Omg!!! Someone please simplify battery options for my ax10!!!!!!!

[donhd04]

I have just spent the last 4 hours reading threads about LIPO, NIMH, C's, Chargers, explosions and tons of other stuff and I'm more confused now than I was when I started. Now I just bought a AX10 RTR and would love some simplified information on batteries please. Anyone chime in here. I know i want to move them down to the front axle housing. So do I get a short stick and move servo to other side or do I get split sticks and mount to each side of the servo?
Next is what freaking size and type do i get? One guy says Nimh, the next guy says Lipo and then there is run time. Forget all the mah and other stuff, someone please tell me on average what runtime is for the size. I like hill climbing on slick rock so alot of throttle will be used. Next im on a really tight budget here but would like to play with this car before christmas and i don't have batteries for it yet cause i don't know what to do. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!

[klabeaume]

Well with the axial esc you have you will need either a lipo cutoff or run just nimh

You will want 7.2v nimh or 2s lipo.

Don't worry about c ratings for what you're doing
If you want longer run times and you are not interested in doing any competitions than a regular 7.2v stick pack will work just fine.

Think of mAh as your gas tank. The higher the number the longer your run times.

If you run a 2000 mah you can probably expect to see around an hour or so...
5000 should get you over 3 hours

I've setup some starter trucks for people and ran traxxas 1/16th packs on the upper links

http://www.rpphobby.com/product_p/tra2925.htm

good basic nimh charger
http://www.rpphobby.com/product_p/dtxp4210.htm

[halfcab]

On the ax10 the stock battery location is really high so size and weight are things you should think about also, stick packs are fine to get you started........but will not work so well when you start Modding for improved capabilities. some of the smaller lipo's will get you started and work for you down the road also, hobbypartz.com has high c rating 2s-7.4 volt packs for reasonable prices anything over 25c should be fine for what you are looking to do.

Which esc did it come with? If it is the ae2 it should have lipo cutoff but my memory fails me some times:-)

[donhd04]

Thanks for the information. I have a couple questions on the Nimh sticks. I do plan on moving the battery down to the axle and would like to use the CKRC battery servo plate. Can I get a, say, a 2500 or 3000 mah small enough to fit the on the axle with the servo so that i don't have to buy 2 seperate batteries? I know eventually i want to run a bodiless chassis and the batteries wont fit it. I just dont' want to do things twice.

[chopperray]

Dude if you take it slow and don't go full throttle all the time your batteries will last. In my trail truck i run two Duratrax 5000mah 6cell NiMh. I own 8 of these batteries and love them. With the two in my truck in parelle i get almost 4 hours. Ah but my jeep weighs in at around 14lbs
There cheap and long lasting. I pay $38.99 a peice for them.
Forgot to mention maybe you should look into a saddle pack. It splits up the six cells into two packs of three wired together.

[Big Daddy]

The Axial AE-2 has a Lipo cut off that is default to "on" so you can run a 2s lipo with no issue. In my Honcho I use 2650 Mah and 1300 Mah and get about 1.5 hours and around 40 mins respectively on normal trail driving. I have all stock elctronics so the times will vary depending on motor and gearing. If you run the batts on the axle you will need to run fairly small packs, probably not much larger than a 1300.

If you can go Lipo, do. You won't regret it. I use and onyx 235 charger and it works pretty well but doesn't have a storage charge mode, which is a feature I would like in my next charger. But you can set a profile at 40% capacity and it works out about right.

[klabeaume]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

The Axial AE-2 has a Lipo cut off that is default to "on" so you can run a 2s lipo with no issue. In my Honcho I use 2650 Mah and 1300 Mah and get about 1.5 hours and around 40 mins respectively on normal trail driving. I have all stock elctronics so the times will vary depending on motor and gearing. If you run the batts on the axle you will need to run fairly small packs, probably not much larger than a 1300.

If you can go Lipo, do. You won't regret it. I use and onyx 235 charger and it works pretty well but doesn't have a storage charge mode, which is a feature I would like in my next charger. But you can set a profile at 40% capacity and it works out about right.

True, I forgot the new ae-2 has lipo cut off, So as these guys said. Do your self a favor and just buy a lipo setup.

Again, you don't need to worry about c ratings for what you're doing. Look for 1000-1300 mah 2s packs

Here you go, cheap and already has a deans connector. I've ran these batteries and they're pretty decent
http://www.valuehobby.com/power-syst...7-4v-lipo.html

[BurnLatex]

Nimh batteries are like rear projection big screen TVs. Obsolete.

Big, heavy, shitty performance.

Lipo vs nimh, both 3000 mah, the lipo will have more voltage for longer, be lighter and smaller, and with todays lipos will charge in half the time or less.

For example, I have some Turnigy Nano tech 3s batteries that have a 10C max charge rating. They are finished charging in 10 minutes.

Buy 2 batteries. What if you wreck one? I bought 4 cheaper batteries instead of 1 Maxxamps. I have replacements instead of warranty. My cheap batteries have lasted over 4 years of regular use.

Lipos do not like to be fully discharged. When it slows down, stop driving or you'll destroy the battery. The LVC(low voltage cut-off) in the ESC should take care of your batteries though. I have never over discharged a lipo. I'm into the 1000s of charges over the years on all my RC stuff.

An improperly charged nimh will make a bigger fire/smoke than an improperly charged lipo. I have seen both. Don't be scared off by claims of lipo being dangerous. Thats a BS wives tale.

[donhd04]

Originally Posted by klabeaume

True, I forgot the new ae-2 has lipo cut off, So as these guys said. Do your self a favor and just buy a lipo setup.

Again, you don't need to worry about c ratings for what you're doing. Look for 1000-1300 mah 2s packs

Here you go, cheap and already has a deans connector. I've ran these batteries and they're pretty decent
GForce 30C 1300mAh 2S 7.4V LiPO

I looked at CBP and really liked the price of those batteries. so what kinda run time do they typically have and do they have a charger you recommend?

Originally Posted by BurnLatex

Nimh batteries are like rear projection big screen TVs. Obsolete.

Big, heavy, shitty performance.

Lipo vs nimh, both 3000 mah, the lipo will have more voltage for longer, be lighter and smaller, and with todays lipos will charge in half the time or less.

For example, I have some Turnigy Nano tech 3s batteries that have a 10C max charge rating. They are finished charging in 10 minutes.

Buy 2 batteries. What if you wreck one? I bought 4 cheaper batteries instead of 1 Maxxamps. I have replacements instead of warranty. My cheap batteries have lasted over 4 years of regular use.

Lipos do not like to be fully discharged. When it slows down, stop driving or you'll destroy the battery. The LVC(low voltage cut-off) in the ESC should take care of your batteries though. I have never over discharged a lipo. I'm into the 1000s of charges over the years on all my RC stuff.

An improperly charged nimh will make a bigger fire/smoke than an improperly charged lipo. I have seen both. Don't be scared off by claims of lipo being dangerous. Thats a BS wives tale.

The batteries your talking about, are they small enough to fit on the front axle on a servo/battery plate. And what kinda charger do you recommend?

[donhd04]

Also what is your alls opinion on Blue Lipo or Sky Lipo?

[klabeaume]

I you can get a good charger. That's a place not to skimp. You shouldn't have to upgrade your charger again and again do spend money once and make it right. I have a 4 year old triton eq and I hove it. It will charge anything I want and has never given me any trouble.

[kyrzrone]

Originally Posted by donhd04

Also what is your alls opinion on Blue Lipo or Sky Lipo?

I have had good luck with Sky, I have never tried Blue Lipo however. I prefer Gens Ace when possible. Sky has smaller packs (by dimensions) then Gens Ace. If you want a 2s on your front axle plate, you will want a compact one like this

http://www.hobbypartz.com/77p-1300ma...-25c-2222.html

[donhd04]

Originally Posted by kyrzrone

I have had good luck with Sky, I have never tried Blue Lipo however. I prefer Gens Ace when possible. Sky has smaller packs (by dimensions) then Gens Ace. If you want a 2s on your front axle plate, you will want a compact one like this

Sky Lipo 1300mAh 7.4V 25C

wow thats a great price. is it really necessary for these companies to charge so much for there batteries? Arent they really made from the same material?

[BurnLatex]

Exactly why I buy several cheap ones instead of one expensive one.

Thats not to say there aren't shitty lipos out there. In fact there are quite a few. All I am saying is you can get great batteries for a lot less than some of the premium brand names.

My rule of thumb is go for a high C rating. There are claims that some companies over rate their cheaper batteries. If thats the case, buy the cheapest, highest C rating you can find and expect less.

Think of this in terms of the punch the pack will have... storage capacity x discharge capacity = output capacity

1000mah x 25C = 25000
2000mah x 25C = 50000
1000mah x 45C = 45000
A smaller mah pack will require a higher C rating to keep up to a larger battery.

Just some info for you, I don't think you gotta worry about C rating in your AX10 however. I'm sure the pack you choose will fit and be large enough to get by with 25C or so. If you were willing to jam a huge nimh stick pack in there, any lipo of the same dimensions will be great.

Personally I will only buy batteries with a 45C or higher rating. I am always looking for performance and lightness, not long run times.


For a charger, I have a Turnigy Accucel 6. It was cheap as hell and works just as good if not better than my $150 Hyperion charger(which is now dead).

I have owned all the expensive brands. I now run cheaper stuff and couldn't be happier. Just make some informed decisions and you'll be happy with what you buy.

I will say Thunder Power gen 6 batteries are THE best lipo batteries I have ever come across. They are expensive, but this is one case of "you get what you pay for". My Hyperions were pretty good too.


To pick a size of battery, your gonna have to get the old calipers out and measure the space in your truck. I do it to every RC I have. Most sites will list the battery dimensions.

[808DA6]

Just another side note, most sites list the weight and dimensions of their Lipos. This really helps when you're trying to figure out what fits. CBP has saddle configured Lipos too for axle mounted setups where you want equal weight on both sides.

-Brian

Oh and btw, welcome. Don't feel overwhelmed. I know I went thru the same struggle before diving in to Lipo. I'm sure most of us did. Just remember to treat your batts like a responsible adult and you'll be fine. Proper charger (I went with a Thunder AC6) and a charging/storage bag are a must.


HobbyKing also has some killer prices on batts and they now have good stuff available in their US warehouses (make sure you check otherwise you'll be waiting for a few weeks.)

[bbking9]

don, go to Shop for RC Hobby Parts and Upgrades - Digital Servos, Brushless Motors, ESC, LiPo Batteries/Chargers for RC Helicopters, RC Planes, RC Cars, Robots and order any of the brand lipos you see listed that you think will fit. Any of these brand are fine. Sounds like you need 2S.

also order the Thunder AC6 charger. Great charger at a fantastic price.

[donhd04]

well i think i have narrowed it down to hobbyking, hobbypartz, or elite from CBP. what is the difference between 20C and 30C? what does the C mean. Also on some of these batteries i see a 2s1p type listing, what does that mean also?

[808DA6]

I have a couple of 3S 1300mAh Elite packs from CBP. Awesome batts. Good punch. If the AE2 can handle 3S, I'd recommend those. Can't beat the price either. On my Holmes TorqueMaster BRXL and a 35T Integy, I get about an hours worth of run time. "C" ratings are discharge ratings. You're going to need more of a guru to chime in on this one. I'm still a noob. Myself, I don't buy anything less than 35C.

-B

[Charlie-III]

Originally Posted by 808DA6

I have a couple of 3S 1300mAh Elite packs from CBP. Awesome batts. Good punch. If the AE2 can handle 3S, I'd recommend those. Can't beat the price either. On my Holmes TorqueMaster BRXL and a 35T Integy, I get about an hours worth of run time. "C" ratings are discharge ratings. You're going to need more of a guru to chime in on this one. I'm still a noob. Myself, I don't buy anything less than 35C.

-B

+1, my son & I run the 1300mah 3S Elite packs, we have 3 each. Decent price and good performance.

[madkawi650]

I use all Turnigy and Zippy lipos from Hobby King in Hong Kong. Super cheap and have been awesome for me. My LHS sells the same ones for 100% markup but it's still cheap.. I ran 2200 mAH 2cell lipos on my ax10 and got nearly 2 hours of crawling. Atleast an hour and 15 with a heavy throttle finger and lots of hill climbs. I switched to 1300 mAh 2 cells just to save space and c
Got over 40 minutes out of those.. My LHS charged $13 for one of these.
"C" value does make a difference in punch. Think of it as voltage under load.. When your 1 hour into your lipo pack and you punch the throttle, a 40c lipo will be MUCH stronger than a 20 c lipo .. I know with a crawler it's less noticeable.. But I'm no expect comp guy and I notice it.


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