Noobie crawler. Battery help please
01-27-2021, 03:39 PM
#1
Noobie crawler. Battery help please
Hello all. I am new to RC's and just picked up a SCX10 ii to play around with. It didn't come with any batteries or a charger and I am wondering what will be best for me.
My friends and I go out crawling our real jeeps a number of weekends a year and I want to crawl my RC afterwards. I have been trying to research lipo batteries and chargers but am still unsure what I need. My main concern is battery storage and health if they end up sitting for a couple of months over winter.
Probably just over thinking things, but any help is appreciated.
My friends and I go out crawling our real jeeps a number of weekends a year and I want to crawl my RC afterwards. I have been trying to research lipo batteries and chargers but am still unsure what I need. My main concern is battery storage and health if they end up sitting for a couple of months over winter.
Probably just over thinking things, but any help is appreciated.
01-29-2021, 04:00 PM
#2
You probably are overthinking it. Crawling doesn't have the demands that high powered RC vehicles have or what's needed for racing so pretty much any lipo would do. Something in the 5000mah to 6000mah range should be fine.
Also there will be lots of people saying you need a $200 charger, but really you don't. Anything in the $50-75 range for an AC charger should be fine. Just be aware that what's important is putting your lipo in storage voltage when not using it. That's making each cell around 3.8v (doesn't need to be exact). Most of the inexpensive chargers don't have the ability to discharge at a very high rate, so taking a full 5000mah lipo and putting on one of these chargers into storage voltage can take many hours.
You're trading cost for time. If you want to invest some more money, there are some options that can speed things up. But you're looking at $150 to $200.
Also there will be lots of people saying you need a $200 charger, but really you don't. Anything in the $50-75 range for an AC charger should be fine. Just be aware that what's important is putting your lipo in storage voltage when not using it. That's making each cell around 3.8v (doesn't need to be exact). Most of the inexpensive chargers don't have the ability to discharge at a very high rate, so taking a full 5000mah lipo and putting on one of these chargers into storage voltage can take many hours.
You're trading cost for time. If you want to invest some more money, there are some options that can speed things up. But you're looking at $150 to $200.
02-01-2021, 12:17 PM
#3
One other thing to consider is that ability to use your charger while out in the field.
Chargers come in 3 basic variants...
- powered only by AC
- powered by AC or DC
- powered only by DC
Depending on where you are crawling your full scale vehicles, there may or may not be power. It is possible that your 1:1 crawlers have an AC outlet for accessories, but those may or may not be rated properly for the amperage an r/c battery charger may use. However if you have a DC powered r/c battery charger, it can be run directly off a starter battery or any 12 volt power supply.
You can always buy extra batteries for your scale crawler as it can be nice to charge one battery while playing with playing with your scale crawler.
The only other thing to consider is to make sure the charger you purchase has the correct balance port/plug for the batteries your purchase.
Chargers come in 3 basic variants...
- powered only by AC
- powered by AC or DC
- powered only by DC
Depending on where you are crawling your full scale vehicles, there may or may not be power. It is possible that your 1:1 crawlers have an AC outlet for accessories, but those may or may not be rated properly for the amperage an r/c battery charger may use. However if you have a DC powered r/c battery charger, it can be run directly off a starter battery or any 12 volt power supply.
You can always buy extra batteries for your scale crawler as it can be nice to charge one battery while playing with playing with your scale crawler.
The only other thing to consider is to make sure the charger you purchase has the correct balance port/plug for the batteries your purchase.
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