Duratrax DTX 5000 batteries

[Jeromey]

Hey, I picked up a set of these DTX 5000 NiMH batteries the other week and got to use them for the first time today. After charging them (Onyx 245) they had 3 minutes run time before the truck was dead. Recharged with the same results. Has anyone else had this? Is there a way to see which pack is bad?

[mike-susieq1]

usually i find the battery that is bad gets very hot fast, during usage, charging. try to use a voltmeter, multi meter to see the voltage and keep an eye on it mine went down fast compared to a good pack.

[Jimmie Neutron]

Also check to see if you have LVD/LVC activated.

[Oldrcguy]

Are you using the white connectors? The ones that I think came stock on the twin E Maxx? I have burned up one and the second it going also. I have ordered a new charger (lipo& Nihm) and will be converting over to Traxxas HV connectors because of this. I'm wondering if one of the connectors isn't passing the charge through to the batteries? Let us know what you find, I was looking at these very batteries just this morning, in case I want to stick with Nihm's and not go to lipos.

[Jeromey]

@ mike-susieq1, I will check temps and voltages during my spin with it tonight
@ Jimmie Neutron, mine ESC does not yet have the built-in LVD as the new ones have
@ Oldrcguy, I have the Traxxas HV connectors

I have tried contacting both the HS where I bought it from as well Duratrax but no response from either yet.

[PowerToTheMaxx]

Hmm... Duratrex are supposed to be really good batteries. Two things, everyone sells a bad set of batteries every 500ish packs or something, so anythings possible.
also, batteries take several cycles to begin working fully. unless theyre getting very hot during charging or running, id run em a few times and see if they improve.

other than that, i dont know what to say, other than fight for your right to get refund if they turn out to be junkers.

[Jeromey]

Made the 3rd run with these batteries and they lasted 3 minutes before I had to go pick the truck up because it couldn't move anymore. The left pack started at 9.55V and 55 degrees and ended at 9.11V and 78-84 degrees, the right pack started at 9.66V and 55 degrees and ended at 9.27V and 60-64 degrees.
I put them on the charger and they are now starting to take a charge. The right pack just finished after 57 minutes and took 3727 mah, the left pack took 4662 mah after 71 minutes. I wasn't able to get over 1000 mah into them before. I will take them for a few more runs tomorrow and hopefully they will keep taking more.

[Oldrcguy]

I have measured mine after a charge, granted they were two old packs, but one measured 8.4v and the other measured 7.4v, replacing them soon. But the truck will run for at least 15 minutes. These were 7.4volt packs. Are you'res 8.4 volt packs, because over 9 volts sounds excessive. Even my 7.4 lipos top out at 8.4 volts. What is the model of the esc you have? From what I gather, some EVX-2 have a lipo cutoff like Jimmy mentioned. If it's on, when using Nihm's it will prematurely stop the truck, thinking it's saving the (lipo) batteries from discharging too far. I won't get my new one in until tonight, but from what I gather, to change lipo to Nihm mode on the EVX-2, hold the set button in for ten seconds, and the light changes color. If you are using 8.4v packs on a EVX-2, which is rated at 16.8 volts maximum, then you over throwing to much current at it. Which might cause it to shutdown on current limits or thermal. Two 8.4 volt packs fully charged (9.4 volts @) are 18.8 volts.
Now the second possibility is it's going down on thermal. How hot is the esc and motors after the three minutes? Need more details.

[Jimmie Neutron]

My Summit with the EVX2 came with 7 cell batteries stock... so I doubt high voltage is the issue.
Also, most of my NiMh packs top out between 1.5-1.6v/cell... making a full 7 cell pack between 10.5 and 11.2 volts.

[Jeromey]

I am using the 7 cell packs, that is what it came with. The ESC and motors are still cold after the 3 minutes. I can toss in my old 3000 mah Power Cells right away and it runs great until they die. My EVX-2 does not have the LVD on it. Once it gets warm outside I am going to take them for another rip. With any luck they should be better with the bigger charge they took last night.

[Oldrcguy]

Yeah I doubt the high voltage is an issue. With the truck dead and the batteries having 9+ volts in them, makes me think these are 8.4v 7 cell packs. I would checking for binding, to tight of a spur gear mesh, a weak or shorted motor, something along those lines. For it to eat up battery that fast and if having a bind somewhere, I would think the motors would be smoking.

Eta, Thanks Jerome, helps isolate issues. But I still think there should be less voltage after a run, something like 8 volts or somewhere in there.

[Jeromey]

The 2 motors are brand new. The first time I put these Duratrax batteries in it fried both motors which had me scared to do try them again with the new ones. I set the gear mesh according to Traxxas, putting a piece of paper between the gears when tightening them down.
I also agree that there should be less voltage in the batteries if they were out of a charge.

[Oldrcguy]

The fact it fried the motors and the esc and the new motors are staying cool and lashed right, to me it has to be the batteries. How much runtime do you get from the older set of batteries, if you have some? More than 3 minutes?

[Jeromey]

Yes, the old batteries get a good 10 minutes out of them.. Just got back from trying these DuraTrax's again and I got over 10 minutes out of them before I nailed a curb, broke the lower suspension arm, the pins that hold them, and bent a shock! There was still life in them so I guess they are slowly coming around..... Now to take it all apart again, just replaced the upper suspension arm last night!

[Jeromey]

Well I got it all together again and the run time is quickly rising. I just got close to 20 minutes out of them, ran them right dead. Once they cool down I will put them back on the charger on a slow charge rate and will see how much juice I can get into them.
Oldrcguy, if you do choose to get a set of these they are a much tighter fit than the Power Cell batteries. They just fit in the battery tray. You also have to squish the power leads really good with the battery hold downs to snap them into place. I think the Power Cell design is much nicer, just my .02

[Oldrcguy]

Cool, glad to hear their coming around for you. Batteries usually take three cycles to condition in. Even Lipos are this way, just usually not this drastic. I'll find out tonight if my new esc have a LVD on it or not. If not I'll just go with the same batteries as you and buy four of them. I have a quick charger that slings 3.5 amps at them and can charge them fast or slower at 1 amp. If the esc has LVD on it, I'll go lipo, already have a charger. I went out and checked for the motor mount mod if needed, won't be to bad if I opt to do it for lipos. Then I can put thicker batteries in it.

[Oldrcguy]

Woohooo, the new esc has lvd. I just ordered two 8,000 mah lipos for it. I'll fit them in somehow lol. This is going to be fun lol.

[Jeromey]

That sounds like a lot of fun! I was going to go that route if these batteries ended up junk. They have more power than the stock ones with a full charge but the run time isn't much different. Next time I get batteries they will be lipo's though. I bought the Onyx 245 so I would be ready....

[PowerToTheMaxx]

Ya, lipo is amazing. I didnt belive how much difference till I tried it. Still amazes me.

[Oldrcguy]

Looking forward to getting them in. 10-15 minutes isn't enough lol. I let my son drive it this afternoon, he also has a nitro Maxx, he fell in love with it. He's also looking forward to the new bigger batteries coming in.

[Chopstx]

I run dtx 5000 mah 2s batts in my 3906 with mmm, and they rock!

[Oldrcguy]

I run dtx 5000 mah 2s batts in my 3906 with mmm, and they rock!

What kind of runtime you get with them?

[Chopstx]

What kind of runtime you get with them?

I am getting about 35 minutes with lvc set at 3.5v

[MOPAR MARV]

That is weird,all of the DTX packs I've had were top notch within three or four cycles. I've got an old 1900 nicd pack that is nearly six years old and still working fine in my daughter's old Hawk2[XL-5/12t Titan]

I'm running Venom 5000mah nimh packs in my 3906 and getting anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes run time, depending on how hard I'm abusing it



Try dropping your charging amperage to one amp. and give that a try

[Jeromey]

MOPAR MARV, nice to see another SK guy here! I did try dopiing my charge down as low as the 245 would for a cycle but it didn't make any difference. When I contacted Duratrax they said that it takes a few cycles to get them going. They are a lot better now than they were but still not what I was expecting.

[MOPAR MARV]

Hi Jeromey,

Cool !!!!

There are a couple of us flatlanders kicking around on the forum but I seem to be the only one that has stuck around for any length of time.

I'm living about thirty minutes south east of Regina[my home town]. Any chance that you live in or near Regina?


As for your battery issue,maybe your charger is false peaking,do you have another charger that you could try them on?

[Jeromey]

I am in Regina.

That is my only charger other than the wall charger that it came with. Haven't put anything on that one since I got the 245.

[PowerToTheMaxx]

You should be gettin way more out of those, Id call Duratrex back and/or return them and get ur money back. Lipo are good, but 5000mah is 5000mah, regardless of chemistry, theres no way u should be getting that low of a run time. Just my two cents.