lipos and charger

[cams-76]

i am going to be ordering a lipo and charger soon. i have been looking into what lipo to get. looks like i want at least 5000 mah, 7.4v not sure what "c" rating i need or how many cells. at this time i have the stock brushed slash with the low voltage esc. i want to get a lipo that will work if i decide to go brushless. looks like some lipo combos dont work well with certain batteries? is there such a batter that can be used with the setup i have now and with a brushless setup in the future? also with the charger there seems to be a bunch of different options at $50 or less. i am not sure i need one that will charge more than one battery at a time? do these batts hold a charge for a few days after they are charged?

[cams-76]

also how long does it take to charge a lipo? do they have to be discharged between each use? i see it is good to put them to storage voltage if they are not going to be used for a while.

[bongo]

Ok
Brushed = 7.4v lipo NO HIGHER
No Low voltage detection= buy one eBay couple of bucks
Charger = >$100
C rating = traxxas batteries are 25c so minimum 25c
Charge time = depending how u charge

Do some research on lowest voltage, charging, storage and the brand of battery you buy,
There are different grades of batteries so choose wisely. I haven't had an issue but my mate has killed 3
But we are bashers
Hope this helps

[EXP831]

I have a Thunder AC6 charger and it's been great. No complaints with it and for the price it's hard to beat.

[O.G.]

It takes about 50 minutes to charge up my 5000mah 2s Lipo at 5.0 amps.
I like my venom pro charger but the charge rate of 5.0 is now considered a little slow compared with newer chargers.
No lipos do not have to be discharged after each use. Just charge em up when your done running and have cooled off.
Yes they hold a charge for a while.
Don't get one less than 5,000mah so you'll have a longer run time.
I like SPC and Venom brand batteries.

[O.G.]

Forgot to mention: Discharging a Lipo all the way down (like an nimh) will permanently damage it.

[Jakey]

Forgot to mention: Discharging a Lipo all the way down (like an nimh) will permanently damage it.

It will damage Nimh also.

[redlightrandy]

you can run nimh all the way down, just not lipos.

[Jakey]

No, running Nimh down too low damages them. Nimh is at least at sensitive to over-discharging as is LiPo.

[NewSlashOwner]

They tell you right in the traxxas manual that you can run the NIMH batteries right down.

[Jakey]

And that part of the manual is wrong.

[harry697]

And that part of the manual is wrong.

I just read the manual and it did say to run nickel batteries down until the car won't move anymore before storing. That's the first time I've ever heard an actual manufacturer state something like that and I agree with Jakey that it is completely wrong.

Now I'm starting to see why people are always saying that nimh packs run good for a couple minutes and then start to lose power. I bet they would have even worse things to say about lipos if they treated them in the same manner.

Gotta love the internet!

[NewSlashOwner]

Well me being someone that didnt do my research before using my NIMH batteries for my slash I have always run them down because I thought that was the way to avoid the memory effect on them. They still work ok but now I will make sure not to run them right down to nothing.

[NewSlashOwner]

I did my research before going to lipo and treat those things GREAT so I know I wont have any problems with them.

[harry697]

Well me being someone that didnt do my research before using my NIMH batteries for my slash I have always run them down because I thought that was the way to avoid the memory effect on them. They still work ok but now I will make sure not to run them right down to nothing.

My comment was nothing personal towards you or anybody else. It just amazes me at some of the bad info out there. Internet forums can be great places for advice, but they can also lead you down the wrong path too often.

[Jakey]

Well me being someone that didnt do my research before using my NIMH batteries for my slash I have always run them down because I thought that was the way to avoid the memory effect on them. They still work ok but now I will make sure not to run them right down to nothing.

Your Nimh will never have an issue with memory. That is a left over term from the days when NASA utilized NiCad battery packs in satellites.

[Emaxx2.0]

I thought NASA was using nuclear batteries in their satellites?

[Jakey]

http://www.repairfaq.org/ELE/F_NiCd_Battery.html

[NewSlashOwner]

My comment was nothing personal towards you or anybody else. It just amazes me at some of the bad info out there. Internet forums can be great places for advice, but they can also lead you down the wrong path too often.

I didnt take it as anything personal, just was stating that I need to do more research lol

[cams-76]

another question on the chargers. i have been reading up and people are talking about built in power supplies? what is this? if i buy this thunder ac6 charger can i plug it into a wall outlet and charge batteries?

[cbrsilv15]

IMAX b6ac. Got it bnib from eBay for 35. Works great and has the built in supply. Ac has the power cord you plug in the wall and the dc ones have alligator clips that connect to a 12v battery.

[cams-76]

i found a ******* 2s 40c 5000mah for $23. seems cheap to me, is this a good batt to get? the "c" rating seems high. can it be too high for a stock brushed slash? idk y it would be cheaper than the same batts rated at 25c

[cams-76]

now i am also seeing other batts with the "c" rating rated as a range for example. 30~60C or 50~100c. im not sure if i am over thinking these batts but there seems to be a huge selection. just dont want to buy a POS

[cams-76]

o and some say hard case some dont should i care about the case? so many questions

[rag6]

No lipos do not have to be discharged after each use. Just charge em up when your done running and have cooled off.

2 things here.
In some cases not discharging a lipo to "storage voltage, 3.8v/cell" within 24 hrs can void your warranty. It is imperative that you read and follow the mfg's individual instructions for the pack. I puffed a good pack by leaving it over storage charge for a while. I did not read the instructions, and voided my warranty.

#2, I have never seen anywhere that you cannot throw a "warm" lipo right back on the charger. I could be wrong, but have never seen it.

As far as hard packs go, as long as your battery compartment is solid, and there is no chance of the lipo getting punctured, it does not matter. If your packs are hanging on the side of an open e-savage tvp design, a hard case would be the safest choice...