Jaymancd

iTrader: (4)

Like the title says, I used to race on a weekly basis back about 6ish years ago. Since that time I was into other hobbies and didn't keep up with the technology. Last week I landed a screaming deal on a 22 4.0 and got all setup on my electronics minus a charger. ESCs Servos and motors seem to be basically all the same idea as before. Something that has changed is batteries and chargers. I'm not an electronic engineer so I need a little help.

My current battery is a 2s shorty Team Corally 7.6v 4200mAh 120c. Running 17.5 locally allows for the LiHV. What is the difference between LiPo and LiHV? Do I need to handle it differently than I used to? Do I need a special charger for it?

Speaking of chargers, they have all gained a ton of features since I left. I'm looking at the Protek 610ez. Will this work for my battery for race days? Will it get me charged up quickly? What settings would I need to safely use, and store my battery?

Any info is appreciated. I can't make sense of all the dern acronyms.

Silverbullet555

iTrader: (16)

LIHV and LiPo are both Lipo. In short, the LIHV cells are better quality and can tolerate a higher cutoff. We don't run LIHV at the track we race at, but I run LiHV batteries and charge to 4.2 per cell. The hope is that I get a little more longevity. The 610ez will charge a LiHV on the HV setting. I believe max is 10 amps which will work. My guess is the fastest guys will be cycling their batteries with an icharger.

Cromulent

iTrader: (8)

This thread has some good info: Caring for LiHV is a bit different than standard LiPo

Surfing around the net, some sources show this info:
..........................LiPo..........LiHV
Peak...................4.2V.........4.35V
Nominal..............3.7V.........3.8V
Storage..............3.8V.........3.85V
Lower Limit.........3.0V.........3.2V

Basically I just treat LiHV like regular LiPo for racing. I never get close to the minimum voltage, and storage voltage is close enough to not worry about that either. On the track, I only charge to 4.19 anyway, because our race director insists on using his dollar store multi-meter that is inaccurate to tech batteries. My comp crawlers get the full 4.35V though.

On the charger, I'd bump up to a dual unit (you may find yourself racing more than one class). I look for 100W per channel minimum on AC mode - ideally you'd want to charge 2x 2S batteries at up to 10A for a reasonable place to start. 8.4V * 10A = 84W needed. ROAR rules limit you to 1C charge rate (e.g. 5200 mAh battery @ 1C = 5.2A), but I don't think that is common at most tracks. Several charges may say they can do 2x10A, but only have a 100W AC power supply, so you're limited unless you supply your own DC power - make sure the AC power supply can keep up with the charger.

billdelong

iTrader: (33)

If you want to be competitive in stock racing, then I recommend investing in a charger that can cycle your battery just before a race, more info here:

• Which charger is the best?