You will want to run two 3s packs for the best speed and runtime. If you connect them in series you will fry something, but the idea is to connect them parallel to get extra capacity. If you simply run one 3s pack at a time you will still get plenty of power, but runtime may suffer.
The Turnigy charger is easy to use for me, but I have been doing this for many years. I do know the instructions are pretty hard to understand. I tried to read them and got nowhere, so I just played with the charger until I figured it out. It really is easy if you just make sure it is set for lipo charge and do not exceed the recommended charge rates for your battery.
would it be better for me to run two 2s lipos, since im new to this? sounds like if i run 3s lipos i mght fry something, and id rather not do that lol
and 1 more thing. i cant find the parallel connecter. i can only see the series connecter, but i only looked a little any chance of you posting a link?
EDIT: i found the connecter ( Traxxas Wire Harness Parallel Battery Connection VXL ) thats it right?
Last edited by killercripple; 09-05-2009 at 02:12 PM.
u should get a extra battery or 2 and ur ganna want a better charger. i here it takes 6 hours to charge wit the stoke charger. but with a good ac/dc u can get them carger in 45 minutes
It charges LiPo, but does not balance them. It charges my 3s 1500 mah LiPo in about an hour.
I am moving on to something else soon. Accucel-6 or maybe Hyperion ac/dc....
Tony
It charges LiPo, but does not balance them. It charges my 3s 1500 mah LiPo in about an hour.
I am moving on to something else soon. Accucel-6 or maybe Hyperion ac/dc....
Tony
what do u mean " balance " ?
like ive said way new lol
last electric car was from toy 'R' us lol like 10yrs ago
last electric car was from toy 'R' us lol like 10yrs ago
Lipo batteries contain 2,3,4,5,6 cells... 2S,3S etc etc...
Each cell has a voltage at 'rest' of 3.7 volts.... You hook them together in a pack like 3S, and you get 11.1 volts , 'at rest' when the pack is drained. A charged 3S is like 12.6 volts.
Apparently even though the cells are in series, and the current flow through each cell on its journey to the motor, a cell can become unbalanced.
That is one can be 3.7, another 3.9 volts and from what I've read it is not a good situation.
Some chargers take the time to balance charge each cell to the same voltage and I think its through a special connector that is on the side of the cell...
Lipo batteries contain 2,3,4,5,6 cells... 2S,3S etc etc...
Each cell has a voltage at 'rest' of 3.7 volts.... You hook them together in a pack like 3S, and you get 11.1 volts , 'at rest' when the pack is drained. A charged 3S is like 12.6 volts.
Apparently even though the cells are in series, and the current flow through each cell on its journey to the motor, a cell can become unbalanced.
That is one can be 3.7, another 3.9 volts and from what I've read it is not a good situation.
Some chargers take the time to balance charge each cell to the same voltage and I think its through a special connector that is on the side of the cell...
Anyone? How close am I ?
Tony
ok that makes since. pretty easy to make since of. when u put it that way, Thanks.
would i need to worry about balancing them if i used a parallel connector instead of a series connector?
ok that makes since. pretty easy to make since of. when u put it that way, Thanks.
would i need to worry about balancing them if i used a parallel connector instead of a series connector?
I dont think which connector you use makes a difference, since each pack alone contains multiple cells...
I have had my 3S pack for a while, maybe 2 months?
Havent balanced it yet and the hobby shop had it 2 weeks ago and it checked out fine.
I still plan on getting a "real" charger because I guess when a LiPo goes bad, it goes in spectacular fashion... IE flames or what not...
TOny
I dont think which connector you use makes a difference, since each pack alone contains multiple cells...
I have had my 3S pack for a while, maybe 2 months?
Havent balanced it yet and the hobby shop had it 2 weeks ago and it checked out fine.
I still plan on getting a "real" charger because I guess when a LiPo goes bad, it goes in spectacular fashion... IE flames or what not...
TOny
flames r bad lol
well if u got a battery charger in mind, let me know what is, cause i have a feeling, the faster i can charge my battery the more likely i''ll want to up grade the car. cause the only reason i never got into electric R/C. is the down time when charging
well if u got a battery charger in mind, let me know what is, cause i have a feeling, the faster i can charge my battery the more likely i''ll want to up grade the car. cause the only reason i never got into electric R/C. is the down time when charging
Well with my Mini erevo, I can recharge in one hour, but that is only one battery......I think when you look at a LiPo battery its like '2S 1p 20c'
The 2S is cells/voltage and the P part is the rate you can charge. The 20c is the amount of current it puts out.
I will say I plan on recharging with an AC powered charger so I can charge in the house, and do a few batteries in a row one night so I can have 2 pair (4) ready to go the next day.
One pair of 2S 2200mah Lipo running in parallel should give me 45+ minutes of run time.
two pair, well I might get bored before I ran out of battery.
Electric now-a-days is so much different than what I grew up with.
Just have to pay close attention to the controller and motor temps.
Tony
i have everything on order erevo 1/16, x-charger, four zippy 3S 1800 20C, and two turnigy 2200 20C.
question is, after charging it up, when running the erevo, how do i make sure i dont run the lipos beyond the minimum voltage it suppose to contain.
beyond that minimum voltage does harm to the lipo. also, what is that amount?
this is my 1st electric car.
When I run the MERV...I make sure the ESC light is green, signifying LiPo mode. That way the ESC automatically stops the car before the LiPo voltages go to low...
If you left it red (Nimh mode) and ran LiPo it would run so low as to damage or even ruin the LiPo packs.
For info on how to set the ESC to LiPo mode I would refer to the manual.
Its super easy.
Tony
Well with my Mini erevo, I can recharge in one hour, but that is only one battery......I think when you look at a LiPo battery its like '2S 1p 20c'
The 2S is cells/voltage and the P part is the rate you can charge. The 20c is the amount of current it puts out.
I will say I plan on recharging with an AC powered charger so I can charge in the house, and do a few batteries in a row one night so I can have 2 pair (4) ready to go the next day.
One pair of 2S 2200mah Lipo running in parallel should give me 45+ minutes of run time.
two pair, well I might get bored before I ran out of battery.
Electric now-a-days is so much different than what I grew up with.
Just have to pay close attention to the controller and motor temps.
Tony
Please, anyone want to add to this?
Charging lipos in the house can be dangerous. Are you using a lipo sack or a battery bunker??? For the most part lipos/chargers of today are much better than a few years ago.
If a pack or charger was to go bad while charging in the house even in a lipo sack or battery bunker the lipo will make toxic fumes.....
Just think about the stored energy in that lipo....it makes your truck go 40 plus mph for twenty minutes straight.....if that lipo gos bad and that power escapes look at what it can do....
When I started with lipos i started charging in the garage (detached) and thats where I still do all my lipo charging.
Charging lipos in the house can be dangerous. Are you using a lipo sack or a battery bunker??? For the most part lipos/chargers of today are much better than a few years ago.
If a pack or charger was to go bad while charging in the house even in a lipo sack or battery bunker the lipo will make toxic fumes.....
Just think about the stored energy in that lipo....it makes your truck go 40 plus mph for twenty minutes straight.....if that lipo gos bad and that power escapes look at what it can do....
When I started with lipos i started charging in the garage (detached) and thats where I still do all my lipo charging.
