ratherBracin

1. I need a new charger/chargers. For the longest time I've used a couple of DuraTrax IntelliPeak AC/DC Pulse chargers, $55 a pop, and they're plug-and-go. Just a button, a knob to set amperage, and 4 LED lights that go on to tell you what charge mode it's in. All but brainless operation, and I'd like to keep it that way. I really don't need anything like an ICE or a Turbo35 or a Pulsar, what I need is something I can set the amperage, plug the battery in, push a button, and it charges the pack. Bonus points for AC/DC and if it has a balance lead.

I know what you're saying, but going too idiot-proof on a charger usually leaves you with a lesser quality unit, and since you're going with high tech batteries I'd advise that it's time for a higher tech charger. The Duratrax ICE charger has been a fan favorite for a few years now, and its versatility of NiMH and LiPO charging makes it a good choice. It also has a programming section where you can log in seperate charging/discharing specs for up to 9 different packs if you have more than one different kinds and capacities of batteries. Once you have it set, all you have to do is plug in the pack and just push the button and go.

2. If the charger doesn't have a balance lead, are there stand-alone LiPo balancers available? And how often should my LiPo pack be balanced?

Yes, there are several different balancer options on the market. But I've found that LiPOs aren't near as sensitive to the need for regular balancing, as NiMHs are, and I only do mine once a month.

3. I've heard LiPos don't trail off like nickel packs do as they discharge, they run at full power until they go empty and then just dump. I've also heard you do NOT want to take them past this point, but short of buying one of those LiPo cutoff modules or a new ESC does a LiPo pack give any kind of warning before it dumps (ex: all of a sudden you've got no top-end speed, etc.) and if so about how long can you keep driving without damaging the pack once you notice that warning?

You're right, LiPOs don't trail off and generally have a constant discharge rate. But the problem is that you can kill one fast by over-discharging it and they really give no hint that you've exceeded the limit. A Low Voltage Cutoff module is pretty cheap, $25-ish, and keeps you from making the mistake and wasting the money a lot of people have.

4. I live in Wisconsin and race indoor electric in the winter, so how resilient are LiPo packs to very cold temperatures? I know whenever I would try driving one of my trucks in the cold with a NiMH the pack would drive almost as if it was in the process of dumping, but it would run like that for the full 5 or 6 minutes I'd normally get out of it. Warm it back up and it's just fine. But with the level of care people take with LiPos, would there be any real harm in leaving my LiPo pack with my toolbox in the back of my 1:1 truck while I'm at work?

Personally I've always kept my batteries in the house. That way they don't get too cold during the winter months or too hot during the summer months. While LiPOs don't tend to get as hot as NiMHs, they are a bit more sensitive and need a more stringent eye on care --- so that means the toolbox in the back of the truck is out. Checking one of my "spec sheets" they note "when transporting or temorarily storing in a vehicle, temperature range should be greater than 20 degrees F but no more than 150 degrees F."

5. As far as electric goes, I race weekly offroad during the winter and on-and-off in the summer with my TC dirt late model. I always had a plan for my NiCd and NiMH packs when they weren't going to be run for, like, a month or more. Is there anything I should do before I shelf my LiPo pack for awhile? During the week between races in the winter?

Most LiPOs come with some sort of instruction sheet that recommends maximum charge rate and storage voltage rate, and if not you can probably check the makers' website. Checking one of my "spec sheets" they note "do not store fully charged, best store at 3.8 to 3.9v per cell."

6. I would think they've been around long enough for someone to know; assuming it's taken care of what's the typical life span of a LiPo before they go bad for good? And is there a way to tell, like how one dead cell in a NiMH pack would get noticeably hotter than the other 5 during a charge?

I don't know because I've yet to kill a pack. Just like NiMHs they tend to be really fast when new, but once they have a few runs on them they level out and perform well for a long time. But considering a LiPO pack has only 2 or 3 cells (2s or 3s) per pack, the drop off in performance would be noticable enough to make a highly noticable difference.

7. For a pack like this, a 3 cell 4900mAh, what's a "safe" amperage to charge it at? I'm racing Stock Truck so I don't need to do anything like the crazy 10 amp charges guys were blowing up NiMHs with.

Most battery companies suggest different charge rates, so check with the manufacturer to make sure. Are you sure you bought a 3-cell (3s, 11.1v) or is it possible it was only a 2s (2-cell) 7.4volt model?

OK, it appears you have a 2s (2-cell) 7.4volt battery and not a 3-cell as you first suggested?