your charger doesn't have a built in balancer get a blinky or another external balancer. Never charge a Lipo unattended! You need to near it when it is charging! I have never had a mishap with a Lipo. I've had a few nimh batteries blow up for no reason!

[HELLO_ANGEL1]

El sob, you say I need to be near the battery when it is charging. What do mean by near? On the same room or just inside the house? Because I don't want to have to be right next to my battery for the 2 hours it takes to charge, or however long it takes. And actually, how long does it take to charge say, a 5000mah 2s 40c pack?

[Snowstorm355]

El sob, you say I need to be near the battery when it is charging. What do mean by near? On the same room or just inside the house? Because I don't want to have to be right next to my battery for the 2 hours it takes to charge, or however long it takes. And actually, how long does it take to charge say, a 5000mah 2s 40c pack?

depending on the charger, if you have a 5 amp charger then about an hour

[Lilcrawler]

I run lipo all the time. It has a lot of power off of stock height. I would start with 2s though. I run mine on 3s and it gets all the power you would ever need. You also need a good charger in order to keep your lipos safe. A lot of people run the Thunder Power chargers. I am not sure about the new traxxas charger. I have never seen one

[jay janak]

You know ready when after you buy remove it from box and the charger is beeping and/or flashing lipo full. Then its time to enjoy the power that a lipo battery has to offer. If its your frist time with lipo's I would strongly recommend a hard case lipo battery pack. This is a 2 cell lipo with a hard case.

[ultran8]

Hobbypartz.com has great deals on lipos and chargers to get u started . I run gens ace 40c 2s . I like the skycharger 6200 . U can handle the lipo . The power u get when ur stock battery is fully charged at first is like the same power as the lipo but that power stays way longer with the lipo . Get yourself a lipo bag and enjoy.

[ImprovEverywherE]

El sob, you say I need to be near the battery when it is charging. What do mean by near? On the same room or just inside the house? Because I don't want to have to be right next to my battery for the 2 hours it takes to charge, or however long it takes. And actually, how long does it take to charge say, a 5000mah 2s 40c pack?

what El Sob means by being near it is, be in the same room, charge in on concrete in a room temperature room, not outside in a hot summer day(it will puff up), and having a lipo fireproof bag. all is necessary

[alucard0822]

A 2s doesn't top out any faster than the stock NiMh pack, but it gets there much quicker, 3s is ridiculous, it will go as fast as the gearing allows, spinning tires, and pulling the front end up all the way. The issue with "charging unattended" is that LiPos have a flammible electrolyte, and if they are overcharged, damaged or shorted, they will smoke and swell, and can burst into flames, it will probably never happen to you, but it is possible. It was more of an issue in the early days when defective packs and chargers were plentiful, and basic instuction on their use was non-existant. Truth is, you probably have dozens of LiPos in phones, laptops, cameras, and other electronics, they don't explode because the device charges them properly. I charge up mine in a 50cal ammo can, but most any fireproof box or LiPo bag is fine. You don't need to stare at it while it charges, but think of it like leaving the oven on, you need to be close enough that if it does go up, you can put it out, or open up some windows and get rid of the smoke cloud, you don't want to come home to find your house burned down, as unlikely at that would be.

Charging them is easy, provided you remember a few simple rules, and have a decent balancing charger and low voltage shutoff is set on the truck's ESC. Never let them get under 3v per cell, never charge over 4.2V per cell, never leave a battery fully charged or discharged for more than a day, charge to 3.8v per cell, or use the storage mode most chargers have, balance the packs every couple charges, if not every charge, and don't let them get hot(about 160 degrees). If you take care of them, decent packs can last for years, if you abuse them, they may get weak in only a few weeks. And a +1 to Ultran, Gens Ace are the best for the money, in fact they are just plain good reguardless of the cost, I have thunder and skychargers balance chargers, they work and have plenty of options for most batteries sold, you will need to solder connectors on the packs and charger leads, but a 40W iron costs about $10, and it is an important skill to have, you can cut liPo and charger cost in 1/2 by soldering your own terminals to make them work with your gear.

[El Sob]

El sob, you say I need to be near the battery when it is charging. What do mean by near? On the same room or just inside the house? Because I don't want to have to be right next to my battery for the 2 hours it takes to charge, or however long it takes. And actually, how long does it take to charge say, a 5000mah 2s 40c pack?

In the same room! If you notice something abnormal going on with the battery, you are there to handle the situation. As others have stated a quality charger should charge a Lipo in an hour or less.

[Light351]

I use the Thunder Ac6 charger for my ***** lipos and there ready in 40:00 Minutes.. Thats a balance charger never tried fast charge.

Tapatalk Pro

[traxxasFTW]

You know ready when after you buy remove it from box and the charger is beeping and/or flashing lipo full. Then its time to enjoy the power that a lipo battery has to offer. If its your frist time with lipo's I would strongly recommend a hard case lipo battery pack. This is a 2 cell lipo with a hard case.

on ur pack, why does it say 2s,3s, and 4s on the bottom right? How good is this lipo? how much does it cost? How many c is it, is it 50 or 100?

[jay janak]

The battery was 31.78 = shipping took 2 weeks to get it. Battery hold up very well. Spec.
Capacity: 5300mAh
Voltage: 2S2P / 2S Cell / 7.4V
Discharge: 50C Constant / 100C Burst
Weight: 295g (including wire & case)
Dimensions: 138x47x25mm
Balance Plug: JST