Switching over to LiPo. Recommend a battery?

[AngryPirate]

So I have used a 7-cell Pro Match NiMH battery since I got the car back in 2008. I am finally considering making the jump to LiPo.

I mostly run in grass or on the road. No racing, at least not organized haha

Thinking of placing an order from A Main Hobbies soon and looking for something decently priced that isn't overkill but good run time. Definitely would like to stay under $100.

I have an Onyx 230 charger and looking at the Astro Flight Blinky Balancer. Any other concerns besides turning the Low Voltage cut-off back on with the ESC and using a balancer when charging?

[hero]

i'd check out SPC. they have great batteries and they are relatively cheap.

[AngryPirate]

Thanks, I'll do that. Can anybody comment on these tires as well? As mentioned above, looking for something that will work well in grass and on the road.

http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...Wheels-Black-2

http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...Wheels-Black-2

Probably keep the stock front tires for now. Don't see anything matching these for the front anyway, on AMain.

Maybe throw these on the front.
http://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/tag/2917274762.html

[Petertje60]

+1 on SPC. The tires you linked to are all quite good, but if you want something that works well in grass and also on road, you have to realize that you are dealing with sort of opposite surfaces. Anything that will help you to get grip on grass, will wear quite fast on pavement. Good tires for on road are useless in grass most of the time.
Trenchers work good in grass and are even quite good on road, but you have to tape those when you want to go fast. No personal experience with the Dirt Hagws. Anacondas are good, but I would pick the JConcepts G-Locs instead of those.

[JayMcGill]

I run DirtHawgs on front and rear. They grip well on most surfaces, but they wear really fast on pavement. I mostly run in grass, gravel and pavement.

[AngryPirate]

Thanks for the input. I'm debating if it's worth the extra money for the Dirt Hawgs or just get the Trenchers when they're back in stock. I try to run mostly in grass but do some speed runs on the street occasionally.

As far as the battery, do you recommend the 8200mAh, 30C, 3S, 11.1V or is it overkill for a stock Rustler bashing around the park? I'm mainly looking for good run time and power similar or better to my ProMatch 7-cell NiMH.

Any input on balancing and charging? If I buy the Blinky Balancer, just plug it into the battery and charge with the Onyx 230 as normal?

[JayMcGill]

My charger has a built in balancer, so I can't speak to that, but I run 2 SPC batteries and have been very happy. I have a 3s 4700mah 25c and a 2s 5000mah 25c. Both have been really good to me and supply plenty of power.

[AngryPirate]

What differences am I essentially looking at between 2S and 3S? How much run time do you normally get out of the 4700/5000? Thanks again for the info.

Considering maybe one of these:

http://www.spcracing.com/index.php?productID=113

http://www.spcracing.com/index.php?productID=112

[rag6]

The 2s 6000 mah 30c spc pack is the perfect pack for bashing a rusty.

[JayMcGill]

I get about 45 minutes out of both batteries. I think 50c would be overkill IMHO.

[AngryPirate]

The 2s 6000 mah 30c spc pack is the perfect pack for bashing a rusty.

It's out of stock
Edit: Ouch, early June

I get about 45 minutes out of both batteries. I think 50c would be overkill IMHO.

Well that eliminates a couple. I hate decisions, especially when I'm going in somewhat blind haha

45 mins is about what I was hoping for. I think I'm down to 20ish of decent power now.

[Agriganosa]

OMG, I start hating SPC for such slow production, its been 2 months since i am waiting for those 2s lipos hard packs, really i mean last week they told us 2s will be available week may7th, now its 14th may... WTH, i was a lipo, i cant run any of my trucks because of them.. well not really, i can still go with other brands, but I WANT SPC...

[AngryPirate]

Glad to see loyal customers in here. Gives me confidence in buying from them. Like I said I know nothing about LiPos. One of these forums back in 2008 told me to get the ProMatch if I was going to go NiMH and that's the only battery I've had since. Beat the crap out of it Iraq, overcharged it multiple times, the metal clip on my temp gun contacted it and sparked/burnt a couple of the connections, and I'm still using it lol

I feel I've probably been missing out and need to get a LiPo. If anybody can comment on the Blinky Balancer with the Onyx 230 I can at least go ahead and purchase that. Free shipping on the single item from AMain.

[rustlerrat]

I often use Tower Hobbies for all RC orders. Check them out.

[rag6]

Glad to see loyal customers in here. Gives me confidence in buying from them. Like I said I know nothing about LiPos. One of these forums back in 2008 told me to get the ProMatch if I was going to go NiMH and that's the only battery I've had since. Beat the crap out of it Iraq, overcharged it multiple times, the metal clip on my temp gun contacted it and sparked/burnt a couple of the connections, and I'm still using it lol

I feel I've probably been missing out and need to get a LiPo. If anybody can comment on the Blinky Balancer with the Onyx 230 I can at least go ahead and purchase that. Free shipping on the single item from AMain.

I have seen that balancer/charger combo recommended here countless times. It should work fine. How much is the balancer?

[AngryPirate]

I often use Tower Hobbies for all RC orders. Check them out.

Thanks, but I've been a loyal customer since I bought my car in 2008 and they were shipping parts to me in Iraq. In my opinion, their website is easier to browse than Tower's as well.

I have seen that balancer/charger combo recommended here countless times. It should work fine. How much is the balancer?

The balancer is $33. As of now I'll likely be going with that one. Trying to find more goodies to add to my order haha

Completely cleaned my car today, including the differential and tranny case, with fresh grease. A few wheel bearings felt like complete crap so definitely grabbing some of those. Clean bearings are always nice.

[ksb51rl]

Glad to see loyal customers in here. Gives me confidence in buying from them. Like I said I know nothing about LiPos. One of these forums back in 2008 told me to get the ProMatch if I was going to go NiMH and that's the only battery I've had since. Beat the crap out of it Iraq, overcharged it multiple times, the metal clip on my temp gun contacted it and sparked/burnt a couple of the connections, and I'm still using it lol

I feel I've probably been missing out and need to get a LiPo. If anybody can comment on the Blinky Balancer with the Onyx 230 I can at least go ahead and purchase that. Free shipping on the single item from AMain.

A lot of us are loyal SPC customers because of the product and the support.


The Onyx 230 is a solid product and the Blinky is a cult classic that does nothing except work. There are other products I might recommend more, like something in the Hyperion EOS or iCharger charger lines, but to each their own. This products you mentioned are not bad by any stretch of the imagination.

[AngryPirate]

Holy crap! Hook a brotha up

I have been using my Onyx 230 for about 4 years now and it has worked great so I will be sticking with that, and adding the Blinky to the works.

Still don't know which battery I want to get. Along with the balancer and new tires, my wallet is not happy about me getting back into this hobby.

[AbSoLooT1]

i'd check out SPC. they have great batteries and they are relatively cheap.

+1 I agree. I have 5 of them.. I just dont like that they dont have a long warranty, but most dont. I also recommend Promatch batteries. They are great too.

Gens ace is also good, but good batterys are ALWAYS sold out. That part is a turn off about em for me.


KSB: U like SPC? Mine is "almost" as big as yours lol. ya right

[AngryPirate]

Looks like this is about the only one in stock close to what was recommended.

$48 shipped - 3S 25C 11.1V/5000mAh
http://www.spcracing.com/index.php?productID=113

Next question; good idea to grab one of the factory wheelie bars? haha

[rag6]

Seems as word of mouth spreads about the packs, they are being sucked up as fast as suppliers get the cells made. It is sometimes hard keeping up with exponentially expanding demand, while keeping a hold on quality control. Good things come to those who wait. Of the 2 packs you linked to, I would go for the duratrax if you cant wait.

[AngryPirate]

I'm pretty sure the Duratrax one went out of stock right after I posted it I am getting very crappy run times out of my NiMH and not sure I want to wait until June for a battery.

What is your opinion of the $48 shipped - 3S 25C 11.1V/5000mAh SPC?

Seems as word of mouth spreads about the packs, they are being sucked up as fast as suppliers get the cells made. It is sometimes hard keeping up with exponentially expanding demand, while keeping a hold on quality control. Good things come to those who wait. Of the 2 packs you linked to, I would go for the duratrax if you cant wait.

[rag6]

What, no 50c's???

[rag6]

I'm pretty sure the Duratrax one went out of stock right after I posted it I am getting very crappy run times out of my NiMH and not sure I want to wait until June for a battery.

What is your opinion of the $48 shipped - 3S 25C 11.1V/5000mAh SPC?

I dont own that pack, but you may want to bring a change of shorts...

[AngryPirate]

I dont own that pack, but you may want to bring a change of shorts...

Hahaha. My buddy had a 11.1V 3S 8000mAh pack. That thing was absolutely insane. Even on the soft dusty roads that thing would flip over backward at 1/2 throttle.

Probably the most fun we had overseas lol The Rustler was worth every penny.

[Strykeviper]

I have this battery:
http://www.hobbypartz.com/98p-40c-50...se-direct.html
It lasted 2 weeks before I had to get an RMA to send it back.
I also have 2 of these:
http://www.hobbypartz.com/77p-sl5000-2s1p-40c-2222.html
No complaints out of either with the price.

[feralcomprehension]

I have two of these and am happy; they're also well regarded on other forums.

http://www.valuehobby.com/power-syst...-car-lipo.html

The hard packs are out of stock but some of the soft packs aren't.

[AngryPirate]

What does the 50C really mean and how will it affect my day to day bashing?

I really want to order a battery ASAP but everything good is out of stock. I don't want to jump into something that I'll regret because of that though.

[Petertje60]

What does the 50C really mean and how will it affect my day to day bashing?

I really want to order a battery ASAP but everything good is out of stock. I don't want to jump into something that I'll regret because of that though.

50C means that your battery is able to deliver a current of 50 times it's capacity. So a 4000mAh (4Ah) 50C will deliver 50 x 4A = 200A.
There is no need for 50C batteries in a Rustler, of course depending on it's capacity. 5000mAh 20C is enough.

[AngryPirate]

Thanks for the reply! 5,000 is about what I'm leaning towards so I guess I'll look for something in the 20-30C range.

Now, is voltage proportional to torque/speed? My old NiMH battery is a 7-cell 8.4V. The LiPos are 2S 7.4V. Does that mean it isn't delivering as much power? Or can they not be compared against the NiMH when talking voltage output?

[Petertje60]

One of the differences between NiMH and Lipo is that the voltage of an NiMH most of the time lowers faster during discharge where Lipos can hold a higher voltage. When a Lipo gets empty, the voltage decreases fast. When a 2S Lipo comes fresh from the charger, it is 8.4V. Lower than a fresh charged 7-cell NiMH, but that will only take a short while before the NiMH's voltage gets lower.

Most of the time, Lipos can deliver a higher discharge current than NiMHs.

So generally you will have more and more constant power from a Lipo.

[Rustler_vxl_3396]

this runs a good 15 minutes longer than my friends 6000mah spc http://www.hobbypartz.com/98p-40c-50...se-direct.html
fits a little snug but it works great

[ksb51rl]

this runs a good 15 minutes longer than my friends 6000mah spc http://www.hobbypartz.com/98p-40c-50...se-direct.html
fits a little snug but it works great

So how did your friend damage the 6000?

Before you accuse me of being a fanboy, consider this: either battery can output more amps than the truck can draw. Say the maximum run time of a 5000 mAH pack is 40 minutes. A 6000 mAH pack should then be able to run 48 minutes. But you are saying 15 minutes less, which puts it at 25 minutes, or about half of what it should run. Something is wrong with the math or your observations. Or the pack. Milliamp-hours don't just arbitrarily appear or disappear.

[Rustler_vxl_3396]

So how did your friend damage the 6000?

Before you accuse me of being a fanboy, consider this: either battery can output more amps than the truck can draw. Say the maximum run time of a 5000 mAH pack is 40 minutes. A 6000 mAH pack should then be able to run 48 minutes. But you are saying 15 minutes less, which puts it at 25 minutes, or about half of what it should run. Something is wrong with the math or your observations. Or the pack. Milliamp-hours don't just arbitrarily appear or disappear.

my battery is 4 months newer but even his spc 5000 which is 3 months newer than mine is not as good as my gens ace 5000
nothing on spc i prefer gens ace its a little less expensive and the best ive done on my lipo because it was on one of the random 6 hour charges it went for 1 hour and 45 minutes i was happy its all prefference but my prefference is gens ace and even better i was running steeper gearing and bigger tires than my friend which will draw more power

[AngryPirate]

Too many variables to truly compare different vehicles, or even different runs.

[ksb51rl]

my battery is 4 months newer but even his spc 5000 which is 3 months newer than mine is not as good as my gens ace 5000
nothing on spc i prefer gens ace its a little less expensive and the best ive done on my lipo because it was on one of the random 6 hour charges it went for 1 hour and 45 minutes i was happy its all prefference but my prefference is gens ace and even better i was running steeper gearing and bigger tires than my friend which will draw more power

That neither answered my question or provided any insight into the huge disparity in your reported runtimes, especially due to the fact that you are now saying you ran the batteries in different vehicles. If you state, "A and longer/better/cooler than B," there needs to be some sort of baseline so you can objectively compare, or you should state that there is none, in which case subjective observations can still be useful.
If you like GA, fine. Choices are good, no?

What, no 50c's???

The 40C's and 30C/8200s are my newest. They are more than enough for me. When I charge all these on my PL6 I have to ask friends to run MY packs just so I can be sure to discharge them all to storage level. I really don't need any more packs right now, but...

[AngryPirate]

Good idea to grab one of these?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170699844293...ht_3161wt_1396

[Petertje60]

Good idea to grab one of these?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170699844293...ht_3161wt_1396

More than a good idea: a must!

[seedorfj]

I would get a venom 2S one. I have a 3S 6400mah and it is excessive. Don't get a 3S, you will be fixing your car every few minutes, my front and back halves are on opposite sides of my room right now.

[AngryPirate]

More than a good idea: a must!

Think that cheap eBay one will suffice? Isn't a complicated item.

I would get a venom 2S one. I have a 3S 6400mah and it is excessive. Don't get a 3S, you will be fixing your car every few minutes, my front and back halves are on opposite sides of my room right now.

Haha I'll take your word on that. Likely getting a 2S.