I've narrowed down the vehicle, now what?
 

Hi all. I am getting into R/C and have found a wealth of information. I am going to start with a SCT (Slash, Blitz or Strike).

What would everyone recommend battery and charger wise? I am not as much interested in specific brands as I am in what ratings should I be looking for? I think I will start with Lipos as I plan on upgrading once I have my feet wet and would like to have that part taken care of. Thanks.

5000mah +
highest c rating you can afford

onyx 230 is a good starter lipo charger

+1 on the 5000mAh
I think the Slash would be your best bet unless you decide to race-don't mistake that statement as Slash is the best and others not as good, cuz that is not what I mean.
If you go w/Onyx charger get balancer to balance batt pack (that is if you decide to go Lipo) I own 2 Slashes both powered w/2s 5250 Lipo and could not be happier

If I run Lipo batteries in a Slash do I need to do anything special or get anything additional? Thanks.

nope, get a balancer w/ the charger like said ^

when you order your batteries, get them with traxxas plugs and thats it!

Can Lipos be damaged by running them down too far?

How do you avoid doing this?

The stock Slash does not have a built in Lipo cutoff. Your bet bet would be upgrading the ESC-motor combo w/either a VXL or Castle 4600. you can purchase an additional Lipo cutoff from some manufaturers ex. www. maxamps.com Personally I prefer something that is already built in as not to have to watch the clock. Castle shutoff is programmable, Traxxas shuts down at I believe 6.3v; not sure about others.

The Slash is the toughest for bashing,The others are more "race worthy" but the slash can hold its own on the track too. The onyx 230 is a good charger due to charging,nicad,nic metal,lipo and YOU can adjust the amp charge rate,per battery,But you will need an external balancer like a "astro blinky balancer" or a Team check point that plugs in line with battery.

You don;t have to upgrade anything if you don;t want to there is a "warning device" made that you can plug into your balancing tap that has lights and a beeper to let you know when the Voltage has drop to low..I think they can be found at JGB.com or something close to that.

Buy the biggest mah battery you can afford and maybe two.

Most of all have fun these rc vehicles are a blast I am very happy I got into this even at my rip old age.

If I decide to go with the Strike, should I just use the RTR radio as a beginner or should I consider buying a radio that I can grow with as I progress and get the BND version?

What are some good entry level radios that can get me through my first few vehicles, but not break the bank?

Thanks all.