Li-Po Batteries And Chargers... A Bit Overwhelmed

[BodiBuilt]

I've read through all the stickied threads a couple times along with a few other related threads... but I am having information overload issues!

I have posted a similar thread in the SCX10 forum as well, looking for additional input.


I've been in and out of the RC hobby for over 25 years, but I have never made the switch over to Li-Po, and I think I would like to finally give them a try.


My budget is flexible. I dont think I need the highest-end stuff, but I dont want to buy crap either...


This will be going into a new SCX10 Wrangler Rubicon RTR with stock 27T motor and AE-2 ESC (for now)... unless I can be convinced I should upgrade these stock components right away, or until they blow (whichever comes first?) :ror:


From what I understand, the AE-2 is rated to handle a 2S Li-Po, although I have stumbled across a quite a few threads claiming sucessful use of a 3S with this ESC. I dont think I need any more than the 2S for my intended use and skill level. I am interested in good power, but even more interested in extended battery life (run time between charges).


With that in mind, I still have some confusion regarding selecting the proper mah and "C" rating. Before all the reading, I would have assumed the higher mah and C rating the better, but after some research it would appear that is a great misconception (regarding scaler/crawler use specifically) What spec's do I need to look for to best suit my intended purpose?


Can you suggest a specific battery size/brand/part # and/or a decent charger for me to consider? Best "value vs. quality" if you will... to help me get started in the right direction.



Thanks in advance, your advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[k7zpj]

For my SCX10 Honcho I use a 1300 mah 35C lipo. I am getting about 25 minutes of crawling time with this size battery.The smaller sized battery makes it easier to relocate for better weight distribution and lower center of gravity.

They are also cheaper than the larger batteries so you can afford to buy more than one so you can be crawling while you have another battery charging.

Here is the link to the batteries I am using:
Holmes Hobbies / Holmes Bikes :: Batteries - Lithium :: HMC 35C 1300mah lipo

I am using the Hyperion EOS0606I AC/DC Charger. Not a cheap charger but I think it pays off over time getting a quality battery charger.

 

[ax-10 crazy]

For batteries I personally hobbypartz or hobbyking. Anything from 1300-4000 mah should be good, c rating will depend on the mah of the battery but the bigger c rating the better"thumbsup"

Of course any of the major brands Hyperion, Thunder Power, etc would do good.

Something like this would do good, and last for an hour+

Sky Lipo 3300mAh 7.4V 40C

For chargers you could go with the tried and true, Hyperion.

Hyperion EOS 0606i Li/NiMH/A123 AC/DC Balancing Charger (6S/6A/50W) [HP-EOS606IAD] | Electric Accessories - A Main Hobbies

Or for a little cheaper go with something like this. This is what I use and have been using with great success for the past 6 months.

Sky RC Ultimate400 Li-ion/Fe/Polymer 1-6 cells NiCd/NiMH battery 1-18 cells Charger w/LCD Display

With this one though you will need a separate power supply.

I've also heard good things on these, I've never personally used one but it looks exactly like the Hyperion at 1/3 the price.


Hope this helps, if you have any more questions, which I'm sure you will post them up. Getting into lipo's might be a little overwhelming, but it will make sense soon"thumbsup"

 

[greggreg2011]

2s shall be fine and 25c continus or more shall also be good, basically anything 3000mah n up will give you good run time..as for chargers theres so many out there and you can get something easy to use and decent for under 50 bucks, just make sure you dont need a seperate power supply (not included with charger) as for brands of batts theres many low priced packs that are great like gens ace and sky lipo or blue lipo, thoes are all on Shop for RC Hobby Parts and Upgrades - Digital Servos, Brushless Motors, ESC, LiPo Batteries/Chargers for RC Helicopters, RC Planes, RC Cars, Robots but theres many other packs out there..just look up lipo safety before you charge and run them. after you switch to lipo you wont want anything else, prices are not high on them and power and runtime is nite n day to old batts

 

[Bronco Bobby]

I am a fan of hobby partz. I have many of their batteries and cant say I have had any problems. For the price you can get two. Just think of the mah as your storage. How much storage do you want. And as far as 2s vs 3s I run both, I watched a video where someone did a speed run In a wraith with a 2s. He mounted a camera and a gps on it. Then he did the same run on 3s. The all out speed difference between the two was 50 percent.

 

[BodiBuilt]

Thanks for the replies guys!

I think Im going to go with one of the Hyperion chargers as recommended by so many... now to decide if I should just stick with the 606i which I found as low as $80, or go for broke and step up to the 720i which I found for $130... decisions, decisions... I doubt I will ever charge batteries larger than 3s, but who know what the future may hold.


Still doing my research on batteries, but I think Im getting close to having a grasp on what I need to look for.

 

[WHITE-TRASH]

I've got this charger and so far I really like it. I can program in several different charge/discharge profiles for various batteries and it will charge any type of cell as well. It also has a built in balancer.

Dynam Supermate DC6 DC Multi Function Balance Charger/Discharger 1-6 cell Lilo/LiPo/LiFe, 1 to 15 cells NiCd NiMH

I run smaller 3s lipos that for perfectly on VP servo plates next to the servo.

GENS ACE 1300mAh 25C 11.1V LiPo Battery for 64MM EDF Jet


I have an ae2 on 3s running an external bec that works perfectly. The biggest thing to remember is to make sure you have the low voltage cut off set and to fully cycle the batteries. Lipos are awesome but they need special treatment compared to the nicads and nimhs of yesteryear.

 

[pajey]

Hobbyking would be a good choice to search for batteries ect. They are really cheap and decent quality. You don't need a realll flash charger at first. Just one that will charge at 5amps, and up to 6000mah, some chargers are rated at a certain mah when some othrers arn't so be aware. Hobbyking sell a range of batteries, I would recommend around 3000mah for a scaler and if you want you can buy two. 2s will be plenty enough of power for ya especially if your just starting with lipo. Alot of actual hobbyking brand is rubbish but they sell turnigy which is great.
Good luck, don't forget you will need a power supply and charger or a charger with an internal power supply.

 

[Whiplashdjs]

My limited experience has been bad when the battery doesn't have enough C rating, it either starts puffing soon or electronics start having stability issues(smoked a servo). I wouldn't recommend less than 25C for most 1/10 scale 4x4 or crawler. It seems like the smaller the battery is, it needs a higher C to stay viable for the same vehicle.

 

[meatmonkey]

Whiplashdjs has got it straight. To maintain the same "punch", or amperage delvery capablity, a smaller MAH pack must have a higher C rating.

Many can get away with 4000 or 5000mah 20C packs in our crawlers. If your running a 2200mah or less you really want a 30C or, preferably, a 40C pack.

I've given up on Gen's Ace and Turnigy due to unacceptable failures. I now run Fly Sky 4000mah 30c and their 4400 40c 2s packs. I get almost two hours of runtime with 35turn motor. I also have some Turnigy 2200 20c soft case packs that havent died yet. I get about 40 minutes out of them.

Larger MAH packs weigh more, and typically cost more.

3s adds 50% more power than 2s, but with that power comes increased motor wear. While the closed endbell Axial motors may last quite a while on 2s, most don't make it more than a dozen packs on 3s. The stock AE-2 ESC will power a modest brushed motor on 3s, as long as you run an external BEC, such as the ones made by Castle.

I share my batteries amongst my fleet, so having a hardcase is necessary for the abuse the go-fast rigs take. However, a soft case tends to be a little smaller, lighter, and cheaper, as well as more fragile.

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

1000mah or bigger 35c packs are a good choice for your rig. I prefer hyperion brand chargers for my own use. Over the years they are the only ones that have held up for me. I have 5 or 6 hyperions that get used a lot, have had most of them for over three years. I have had about 10 other brand chargers that broke within about a year of use. The better "cheap" chargers were from Chargery, but out of ten that I bought years back only two still work.

 

[BodiBuilt]

Thanks for all the new replies to this thread!

I went ahead and sealed the deal on a Hyperion 720i Net3 charger today "thumbsup"

It's probably more than I really need, but I figure it will leave me some "growing room" without feeling the urge to upgrade any time in the near future.

Still putting some more thought into batteries... I am leaning towards Thunder Power for a brand (but still open minded at this point). I made a pit stop at my LHS today to see what they had on hand to offer and be able to see in person the size differences between some of the popular mah version's they had in stock to get a better idea of my available options.

I like the idea of using the smaller mah Li-Po's considering how much less space (and weight) will be needed/added to my rig. I need to put some additional thought into battery relocation (low and forward), and once I get to that point I think I will be able to best determin what battery size to go with! :shock: :lmao:

Once again, thanks for all the input, I do appreciate it!