I have some new batteries on the way, they are GP 3300 NimH ladder packs and i intend to use a discharge / equaliser tray.
now i am guessing that the novak smart tray is the bees knees but is there anything some what cheaper that will do a good job until i can fork out for the novak?
and with NimH what is the best way to store them between rounds (2 weeks) discharged, charged, left as is after a race?
well from what I can make out the Novak isn't the bees knees because even tho it is very accurate with detecting the cells cut off it doesn't hold it there as soon as it reaches the cut off point, it lets the cell build its voltage back up so they are all getting different amounts of time to regenerate energy. It would be the bee’s knees if it held the cells at the cut off until the last cell reached the cut off point.
Personally I like the Integy zero 6s zero equalizer from eBay or some online stores in HK. It takes the cells down to zero and holds them there. It costs way less than the Novak (around $27 US) and if you buy a couple of them they are stackable which is cool if you don’t always have heaps of space. Easy to use and great quality. Another great discharger is the one form harrisrc.com . 20 amp equalizers have become a lot more popular than the Novak trays. As you will find on the EP on road threads
I have had the best results, leaving them fully charged while in storage, discharging them at 30 amps about 5 days before you race, and then start equalizing them for the entire 5 days. Put them on when you go to bed and take them off during the day or vice versa, and continue to keep rotating them, keep them on the equalizer for 24 hours straight before you charge and charge them as soon as you get it off the equalizer. You probably don’t have to go to all that trouble but it does seem to make a difference. I'm getting better run time and they are holding there punch for longer in the race. But I am not sure about the cells life yet but so far they are holding up very well.
I know there are zillions of different battery charging/discharging /cycling methods and I don’t want to start a battery war, but this just how I do it. Not saying it’s the right way, just my way
I'd recomend getting on the harrisrc thread. ozoner(scott harris) will help you out I am sure)
well from what I can make out the Novak isn't the bees knees because even tho it is very accurate with detecting the cells cut off it doesn't hold it there as soon as it reaches the cut off point, it lets the cell build its voltage back up so they are all getting different amounts of time to regenerate energy. It would be the bee’s knees if it held the cells at the cut off until the last cell reached the cut off point.
There's no need for the tray to hold the voltage there and let the cells regenerate at the same time. Each cell will regenerate to a certain level and stay there, regardless of how much time you give them to regenerate. Usually takes about 5 mins for the pack to settle. Even if you cut-off the cells at the same time, each cell will regenerate at different rates anyways.
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Personally I like the Integy zero 6s zero equalizer from eBay or some online stores in HK. It takes the cells down to zero and holds them there.
Those trays aren't exactly 'equalisers', they're more of a conditioner. The equalising is only a consequence of leaving the cells on there for days, and having each cell reach 'zero volts'.
Deadshorting non-believers should not have to use these trays to equalise their packs.
Equalising the pack on a smart tray will only take 5-10mins by bringing them all to 0.9V......then you can bring them down further if you choose to.
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It costs way less than the Novak (around $27 US) and if you buy a couple of them they are stackable which is cool if you don’t always have heaps of space.
Yes.... you will need more than 1 tray. Which will end up costing the same or more than a smart tray.
Btw, battery care techniques are constantly changing, especially with all the new cells coming out, at least with a smart tray you'll know that it can take care of whatever to come.
Jack, i wasnt criticising your battery care techniques. Only the above mentioned points.
yeah thats ok. I haven't had the time or money to try every battery conditioning/maintenance method out there but i know that a lot of poeople replaced the smart trays for integy INDI Zero-Thirty discharge boards and the Apex trays which are zero-twenty trays. as I said from what I can make out its not quite the bees knees because I still dont like the idea of them getting to the cut off point and be let to regenerate at different times but i dont suppose it makes a whole lot of difference.
Either way falking out for something thats going to give you better performance and save you money in the long run isn't really that bad.
I have 3 smart trays and what i normally do is when all the lights go out i equalize them again then wait till the lights go out and then do it a 3rd time and then charge the pack immediately.
That way normally on the 3rd restart on the novak the lights all go out roughly the same time or close to it.....
Go down to 0.9v
Seems to work fine with me. Then need to have around 43 mins to peak them before the race. It's all about timing on a race day to get the maximum volts Best to peak the batteries just before the race starts Best i've done is around 90 seconds before race starts
But it also helps when you have multiple chargers and discharges so you can have a few packs on the go
so do you have any tips for storage with racers who race once every fortnight and use the novak smart trays.
depends what batteries you are using. the old 3300's are a bit more robust and can handle different care techniques.
the new 3600's and i think, also the 3800's are more "fragile" in how they should be maintained. (ie discharge/charge rates and storage style, minimum voltage in each cell required etc).
according to the supplier i got my cells from, feral (cannon on this forum) with the ib's you should never discharge below 0.9 per cell, and have a mV peak of 3. also it is recommended to charge at 6 amps if memory serves me right. never dead short them.
the old gp3300's you can dead short and charge rates are a little bit more open. if you race every week or two weeks just store the pack at 0.9 per cell and charge either at the track (this requires alot of time) or the night before.
if not using for more than 2 weeks i tend to fully charge them, then store them. then i discharge and charge again when i am close to the race date
Last edited by VenomWorldOrder; 04-25-2005 at 12:41 AM.
Originally posted by VenomWorldOrder the old gp3300's you can dead short and charge rates are a little bit more open. if you race every week or two weeks just store the pack at 0.9 per cell and charge either at the track (this requires alot of time) or the night before.
Thanks Tom just the answer i was looking for!
does anyone know what methods for storage of IB3600 cells? for people who only use the packs once every 2 weeks.
NimH Discharging?
just being a d**k
joke brother!
Best to peak the batteries just before the race starts 
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