I just got two of the G-force 4600mah 45c shorty packs. They have banana plugs and there are two plugs for positive, two for negative and one small one for the balance plug. Why so many plugs? Do I need to have the balance plug wire plugged into the battery when I'm running it in the car?

Thanks!

No...those are the charge cables. You need to do your own wiring to connect batteries to the esc. You just need the pos and neg connected to the esc.

http://www.valuehobby.com/45c-4600mah-2s.html

why would they even do that...

Does seem a little odd, especially for a shorty, where the idea is to save weight I thought (and move it around). Easier to transition to than the 5mm deals some are going to though I guess.

On the lighter side, it would make it easier to parallel charge like I did before I had race grade chargers, lol (Don’t try this with modern chargers guys)

+1 Back on topic. Also use solid bullet style connectors, not the spinning cage banana style connectors.

Something like these:

I just got a stick pack from them and it also has that. Me and a few other guys at the track thought maybe for lower resistance? I got the 6000 mah 70c so it will be put thru some testing in a 4x4 sc

So when I connect this battery to the esc do I just use one positive and one negative? Or do I need to use all four positive and negative ports?

One of each should be fine. Using both would lower resistance some, assuming the double wires could be soldered well. Which might be a challenge. Doubling up is likely only worth it, if at all, for a 4x4 short course with a powerful motor on 2S, which are pretty strenuous on batteries and connectors, in my opinion.

Wouldn't that add resistance considering you're adding a second pair of connectors? More connectors...more resistance. I just don't get the 2 into 1 idea. The motor will only draw so many amps. Maybe it's just a marketing ploy...like IP lipo's using 5mm internal bullets. 5mm for 2s? Completely unnecessary.

That's not how resistance works. I'm guessing it is a marketing ploy though anyway even though 2s can draw more current than higher voltage setups. The only time i've seen this style of setup have a purpose was when the battery was a 2s2p configuration.

Yeah the difference between a parallel and series circuit. Using both sets of connectors in this case would be a parallel circuit, and would lower connector resistance. The current would be split, half through each connector, in parallel. Also I was thinking of bi-wiring from other applications in my earlier comments about the challenge of soldering 2 wires (perhaps slightly smaller wires) on both + & -. But it would be possible to connect both connectors to one bigger wire on each side.

A series circuit raises resistance. For example if an adapter was used to go from the bullets to say a deans plug, then on to the ESC, in series. All of the current has to pass through both bullet and deans connectors. Less than ideal, perhaps that is what you were thinking of.

Practicality? Perhaps, 4x4 SC because of high amp levels, oval racing for same. As many have noted the lipos now really are capable of more current than the common connectors are, there was discussion of issues at the SnowBirds oval events for example. Or very competitive stock racing where you're trying to wring every last bit of performance out.

Cheers

Sounds good to me!