Finalizing my purchase/ best battery, charger, and steering servo...

[high plains drifter]

Really excited to be in the final stages of procuring a TRX4 but before I order, I've got some final questions:

* Not really looking for the "best" servo out there but I'm wanting to upgrade to an affordable yet noticeably improved servo over the 2075x. What is the recommended upgrade here with better torque?

* Was looking at the Traxxas EZ Peak Plus 4 amp Auto ID NiMH/ LiPo charger but is this the best bang for the buck or is there a significantly better ( and equally simple to use) after-market charger? Fwiw, I'm also considering the Traxxas 2 amp wall charger & 3000mAh 8.4v battery combo for affordability and ease of operation. The fact is that I don't know how much benefit someone like me ( backyard basher type) will see with a LiPo upgrade. And along with this long-winded inquiry...

... what battery should I be looking at? I've never run Lipo batteries but I know that SIMPLE is going to work best for me in regards to charging and long-term battery maintenance. Tbh... I'd like to not have to splice/ solder the factory wiring for an after-market battery. I want affordable and capable plug-n-play so ( assuming the Traxxas EZ Peak Plus charger is a good bet) which battery should I choose...

Traxxas 5000mAh 8.4v 7-cell flat NiMH?
Traxxas 5000mAh 11.1v 3S LiPo?
Traxxas 5800mAh 7.4v 2S 2-cell LiPo?

Or if there is another popular alternative in regards to an after-market battery that is plug-n-play with the Traxxas vehicle electronics? I'd honestly rather run NiMH due to ease and cost but if LiPo is going to be significantly better then I'm willing to go that route. Fwiw I don't mind soldering a Traxxas type connector onto a better after-market battery if there is a big benefit going Venom or whatever brand, but I'd like to keep everything Traxxas brand if possible.

Final questions:

* Will I need to purchase O-ring cap seals and dual X-ring shaft seals? Idk if these are included with the TRX4 RTR and/ or if it's a worthwhile upgrade. Also I feel like some xtra shock-oil will be good to have on hand for rebuilds, so... what weight?
* Besides a servo upgrade, are there any recommended parts that I should have on hand or immediately consider upgrading?


*** I know that this is a lot to ask of you guys with so many noobs on here and so many of those noobs essentially asking the same types of questions but I'm just wanting to make sure that my particular concerns may be addressed before I go ahead and pull the trigger on this one.

My sincere gratitude!

[magic_yeti]

Originally Posted by high plains drifter

* Not really looking for the "best" servo out there but I'm wanting to upgrade to an affordable yet noticeably improved servo over the 2075x. What is the recommended upgrade here with better torque?

many options i changed from the cheap powerhd 20kg waterproofed to a hh hv500 v2 (running it direct from the lipo 3s works fine), other options promodeler savöx .........

Originally Posted by high plains drifter

* Was looking at the Traxxas EZ Peak Plus 4 amp Auto ID NiMH/ LiPo charger but is this the best bang for the buck or is there a significantly better ( and equally simple to use) after-market charger? Fwiw, I'm also considering the Traxxas 2 amp wall charger & 3000mAh 8.4v battery combo for affordability and ease of operation. The fact is that I don't know how much benefit someone like me ( backyard basher type) will see with a LiPo upgrade. And along with this long-winded inquiry...

lipos need maintenance if you don't use them they need storage load, so you need a charger with a storage program. Get a better one like skyrc d100 v2, same as hitec x2.

Originally Posted by high plains drifter

... what battery should I be looking at? I've never run Lipo batteries but I know that SIMPLE is going to work best for me in regards to charging and long-term battery maintenance. Tbh... I'd like to not have to splice/ solder the factory wiring for an after-market battery. I want affordable and capable plug-n-play so ( assuming the Traxxas EZ Peak Plus charger is a good bet) which battery should I choose...

Traxxas 5000mAh 8.4v 7-cell flat NiMH?
Traxxas 5000mAh 11.1v 3S LiPo?
Traxxas 5800mAh 7.4v 2S 2-cell LiPo?

Or if there is another popular alternative in regards to an after-market battery that is plug-n-play with the Traxxas vehicle electronics? I'd honestly rather run NiMH due to ease and cost but if LiPo is going to be significantly better then I'm willing to go that route. Fwiw I don't mind soldering a Traxxas type connector onto a better after-market battery if there is a big benefit going Venom or whatever brand, but I'd like to keep everything Traxxas brand if possible.

ditch the traxxas connector to a xt60 on the esc. gives you a wide range of lipo options. i use turnigy or zippy. also a smaller lighter lipo in the range of 3000mAh is better performance wise.

Final questions:

Originally Posted by high plains drifter

* Will I need to purchase O-ring cap seals and dual X-ring shaft seals? Idk if these are included with the TRX4 RTR and/ or if it's a worthwhile upgrade. Also I feel like some xtra shock-oil will be good to have on hand for rebuilds, so... what weight?

no need only if stock shox leak, mine are fine. stock is 30wt, others are using oil in the range of 10 to 30 just some thing to play to get the truck where you want it, as well as the springs. rear where to soft for my liking have now progressive hot racing springs

Originally Posted by high plains drifter

* Besides a servo upgrade, are there any recommended parts that I should have on hand or immediately consider upgrading?

you will need some weight on the axles to put the cg lower cause of the heavy body. many options from samix ssd china....
also consider to change the foams (pro line single or dual stage).

a weak spot are also the mini servos (2-speed, diffs) see thread for options, the stock esc is also a comment part to change. i still use the stock electronics with no failure.knock on wood

[Inspector86]

Concentrate on a battery and charger 1st, the other stuff you will figure out once you start driving your TRX4. As for batteries you don't want the NiMh you want either a 2s or 3s LiPo. It really does not matter which you start with as the TRX4 can use both. 2s gives a bit softer low speed control and electronics run cooler while 3s will give a higher top speed along with higher operating temps. It kind of depends on your anticipated driving style and preference. A good digital LiPo balance charger/discharger can be found for under $60 on ebay and will work with virtually any popular connector style you should choose. Do a quick ebay search for LiPo charger/discharger. I have some Traxxas plug batteries and some XT60 plug batteries and all are charged off the same charger with a simple pigtail change.

[durok]

Traxxas branded batteries are hugely overpriced...

SMC Racing sells great LiPo batteries with TRX connectors (or any of your choice) at a fair price:

https://www.smc-racing.net/index.php?route=common/home


As far as servos go I am still having a great success with my sub-$20 Amazon servo - came with a free aluminum servo horn:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073M3X86S...&pd_rd_w=RSUVY

[StomperCrawler]

I'd go with a $45 Hitec X1 Mini charger that handles balancing and storage mode: http://www.rpphobby.com/product_p/hrc44241.htm

$25 Solar D772 servo from eBay or $12 JX 6621 20kg servo from Banggood; more research here: What the newest cheap servo hotness?

For shifting servos, the $4 mg995 from eBay.

Batteries $11-16 Turnigy 3s lipo 2200-3000mah: https://hobbyking.com/en_us/lipo.htm...width_c=0-350&

[high plains drifter]

Guys... This is exactly the kind of info I was hoping to see!

Fact is that I spent so much time researching vehicles ( TRX4/ SCX10 II/ Venture/ Ascender) that I admittedly overlooked batteries and chargers. Once I settled on the TRX4, I surmised that the stock steering servo would likely need upgraded but yikes!... I had no idea that the battery & charger would be such an intricate and important piece of the puzzle. I now think that I'm set on the Lipo 2S. Other than that, I'll just go through these replies in great detail and try to determine what will specifically be the best bet for my particular needs.

FWIW ebay seems to be a no-go since most sellers require you to use PayPal. I unfortunately don't have a PayPal account atm and don't really want to create one.

Also fwiw regarding digital lipo chargers that I found on ebay... Most are very cheap ( sub $30) so I'm not sure if something like the digital iMAX B6 RC Lipo NiMh NiCD Battery Balance Charger/ Discharger ( for around $24) is one that I should even consider due to it's lackluster price? I certainly don't mind spending more money for a charger that ultimately is just about the easiest/ safest/ most idiot-proof charger available. I plan to also get a bag or box to keep things extra-safe but I'm still pretty apprehensive jumping into the lipo world so the right charger ( for a dolt like me) will be vitally important.

I'm going to continue to dissect each and every reply that shows up in this thread so again, I extend my most humble gratitude to you all.

[StomperCrawler]

The Accucell s60 is another inexpensive reliable charger, but it runs off ac (wall outlet) only.

The other two (imax and turnigy) are also good but require you to buy or build a power ac to DC power supply which you could make out of an old computer power supply.

[eric113]

Charger wise. I would look at quad charger. Meaning you can charge 4 battery’s at once. It sucks charging one battery at time.

[ScoJac]

Oh man, please don't go the cheap route on lipo batteries and chargers, lipo batteries can have the potential to be very dangerous !
Sure you can save a few bucks here and there on some items, but lipos are no joke...IMO this is not an area not to go cheap.....buy quality.

If it takes you a week extra to save a little more then do it.

I have never had a problem or any of the people i know, but i'm not a gambling man. I'm not risking everything I own because I saved a few bucks. I work too hard to own this house and all my toys.

But thats me... and some will disagree.


I run Protek chargers, and for batteries I use Gens Ace, Dynamite and Glacier.


Single battery chargers.

Protek Prodigy Touch 680 AC LiPo/LiFe AC/DC Battery Charger (6S/8A/80W) by ProTek RC

Protek Prodigy 610ez AC/DC" LiHV/LiPo Balance Battery Charger (6S/10A/100W) by ProTek RC

Dual battery charger.
Protek Prodigy 66 Duo AC/DC" LiHV/LiPo Battery Balance Charger (6S/6A/50W) by ProTek RC

2s
2s LiPo Battery Pack 50C w/Deans Connector (7.4V/5000mAh) by Gens Ace

3s
3s LiPo Battery Pack 50C w/TRX Connector (11.1V/5000mAh) by Gens Ace

[StomperCrawler]

I agree, and Turnigy IS a good brand used by lots of folks here. Get a lipo safe charging bag and never leave batteries charging unattended. I use the Accucell and iMax chargers and they are great. I HAVE seen a Black Widow charger catch fire, although it was an older model.

[high plains drifter]

Okay... after reading, researching, evaluating the strength of my relationship with my fiancee, and trying to process as much info as possible here on RCC... this is where I'm at:

Savox SA 1283SG servo
Gens ACE 2S 50C 7.4v 5000mAh ( x2)
Traxxas EZ Peak Dual LiPo charger
ProTek RC TRA connector to T-style plug adapter

I realize that there are better chargers out there but I really like the simplicity of the EZ Peak charger and the fact that I can charge 2 batteries at once. Essentially it ticks all my boxes and if it's reliable and safe then I'm good with it.

Not sure if I need/ will need the ProTek adapter but other than that, I'm hopefully ready to order! What do y'all think? And also what ( if necessary) inexpensive charging bag will be sufficient?

[Stewdog]

I have been using this charger for a while and I have been very happy with it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VOYR6MQ...517245319&sr=3

It's rebranded all over the place.
I charge everything from my 1/24 scale batteries to 6S bricks and it does great. I can balance charge a 6S brick in a little over an hour. It does 2 batteries at once as well.

Good luck with the decisions! It gets much more fun after this.

[Natedog]

Buy right and buy once.

Hitec X2 AC Pro charger
X2 AC Pro 2 Port AC/DC Multi-Charger | HITEC RCD USA

Protek 3500mah 3S LIHV batteries
https://www.amainhobbies.com/protek-...116-17/p662759

XT60 connectors
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/nylon-xt...s-genuine.html

HiTec HS-7950TH steering servo
HS-7950TH High Voltage, Ultra Torque, Titanium Gear, Coreless Ultra Premium Servo | HITEC RCD USA

[high plains drifter]

@ Natedog- The total cost ( including the vehicle) of what you're recommending is unfortunately almost $200 more than the route that I was going to go. I'm not trying to "cheap-out" on anything here but I'm already fixing to drop a bunch of $$$ here and going any higher is going to be a little too tough for my wallet to handle right now.

I get that these batteries are smaller and lighter than the Gens ACE 5000mAh packs but I'm not sure why these would be so much more beneficial to a backyard basher guy like me?

I'm also not sure why the HS 7950TH is going to be that much more beneficial as opposed to the 1283SG servo? I've read the RCC servo thread in detail and I do know that even though some people are having success with sub $25 servos, that I'd rather go with something higher-end... just not sure that a $120 servo can be justified ( again... for what I personally want out of the vehicle).

I do hold your opinion in high regard though so I don't take your advice lightly. I truly appreciate your wisdom here.

[Natedog]

OK, thanks for reply then given those parameters, here's some more relevant recommendations.

Edit:
StomperCrawler brought to my attention (thanks bud) that the 23kg HD servo seems to fail pretty quickly (3.5 stars on Amazon):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/reviews...mb_top?ie=UTF8

He recommends (and I would have to concur after reading up again on the latest cheap servo that actually lasts) the $12 JX 6621 20kg (normal or 180deg) from Banggood with its 4.9 stars (333 ratings):
https://m.banggood.com/JX-PDI-6221MG...s-p973947.html
Edit: The Savox servo you like is also $100, I've not been impressed with Savox, but I know some people like them.

I still really like the Hitec charger does two batteries concurrently and quickly, hmmm gotta be cheaper dual charger around but this does them quickly and does all batteries. Edit: I see you like the Traxxas charger that is $100 in a post above, the Hitec is much better charger for $99 and I would go with XT60 plugs, Traxxas battery plugs are huge and not easily re-usable.
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/imax-b6-...s-genuine.html
Power supply for DC input charger
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/hobbykin...er-supply.html

LIPO storage bag, get a couple as cheap insurance
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/lithium-...22cm-sack.html

Some smaller, lighter batteries would really crawl much better, just buy several. Turnigy 1300mAh 3S 30C Lipo Pack
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-...lipo-pack.html

[high plains drifter]

@ Natedog- I'm absolutely on-board with going this route... so long as the Hitec charger is just as easy to use. I'm probably over-thinking the charger decision as I'm sure that they have all come a long way since the days of my MRC Super-brain 959 & 969 but I just want the to be able to simply plug in a pack ( and balancer if applicable), have the charger recognize what needs to be done, and be able to press "Start" and be done with it... auto-shut off, etc. I'm hoping that the Hitec charger will be idiot-friendly for someone like me.

If you ( or anyone experienced) could address my concerns here, I'd greatly appreciate it. I can also see what you-tube videos/ demos pop up after I'm home later this evening. I can't access youtube until then.

Thank you again SO much! I think that it's probably safe to assume that my fiancee can now get on-board with naming our first child, Nate Dog Of Texas... or... maybe she'd like something a bit more traditional... not sure.

You guys are the best!

[magic_yeti]

just one addition to natedogs recommendations.
instead of the 1300 30c turnigy i would go with these 2700 60c
https://hobbyking.com/de_de/zippy-co...lipo-pack.html
gives round about 2 hour run time and fit perfect in the tray.

[svt923]

Originally Posted by high plains drifter

I'm probably over-thinking the charger decision as I'm sure that they have all come a long way since the days of my MRC Super-brain 959 & 969 but I just want the to be able to simply plug in a pack ( and balancer if applicable), have the charger recognize what needs to be done, and be able to press "Start" and be done with it... auto-shut off, etc. I'm hoping that the Hitec charger will be idiot-friendly for someone like me.

Everyone learns more as they gain more experience and idiot-proof chargers always assume idiots are working them. You may want super simplicity as a lipo novice now but in 6 months, you may start wanting to know if your packs are charging to full capacity or if there is a voltage difference between cells during a charge. There are many easy to use chargers on the market that will be able to adapt to your needs while the Traxxas charger is meant for the eternal noob. It is something even a novice will outgrow quickly while something like the Hitec that Natedog posted will have you set for a very long time.

[TooOldForThis]

Unpopular opinion: NIMH packs still have their place, especially for newbies.

By all means, get a high-quality charger with features you can grow into, but it wouldn't hurt to start out with a NIMH pack. They're simple, inexpensive and idiot-proof (i.e. newbie friendly). Down the road you can invest in a good Lipo and Lipo bag once you're familiar with the truck and have a better idea of what you want (2S? 3S? how many mAh?).

Personally, I use both. I have a NIMH for slow brushed vehicles that don't need a lot of juice. For fast brushless stuff, I use a Lipo.

[high plains drifter]

Thank you, TOFT ^^^.

I initially considered NiMH since I'm already running those in my Stampede and EMS16 crawler but at the very least I feel like I would be better off with a couple LiPo's and a simple to use dual charger since I've had the opportunity to learn more about them over the past few days.

I'm starting feel that I'm ready to tackle the world of LiPo's now that I've had a chance to digest some of this. Essentially there is still a good deal that confuses me, but that's mostly in regards to discharging, storage, and connectors... so I'm slowly learning.

I also don't want to ignorantly assume that the hospitality here on RCC is never-ending. I'm extremely appreciative of the help that I've received thus far but I realize that there comes a point where a fledgling has to leave the nest and see if he will be able to soar or if he will fall. I know that it's nearing that time so I desperately feel the need to stretch out my wings and see how I do.

One thing that I know is that I don't want to go with a Deans connector. My dilemma here is XT60 vs EC3. I know that the XT60 is a better connector ( less resistance & easier to connect/ disconnect) but I'm afraid that soldering these connectors is going to be a real PITA. Anyway... I need to nail down which route to go since I'm straying farther from Traxxas as my choice for battery and charger.