Are lipos safe for the losi mini crawlers

[89lxmorepower]

I've been reading lipos can be good but can also carry risks like fire or explosion. So my question is are they safe to run in the ready to run version losi mini crawlers and if so what's a good recommendation size wise with stock electronics. I don't wanna go lipo if it's not safe or worth the extra money plus what are the overall benefits like power increases ect.

[Kajman]

Well, they are unsafe if handled wrong, if you have low voltage alarm and change battery as soon as you hear it, if don't hit rocks wih it, it will be ok. You can fit on MRC packs up to 1800mAh, but the best fit are 700-1300 in my opinion. If you want to be completely safe, buy yourself 18650 high current Li-Ion cells like Sony US18650VT (1300-1600mAh) or LiFePo4 18650 cells (1000-1100mAh), 2 cells will give more than enough power and are completely safe. For cell safety low voltage alarm is required anyway, those cells can survive 1000-2000 charges,but they don't like to go under their minimum voltage (LiFePo4 under 2.4-2.0V and LiIon under 2.65-2.85V). LiIons you can charge in approx. 1hour, LiFePo even in 15minutes.
Here is MRC with 2 lifepo4 cells on back:


And here with 1300mAh LiPo pack on side:

[89lxmorepower]

So as long as proper care is taking there worth it and this alarm you speak of where does it go and how's it hooked up cause im looking at a 1650 mah nihm battery and a losi sport charger instead of lipo cause my stock battery last a couple hours of hard running.

[Kajman]

Alarms you can easily buy on ebay, type lipo alarm I would not go nimh anymore, lithium is the way to go, only you have to choose wisely.

[671 Crawler]

Im running a 2S on mine,,like everyone said..care and caution is the key here.

[89lxmorepower]

so with cells listed above i make my own battery pack and also they use standard lipo chargers correct

[Kajman]

For LiIon cells you use lipo chargers. For Lifepo you use lifepo charger (they have lower final charging volatage than lipo/liion-3.6v vs. 4.2v). Buy yourself some simple charger like imax b6 and you will be able to charge all types.

[89lxmorepower]

alright well im going to have to stay nihm batterys for a while cant afford alot right now

[Charlie-III]

LiPO is a LOT smaller and lighter than any other battery chemistry.
If you comp, a 2S (2 cell) LiPO of ~325mah will almost do 2 courses (I buy these from www.CheapBatteryPacks.com for ~$20.00 US each).

NiMH is a lot bigger and heavier than LiPO, but if this is a "for fun" rig, choose what makes you feel comfortable.

Depending on your ESC, it may already have a LiPO LVC (low voltage cutoff) built in, thus, one less thing to worry about.

[89lxmorepower]

Not sure as I have a stock losi mini crawler down to tires links electronics so not sure on lipo cut off

[shopteacher]

Hand up... The neighbor kid has a losi mini comp crawler and needs a battery. The rig is set up for a small pack over the rear axle. 60mm wide is about max..
Venom has a 13c 2s 1300mah 7.4 battery for $16, and dynamite has a 20c for $45. Is a 13c enough discharge for a Mini comp crawler? Cost is the main issue. Cannot find any decent mah batteries that would replace the ones he had. Thoughts? Options?

[Sh0rtBus]

I run a Mad Dog 1300 25c I think and paid about $15 for it at my LHS. Came with an EC3 plug installed and has worked well for over a year. Get about 45 minutes on it running a Reedy 19t stump Puller motor and Castle Sidewinder Micro.

[jason1973]

i run lipos in every rc i have
including micros
its just the 10 times cheaper now then 5 or 6 years ago.
you just have to pay attentio and handle with care.
simple