Hi guys,


Anyone running the TCX with softcell LiPo's?

I'm using the Turnigy 5800mah LiPo's and have had some problems getting them to fit my Exotek chassis.

Is the TCX battery space as tight?

It's definitely NOT COOL to run softcell lipo's in ANY on road or off road car!!! These batteries can cause fire through impacts--and are NOT easy to put out!
That's why the hard shell was developed. You should be able to fit nearly any 2s lipo in your car. I've got 5000mah Turnigy's in mine--and their BIG.
FWIW
T

Hi, thanks for the response.

I have been running soft cell LiPo's for around 5 years in planes and 3 years in RC cars, both off-road and touring cars.

I've had many many crashed and heavy impacts but am still using the soft cell LiPo's i purchased 5 years ago.

I don't know of 1 person running a hard shell LiPo in their planes/copters and the only LiPo fires i've seen are from either charging incorrectly (mainly in the early days) or a Esc shorting out.

I've had my soft cells banging around in my case, dropped, not fully submerged but thoroughly soaked (in a friends RC boat) there's really no worry.

The problem with the Turnigy soft cells is, with plastic end protection they're a little longer than the hard cells i've seen.
They JUST fit in my Exotek Cyclone with the side bars at their maximum width.

Any chance you could post up a pic with you hard cell fitted please?

Just because you've been doing it, doesn't make it safe. You could drive a car with no seatbelt and no airbags, and claim it's safe. And it will be, until you have a big crash.

If you have a pinion come off and dig into the lipo, or have a big imact, you will have a big fire. Don't do it, its not worth the few $ you save!

+1

not only for safety to your equipment, but also for safety of the marshals around when this happens.

This is a bit out of topic, but I agree with Gixer... all this "you need to be super careful with Lipos or they will blow up and kill/maim you" is overrated. People need to exercise some serious common sense here. You can't overcharge and under discharge Lipos period. If the electrics short, most types of batteries (Lipo, NiMH, NiCd) will explode or catch on fire. If you overcharge them, same could happen.

Just out of curiosity, my friend took an axe to a Lipo.... Yes, I know he's not too bright even if he's a big shot lawyer (note my "common sense" comment above). Anyway, it didn't blow up, it just fizzled. If you look at youtube videos of Lipos being very very very overcharged, they do ignite, but not the "explode like an M80" type of explosion.

Lastly, if a pinion were to come off, dig into a Lipo and have a fire, well that would be freakishly cool in an expensive sort of way. But the chances of that are so great that if it were to happen, I should go buy lottery tickets to compensate for the negative statistical karma.

Instead of making stuff up about what you think you know about LiPo fires, try reading this instead. It was written by the guy that does all the LiPo approvals and testing for ROAR.

If you're puncturing a cell, a lot of the reaction you get depends on how conductive the thing you're using is, and how much it shorts out the cell during the puncture. I stabbed a swollen TP 40C pack with some hedge clippers while it was in a bucket of salt water, and it burned underwater for 5 minutes.

Just because something hasn't happened to you doesn't mean you know what you're talking about. Leave LiPo safety to people that know what they're dealing with.

But hey, whatever. For those that aren't delusional, here's what to watch for:

1. Smoke
2. Flames shooting from car
3. People screaming

+ YouTube Video

+ YouTube Video

Funny thing about both of those videos is they happened at tracks I was racing at.

Both occured from hard hits. Both were hardcase lipos. The 2nd video happened when the car lost signal on the straight and slammed into the concrete block wall at the end of the straight puncturing the lipo and causing it to catch fire.

he races in Greece. nowhere near us :) let him burn down his track. he's been fairly warned. :nod: :nod:

TCX Sale...
 

looks like SpeedtechRC.com is blowing out their TCX inventory... $415.99! :eek: :eek: :nod: :nod: :nod:

http://www.speedtechrc.com/store/ebp...id=120&id=9614

Sorry, I'm done offering any suggestions to someone that doesn't want them. Good luck with your softcell lipos. I've been flying with them for over 10 years---I HAVE seen fires--but planes don't take the impacts that cars do. That's why hard case's are mandated in ROAR racing. Good luck.
FWIW
T

That's an awsome price---the Horizon Hobby Distributor cost is $399.00!! So he's making nothing at that price. Get em while he's got em!!
T

wow!!!!

WOW... those videos are way cool! Wait! Hey! Is that me in the background at Jackson?

Yeap, it was a hard case Lipo. The moral of the story is, if it's destined to happen, it's destined to happen regardless of hardcase or soft case.