rmdhawaii

iTrader: (4)

Isn't there a single piece of equipment that discharges like a Much More CTX-D2 and maintains voltage like a Novak Smart Tray SE? My understanding is that the Smart Tray can't discharge at a very high rate. Is that correct?

It seems to me, that everyone has three pieces of equipment to maintain their batteries - discharger/equalizer, voltage maintainer and charger. Perhaps I just don't know what the latest and greatest piece of gear is.

razzor

That would depend on how far you want to go ie:

A ckeckpoint TC1030 with addition of a equalizerboard or two would suffice.
Then again would you want to discharge cells individually then the Novak, Teamwave, Trinity DPD etc... would be needed.
If you want to charge each cell individually and discharge them too then the Spintec is a option.
On one hand you can have a lot of equipment on the other fewer equipment but more expensive units which do more functions.

So many choices !!!
Would be sweet to have a unit do all of the above but would it be practical ?
I dont think so because then you would need 2 or 3 of them.
You would only be able to do 1 battery at a time.

sosidge

I would agree with this.

A good quality charger/discharger and a seperate, basic equalisre tray will be all the battery care equipment you need.

For a long time I used the Much-More Cell Master and the Robitronics board.

I have recently got hold of a Much-More CTX-D, but to be honest I only use it in the same way I used the Robi tray, on the 5A discharge to equalise before the race meeting. The benefit of it over the Robi is basically increased speed of discharge and a little more information about the cells.

Voltage holding equipment is unnecessary. Nickel cells cannot have their voltage "held" without being charged or discharged at the same time, I would rather leave them at rest if they are not being used.

SlamMan

I think he means hold the voltage without it creeping back up like the Novak Smart Tray Special Edition does.

rmdhawaii

iTrader: (4)

Thanks guys. Appreciate the input.

JayL

Voltage holding is of no use at all..it is totally time and/or temp dependent...NOTHING can hold a stable voltage over time and temp....
I had the novak and tested this. You will find what is does is eventually drop the cell below .9, which kills all new 3800/4200's, because it got a false high volt due to time or temp

Just get something that will pulse 30a every indiv cell and linear each indiv cell at 2-5a

sosidge

I should have put it more like this...

...but wasn't brave enough to say the voltage holding would kill the cells (which it will)!

razzor

sorry for keeping of topic here but isnt the Tekin battery Nurse doing exactly that, holding pack voltage till used again.
http://www.teamtekin.com/batterynurse.html

rmdhawaii

iTrader: (4)

First time I've heard about the Novak false reading the voltage, but I think it's safe to assume that it's possible.

In general, I find the product documentation for all of this battery management gear to be severely lacking in relationship to properly maintaining the batteries and troubleshooting issues. With this being the case, it's easy to see how someone could really mess up their batteries without really knowing what is happening with the batteries themselves. How annoying!

I guess that's why we run nitro cars, eh razzor?

razzor

I cut my teeth in EP a long time ago and after running gas offroad and onroad this last 3 years thought id get into EP again.
Only 1 gripe

"Who said EP is cheap !! "

My EP setup experience helped with my gas racing and my gas driving has helped with my EP driving so its all good
Its just so different between the 2 disciplines.

jonferran

I agree about the voltage maintainers. The only way it would work is if you had a charger as well as a discharger component to the maintainer. How are you going to hold the voltage of a cell that is constantly discharging at a miniscule rate by DISCHARGING it? That is like trying to stop evaporation of water out of a cup by pouring water out.

Another marketing ploy by RC manufacturers to get you to buy the newest bling gizmo.

InspGadgt

That's exactly what the battery nurse is supposed to do to maintain voltage from what I've read it seems it does have both a charge and discharge funtion to hold the batteries at a given voltage.

DrunkMike

iTrader: (22)

im not shure if it has a discharger, because nimh self discharge. i thinkit just charges it to keep it above the point where the cells would get ruined

SkeeryJones

teamwave

rmdhawaii

iTrader: (4)

Definitely not cheap.

EP Car + ESC + Motor = GP Car + Nitro Engine
1 competitive battery = ~ 3 Gallons of fuel purchased all at the same time.