Tim K

Thought I'll share my lipo install on my Tamiya M03 mini. I use the Tech Racing battery holder. To accept the lipo I had to put 2 x 1mm washers to space out the end plate.
I'm using the Novak smart cutoff. Running a Tamiya sport tuned motor on my first run I got about 20 minutes before the car started to feel a bit slower, then another 8 min 30 sec before the cutoff kicked in. When I recharged the lipo on my Ice it took 3286mah.

I'm very happy with my lipo's

Disaster

...and people even used...gasp...mercury thermometers....stuck 'em right in their mouths!!!

Seriously though....no danger from the Lipo batteries in your fridge. Better to worry about the 6 month old Mayonnaise.

The real danger is unattended charging. You want to monitor Lipos when charging...even better monitor them and keep them in a fire resistant container.

Squating Goat

MrBlack,

Did you guys try the newer MRC 989 charger or just the 977? I already own the MRC 989 and obviously would rather not purchase another charger to use these cells.

Disaster

Not MrBlack but I've only read about one suspect Brain. Having said that, I feel Lipos are expensive enough (and dangerous enough) to warrant a dedicated charger. You can get a 3amp dedicated Lipo charger, with built in balancing and A123 capability, for about $65 bucks.

FMA Cellpro

The Cellpro is very cool...totally automatic. Just plug in the battery, it does a quick diagnostic and then starts charging. As it charges it determines the battery's configuration (1S-2S) and capacity. The readout tells you the individual cell voltages and the percent full (ie. 88%.)

This will be fine for the 3200's. In the future, if you get 5Ah, or even 10Ah...you might want to invest in a charger that can do 5 to 10 amps.

Chris g.

Here's a good one to use,and it gives you a little bit of everything.You can find them as low as 189.00$ just shop around. I love mine.
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...oducts_id/5075

straightaway

iTrader: (52)

People at my track will not allow lipo in mini race even though I added 100g to it to make it the same as orion nicad 2400. However, $80 matched WC stick pack is legal. so in order to be competitive, I will have to spent $320 in battery for a $100 car. And the battery is only good for mini that I can't use on touring car.

It is no wonder that electric racing is dying becasue people don't want to adapt new technology. I have been racing nitro for years. I only got into electric becasue of Lipo and brushless. I just can't stand working on motors every run to be competitive and cycling your Nihm if you don't use them for 2 wks.

Tim K

I understand what you're saying Straightaway. While myself and a friend are allowed to run lipo at our local club meetings, it is not yet legal for big events, but maybe in a years time it will be. In the races on sunday I ran the exact setup with my mini using a 4200 and then again using the lipo - my quickest lap times with each were within 0.05 of each other. For me there isn't any advantage speed wise, but for convenience like charging 3 days before the meeting, lipo wins it for me.

Disaster

Don't you know it. I walked away from RC a few years ago because it was just too much money and time to keep up with. Came back because Lipos and brushless eliminated a big part of the maintenance cost and hassle and made it fun again. Now if we could just get rid of some of the other costs and hassles I think we could get a HUGE boost in newbies into the sport.

I made a proposal in this thread.

Cost limited classes for racing.

MrBlack

The Internal PCB has a couple of funtions:

1. Allows us to better package the manner in which the wires attach, notice multiple cells yet wires come straight up and the pcB board has a "flip" in the Pos. and Neg.

2. The negative tab has a fuse built in to protect against internal damage and provides a safety short to prevent bursting caused by abuse.

3. Protects tabs from shorting do to trauma of impact.

It makes the batteries a little more expensive to produce but we think it is well worth it to deliver the hoghest quality in the industry. These features and others are why many sanctioning bodies are now testing and in dialogue with us to make specifically our batteries legal for some classes in their series.

MrBlack

MRC was supposed to send us a charger to test once this happens and it tests out to work properly then we would recommend it, however until this occurs we cannot recommend using it.

The charges that we genrally recommend are as follows:
http://www.teamorion-avionics.com/Ad...harging+System
http://www.teamorion-avionics.com/Ad...Flight+Charger
http://www.teamorion.com/Products/Ch...+_+Dischargers

http://www.duratrax.com/caraccys/dtxp4170.html

http://www.electrifly.com/chargers/gpmm3153.html

http://www.multiplexusa.com/RC-comp/...rs/LN-5014.htm

http://www.fmadirect.com/detail.htm?...925&section=32

syndr0me

iTrader: (32)

Harbinger!

Disaster

Wow, gotta love that FMA Scorpion with the 10A charge rate for $70 bucks. That is the least expensive charger I've seen that can handle that rate and charges each cell individually to keep them balanced. The downside is it is limited to 2S Lipo cells.

Another option is to go with a charger that straight charges at that high a rate and occasionally peak/balance with something like the standard CellPro.

Disaster

Very nice. Reduce the chance of -POOF- when smacking a wall.

muahdib4

Yep, even Tamiya allowed them in F103GT class at the TCS races this year.

yyhayyim

iTrader: (26)

I reall y want to try the small orion Avionics charger for $29. However, how do you charge Orion 4800mah Lipo packs with this charger? From the pics it looks like it has a JST plug at the end...not even a tamiya plug, or banana plug...so who are you guys using this charger to charger Orion LIpo's?