electricrc68

Hey guys. I'm going to start racing soon, and know everything about it except for one thing; how many batteries should I buy for my cars to be able to get through a race/practice day? I ask because the track I go to has a charging station, so I can always recharge my packs, but how many packs should I have to get through the day? I was thinking that maybe 2 is all I need, or maybe even 1, but would like some opinions first. Coming from the airplane side of things where you need a bunch of batteries (say 5-10) for a good amount of flying time, its a little bit new to me. Also, should I use different batteries for bashing and racing, or is it okay to use the same batteries for both?

MarkA

iTrader: (21)

Yes it's fine to bash and race with the same packs. Just don't make it a habit to run them to lvc like many bashers do all too often.

For battery count, two will be fine. You'll have more than enough time to recharge between races with two and in practice, you'll need to take breaks to let the motor cool anyway.

electricrc68

Sweet thanks! I'll get two batteries then. And yes, I'll try and make sure I don't hit LVC. Hard to tell how much juice you have left, but I'll make sure to pay attention to that.

TeamSkunkwerks

iTrader: (142)

Doesn't Novak make a item called a Smart Stop where you have a blue LED that lets you know the voltage is getting low? I was just wondering if the light comes on BEFORE the LVC kicks in. Like, say at a voltage slightly higher than LVC.

electricrc68

Hmmm I'm not sure. I have heard of that, but never really knew when it actually kicked in.

tajar66

iTrader: (6)

After abusing a few batteries by running to LVC and charging immediately over and over. I have found the my batteries are happier if I run for 10-12 minutes let the battery relax and cool down then recharge. They usually end up at a good storage charge when done and only take a short time to recharge. If I may make a suggestion on batteries check out SMC they have a presence here. The stuff seems to be top grade, they balance charge very quickly and are holding up well over the last few months.

electricrc68

Cool thanks for the tips! I was looking into SPC batteries...are those good as well?

MarkA

iTrader: (21)

To be honest, I'd never heard of SPC but when I Googled my way to their website, their "about us" page only says, "coming soon" and they also don't appear to offer any ROAR-approved packs which some tracks may require. SMC is an icon of the industry with good battery values for the money.

electricrc68

Okay cool thanks. I'll look at SMC then.