Panasonic Ultra Metal 3000!?
 

Has anyone heard of these batteries? It seems that Panasonic has made a new cell. It's on the new ROAR approval list...any info, anybody?

Here's a link: http://www.team-orion.ch/global/global_news.asp?id=1273

heres another link: http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/foru...threadid=80930

Ah, I see. Looks like my brand new HV's are already outdated. Crap.

yea mine too

The new cells are only outdated if you let them be.:rolleyes: That reminds me of that computer commercial from a while back, where the guy is so happy as he heads home from the store with a new computer, only to see the workers changing a billboard to show that his model isn't the newest anymore. He gets down about it, but my thought was, "who cares". You have something good, who cares if it isn't the absolute newest thing out.

Anyways, what ever happened to that thing the sanctioning bodies used to do, where they actually tried to slow down the influx of new cells every few months by not giving them approval right away?:confused:

Has no body worked out yet that there is such a small difference between the 2 different types of cell that it really doesn't matter. We haven't got any Ultras in the UK yet, but if you ask 10 people which is the better cell - the SMH, or Sanyo HV it would be very evenly split as everybody has a view.

As to say that your HV's are outdated already, that is also rubbish as they are still the current model from Sanyo.

The cell market is as volatile as i have ever seen it, you have 2 companies genuinely fighting it out to produce the best cell possible. The 3000NiMh is the first time that Panasonic have really tried to compete. They have had a go before, but as soon as Sanyo bettered them, they gave up. Not this time!!

Personally i don't think you can worry about it, I usually buy new cells at the start of the season and buy what i considder to be the best cell that is available to me at the time.

Fortunately we have what i believe to be much more stable rules in the UK. New cells are only placed on the list once a year. THis takes place on 1st April, but the cells must have been submitted by 31 december to be put on the list. Hence Ultras need to be submitted before the end of this year, so that they can be put on the list for 1st Apr 2003.

Problems can only arise should a new cell appear in teh old shrink - as the 3000HV did initially at the last meeting of last season.

I'm still running the Sanyo H's without a problem. I think the 3000H is just before the newer HV, and just after the 3000 without any letter when they first came out. When I peak charge them on my 16x5BL I usually get 3200mah, and 9.8 peak roughly, at 5 amps. I see no need to buy new cells just because the manufactures decide there cells are 3 months old and outdated. I'm sure Sanyo will follow up with a newer 3000.01 HVXIIx10 cells with .0001 higher voltage or something to charge more money.

From what I've heard so far, the HV's are still better then the new Ultra Metals!!
So they HV's may still be the top cell to have. I know I'm not going to the Ultra Metals over my HV's!:p

all my panasonics suck because they all lost run time. HV's are still the way to go.

The Ultra Metals according to Dan at SMC are just a bunch of Stock Metals with really good numbers. In other words still stock metals better numbers. Panasonic it sounds like with the help of some other company who we will not mention is trying to compete against the better Sanyo 3000 HV cells. So it is not a new battery same cells new shrink wrap a little better numbers.

The better sanyo HV cell? Haha, they're good, but better?

Really, the cells are pretty damn close. I like my HVs, and I'm not saying they are bad, they are very good, but when all the team drivers at the big races are using SMH, that has to say something.

Speedo

True, the Panasonics may have a SLIGHT edge in voltage & punch, but it's also apparent that they're not much(if any) more reliable or durable than the first generation ones, they ALL lose some run time & they all get hotter than they should. HV's, though, seem to be holding up very nicely, without a major loss of run time or punch, & I've noticed that they don't lose their punch in the late stages of a race like SMH's do, they're much more consistent in everyday use. Agreed, most sponsored drivers use SMH/UMH's, but then again, they don't actually have to PAY for them out of pocket like us mortals do. For my money, I'm happy with HV's, & I don't see a need to buy the newest cell just because it's new, I'd rather wait & be certain I'll get my money's worth.....:cool:

really? :confused: :confused: as far as i know, all the world's top drivers using Sanyo at the big races...... such as JMRCA, South Africa (Pre-World), TCM, etc :D:D

All of the Losi guys are using SMH. They all had them at the carpet nats too.

Even Tosolini, who is sponsored by SMC (who promotes HVs) uses SMH.

Who are the worlds top drivers that are using HVs?

I have no problems with my SMH heating up too much. I have had 3 of my packs for about 5 months and at 30A, the voltage is better than the label...Run time isn't and never was as good as the label, but the HVs are just the same.

Speedo