Cain

iTrader: (294)

For those who are doing 1/10 scale brushless Lipo trucking against nitro trucks, can you post pics and info on the setups you are using. This class is intriguing me, as if I ever do electric again I don't want to go through the brushed motor issue for mod if I don't have to, and having long run times really appeal to me.

In particular I want to know the following:

1. Lipo brand you are using and why

2. Amount of runtime you are getting

3. Brushless setup you are using

4. Charging method and storage you are using (safety measures, etc).

5. The chassis you find works best

Please post as much info as you have.

Regards!

nichocgn

iTrader: (2)

When they will run us together.

1. Lipo brand you are using and why Max Amps 8000 - It was reasonable price and had the amp draw I needed. I could fit an 8000 in with minimal mods on my t4.

2. Amount of runtime you are getting 20 mins + Never run it out yet.

3. Brushless setup you are using Novak GTB with a 7.5 Motor. I now have a Novak LVC device I am trying. Seems ok.

4. Charging method and storage you are using (safety measures, etc).
Astroflight 109. 8 Amps. I charge in a pyrex plate with a 1/2 full gallon ziplock bag on the battery. If there was a problem then it will just melt the plastic and have sand pour on it. The lipo sack looks good but was not out over 1 and 1/2 years ago when I got my lipo.

5. The chassis you find works best. I was running a t4 so I just used it. I have seen people use other trucks. The 8000 Max amp will fit in many trucks.

Basically for a 20 min main you will want a 6000 or 8000 mah battery. I would probably go for an 8000. The extra left over means you just keep higher voltage the complete run.

Downside : Lipo saftey means you need to follow a routine and never waver from it. I have had my lipo drug outside the truck for 1/2 a lap and other small items and have no issue. Disposing of the lipo when you should. Some people run nimh until they litterally will not charge any more. Once a lipo looses 80% of its capacity it should be disposed of. Hard to say goodbye to $150. Mine has lasted 1.5 years so no complaints. Follow the manufacturers recomendations. FOLLOW FOLLOW FOLLOW. Understand what will happen when you fail to. It may not be the first time. It may not be the second. But if you constantly ignore the care then you will have an issue.

Cain

iTrader: (294)

Do you have any pics of your setup? I would like to see your saftey stuff as well. Thanks!

kuzo

iTrader: (11)

nichocgn - On the topic of lipo safety, do you take any precautions while storing? I know that problems are most likely to come up while charging or discharging but I have 8 orion platinums and 4 transmitter batteries that I'd hate to have any issues due to storing.

nichocgn

iTrader: (2)

Storing - I store it in the Pyrex plate with the sand on top just like I charge. Also I have a grill and I set the Pyrex plate on it with the lid closed at home. If I can cook steaks and ribs on it then I will have no issue with a containment issue. If I charge at home I charge them on the pyrex plate in the grill. I charged my NIMH on the Grill at home also. With as many batteries as you have I would be warry of just an ammo can or something. The heat from one will cause the next to go off. You might be able to do 2 batteries bag of sand\2 batteries and build a battery cake =). That would limit you to probably only losing 1 or 2 batteries if you had a problem. An Ammo can would also make it easy to carry to the track. Just look at the batteries and see how you could keep an event from spreading. Many solutions but you want one cheap enough that you will use.


**** GENERAL NOTE TO OTHERS THERE IS NO REASON IN HELL YOU SHOULD CHARGE ANY BATTERY AT HOME UNATTENDED AND NOT IN A CONTAINMENT DEVICE. THIS INCLUDES NIMH. ALL IT TAKES IS A SHORT AND A RED HOT WIRE TO MAKE A FIRE.

Second the only mods to my T4 was the battery bar and post for clips. The battery now fits under the X on the rear tower. I Bolted on a servo block on the top of the batttery space to take up the slack. Then the post for the battery clips I bought some Dubro 4/40 riggine couplers. These are screws with a hole in them you can put a body clip through. Cost me all of $6 to modigy and I can change it back with no problems.

If you are only running 5 min races look at the orion or peak 4800. They fit with no mods. I love mine. I use them in a b4 and have tried them in the t4.

If I get a chance I will get some pics.

Davidka

iTrader: (86)

I have Orion 4800's and make 20 minutes of run time with no trouble using a GTB 6.5. I have not run with Gas trucks outside yet but this run time is managable on a high grip indoor track. I have some friends at the local track test the Orion next to the Max Amps 6000 and found them to have about the same capacity. The upside for the Orion is the hard casing, the down side is that it's WAY overpriced.

Doug T

iTrader: (114)

Cain- I also run brushless Li-Po truck here in the Carolina's. We run what we call Pro Truck and usually have our own class or we will run BL Li-Po and gas trucks together. Our mains are usually 20 mimutes and have ran over 40 minutes with a 8000 mAh li-po. I run a Losi MF 1

1. Thunder Power 8000 mAh 2S4P, 7.4V Li-Po

2. 30 minutes + (we run 20 minute mains)

3. Schulze U-Force 75 ESC and Plettenberg Extreme BL motor (still waiting on Tekin's BL system).

4. Astro Flight 109 Li-Po charger, 8 amp charge rate. Storage, I usually charge it back up to about 75%. I store mine right next to my IB 4200's in a battery box.

5. I run a Losi MF 1.5, but the T4 also works just as good.

Nichocgn charges and stores his li-po the way you are supposted to. I have always charged up my li-po right on my work bench, but I always watch it while it is charging! I have been racing Pro Truck for over 2 1/2 years. I have only bought 2 li-po's over this time. I ran my first li-po (thunder power also) for almost 2 years with no problems. I usually race twice a month. I have seen only 2 li-po's swell up over this time and NEVER seen one catch on fire. If they start to swell even just a little, immediately put them in a safe container/place. You must make sure you do not let them go down past 6.0 volts. I have run them until the car starts to get slower and I have never gotten them below 6.0 volts.

If we run with the gas trucks we will make a pit stop (usually a 4 sec. stop and go) to make it fair to the gas truck guys. If you are going to use the losi truck you will need to make a new battery hold down. I am using a piece of brass stock bent to fit the battery pack's height. It will fit inside the box but is too tall. The only other mod I made was a chassis brace from the back of the shock tower to the chassis using a Revo rear tie rod.

A lot of other guys are running the Novak GTB system with a 5.5 motor and the new sintered (sp) rotor, and putting the 3.5 finned end bells on. Since they have went to this set up they don't have any thermaling issues. I too will try and post some pics.

Doug T

iTrader: (114)

Here's a couple of pics of the li-po in my truck and my battery hold down. You can also see the chassis brace.

Cain

iTrader: (294)

Thank you foir all the info guys!

How long does it take for you to charge up your packs?

More thought on this really seems the way that electric will make a comeback, and I would be curious to try this if I do electric again in either a stadium truck or a 1/10 scale 4wd buggy.

Do you know of anyone running these extended mains with a 1/10 4wd buggy?

party_wagon

iTrader: (29)

The reason people run 1/10th scale truck is because the high body gives the esc more room which means that there is less of a chance of over heating. Not to mention, 1/10th scale trucks are durable like their nitro counterparts. A lot of electrics are only built to survive a 5 minute main so durabillity would be an issue as well for buggies. Typicaly with lipos you will charge the pack at 1 amp per 1k mah. This means that if you properly charge the battery it will charge in the same amount of time at any capacity. The last portion of the charge is normaly slow while the pack peaks. You can run these packs fully charged, or not fully charged and re charge them over and over. This means that you can take a 8k mah pack and run 3 5 minute heats at 30 minute intervals and then run a 20 minute main by just charging it between heats. I would go with the 8k mah pack for the lone reason that you can charge it at 8 amps and the 6k can only go at 6. The brushless motors also won't over heat like a brushed motor will after 5 or so minutes.

kuzo

iTrader: (11)

nichocgn
Great advice to everyone there. For my self, I have a large area in my basement that is basically a packed dirt pile with a concrete retaining wall about 4 feet off the ground. I'll probably store there with pairs of batteries in ammo cans and separate them by a few feet or so. I am going to adopt your method of charging and just charge them in the same area as I store them.

DrOlds

iTrader: (4)

Here you go-answers to your lipo questions with up to date information from someone who really knows what they're talking about.

http://www.liporacing.com/info.htm

kuzo

iTrader: (11)

does anyone have an opinion on the Novak smart stop for a LVC? I'm currently using a cutoff that cuts a bit too low in my opinion and I was looking at this to replace. If not the Novak, what would be a good substitute? I'm running 2 GTBs, one Sphere and one SS5800 - none of which has a cutoff and I am concerned. Batteries are the orion platinum.

I would not mind a LVC with an alarm instead of throttle cutoff.

dirtracer1

do ya have to wear any special equipment, like a bomb suit or fire suit or something while charging/discharging lipo's.......or do ya just plug 'em in and then run like hell before they blow up.

i think i'll just stick to ib4200's for now.

kuzo

iTrader: (11)

Do you mean a 4200 like the one in the attached pictures? So a fire suit for Lipo and bulletproof vest for NiMH. Sounds like an even trade. All it takes is not using the right equipment or screwing up with any battery type for a serious problem to happen.

BTW: pics came from this thread - Battery explosion