IB4600
11-26-2007, 08:17 AM
#76
11-26-2007, 09:41 AM
#77
Rick,
I have to respectfully disagree. LiPo is no longer the future. It is the present.
Every single track that I race at now allows lipo. All of the recent NIMH problems have even pushed some of us "old school" racers towards LiPo. Most of those guys said they'd never use LiPo just one year ago. 
It feels really good to have been an early adopter and now see LiPo go mainstream. Instead of being reviled as one of those "LiPo guys" who's always pushing for its legalization, I'm now seen as a resource for LiPo info. Rick, thanks for all you've done to make LiPo the "present" of electric racing!
I have to respectfully disagree. LiPo is no longer the future. It is the present.
Every single track that I race at now allows lipo. All of the recent NIMH problems have even pushed some of us "old school" racers towards LiPo. Most of those guys said they'd never use LiPo just one year ago. It feels really good to have been an early adopter and now see LiPo go mainstream. Instead of being reviled as one of those "LiPo guys" who's always pushing for its legalization, I'm now seen as a resource for LiPo info. Rick, thanks for all you've done to make LiPo the "present" of electric racing!
11-26-2007, 10:11 AM
#78
Well, it has happened again. Another IB4200 battery explosion. And this time with drama.
At a national 2wd offroad event, one of my friends cars actually caught fire while driving, he picked it up to disengage the switch, he then notice a huge swelling of one of the batts and about half a sec later, it blows. Not only did it ruin the chassis on the car (B4), but all the shrapnel blew right into his face. His face was about 10 inches from the blast. We consider it pure luck that nothing hit the eyes, but most of it did hit other parts of the face.
I didn't see the explosion, but this pic should be enough evidence:
(sry for big pic)
If I were Intellect, I would recall all batteries with the banned letter codes and avoid a future lawsuit. Had shrapnel hit his eyes...man...
Anyway; even though, after seeing multiple explosions, one more drama filled than the other, I will still continue using IB's since they are the fastest. But it seems that you have to use a crash helmet when near them...
At a national 2wd offroad event, one of my friends cars actually caught fire while driving, he picked it up to disengage the switch, he then notice a huge swelling of one of the batts and about half a sec later, it blows. Not only did it ruin the chassis on the car (B4), but all the shrapnel blew right into his face. His face was about 10 inches from the blast. We consider it pure luck that nothing hit the eyes, but most of it did hit other parts of the face.
I didn't see the explosion, but this pic should be enough evidence:
(sry for big pic)If I were Intellect, I would recall all batteries with the banned letter codes and avoid a future lawsuit. Had shrapnel hit his eyes...man...
Anyway; even though, after seeing multiple explosions, one more drama filled than the other, I will still continue using IB's since they are the fastest. But it seems that you have to use a crash helmet when near them...
11-26-2007, 10:28 AM
#79
O-Man ! 
11-26-2007, 11:04 AM
#80
Sorry to your friend that this happened to him... but can you get some pics of the cells that were in the pack (i can see some of them off to the side in that pic). Personally I'd like to see the soldering...
Thats not to say that there isn't an issue with the cells, as they do seem more susceptabile to user abuse, that much is certain. However, in IMO a lot of the bangs are caused by vents being blocked.
Part of the reason for my view on this is the past weekend I accidently shorted a pack of 4200's when transporting them to the track... got to the track and one pack had come unsoldered, with one cell having expanded hugely and lost its shrink wrap.... very quickly I threw them outside into wet grass. Half an hour later, you still couldn't pick up the cell as it was too hot. However, it didn't go bang.
I make sure to use a powerful soldering iron when doing cells, and keep the minimal amount of solder onto any joints, whilst also only just touching the cells with heat. With a powerful enough iron, that is easy to do.
Obviously, this may not be the case with your friends cells, and it may simply be that the vents failed (as this would seem to be where the main issues with IB's lie... especially looking at the new cells)...
Anyway, just MY OPINION..
Ed
Thats not to say that there isn't an issue with the cells, as they do seem more susceptabile to user abuse, that much is certain. However, in IMO a lot of the bangs are caused by vents being blocked.
Part of the reason for my view on this is the past weekend I accidently shorted a pack of 4200's when transporting them to the track... got to the track and one pack had come unsoldered, with one cell having expanded hugely and lost its shrink wrap.... very quickly I threw them outside into wet grass. Half an hour later, you still couldn't pick up the cell as it was too hot. However, it didn't go bang.
I make sure to use a powerful soldering iron when doing cells, and keep the minimal amount of solder onto any joints, whilst also only just touching the cells with heat. With a powerful enough iron, that is easy to do.
Obviously, this may not be the case with your friends cells, and it may simply be that the vents failed (as this would seem to be where the main issues with IB's lie... especially looking at the new cells)...
Anyway, just MY OPINION..
Ed
11-26-2007, 01:11 PM
#81
Imagine if the cells has been tortured with onroad and a 3,5 brushless...*shivers*
11-26-2007, 01:34 PM
#82
Tech Fanatic
And Leodis, LiPo is not here for any class running 5-cell and 4-cell - which in the UK is a lot of people. And, these are the Classes that are expanding their numbers, not the 6-cell Classes where LiPo can work. Please stop telling me that LiPo is the future from your 6-cell-centric point of view.
11-26-2007, 02:05 PM
#83
nimh vs lipo
This debate seems to happen every week on rctech.net. A nimh battery has problems, the fault always goes to the racer (soldered incorrectly, charged at 6 amps, charger problem, etc.) A LIPO has problems (very rare, and you have many, many more people using LIPO) and the user is blamed because they used the wrong charge setting or used a swelled battery.
It seems to me that a hard cased lipo and a standard lipo charger used correctly introduce fewer potential ways that a racer can destroy the battery. This argument about lipo vs nimh forgets one BIG THING. LIPO can be used for hundreds of cycles without significany loss of capacity, and LIPO require no maintenance. How many racers with nimh packs can put 20 cycles on their pack and still race with them?
I am tired of LIPO being compared to nimh in terms of safety (LIPO is safer,) longevity (LIPO lasts much, much longer,) and convenience (LIPO obviously.) The real debate should be why racers are buying $60 nimh packs (and up) that can barely last 20 runs before they buy new ones, and that require $200 in support equipment (trays, dischargers, high end chargers, etc.)
If the debate were framed in what is better for the racer, the answer is obvious. The only people that LIPO's are bad for are 12th scale (redesign the cars and use slower motors,) and of course BATTERY MATCHERS.
It seems to me that a hard cased lipo and a standard lipo charger used correctly introduce fewer potential ways that a racer can destroy the battery. This argument about lipo vs nimh forgets one BIG THING. LIPO can be used for hundreds of cycles without significany loss of capacity, and LIPO require no maintenance. How many racers with nimh packs can put 20 cycles on their pack and still race with them?
I am tired of LIPO being compared to nimh in terms of safety (LIPO is safer,) longevity (LIPO lasts much, much longer,) and convenience (LIPO obviously.) The real debate should be why racers are buying $60 nimh packs (and up) that can barely last 20 runs before they buy new ones, and that require $200 in support equipment (trays, dischargers, high end chargers, etc.)
If the debate were framed in what is better for the racer, the answer is obvious. The only people that LIPO's are bad for are 12th scale (redesign the cars and use slower motors,) and of course BATTERY MATCHERS.
11-26-2007, 02:15 PM
#84
I appreciate for 12th, it's an issue... as for TC, guess we wait and see in that respect, we'll know more after next season in terms of 5cell or LiPo. Off Road? well 2wd, current LiPos fit, and 4WD, saddle pack versions are on the way, therefore and it's up to the section to decide...
11-26-2007, 04:06 PM
#87
IB4600s were not to market nor are they approved for racing in the US right now, so no one used them in Cleveland. From what I understand, the EP4600 took home most of the top spots in Cleveland, but someone I've heard some people used the improved IB4200s with a pretty good result. In any case the IB4200 should be plenty competitive with the EP4600 anyway, unless your racing mod where the EP might have a slight advantage due to the extra runtime.
11-26-2007, 04:20 PM
#88
in offroad i run lipo
in 1/12 i have to run c cell's,there is nothing else to do.
in 1/12 i have to run c cell's,there is nothing else to do.
11-26-2007, 11:09 PM
#90
it seems EVERY time a thread is opened regarding Nimh or Nicd batteries, with either Q's or just some other issue, someone needs to find an angle and push it into a pissing contest vs Lipo.
Please there are several Lipo vs Nimh thread use those!
Pretty please......
