fredygump

iTrader: (1)

I already said I'd put my money on an SMC "true spec" pack. And keep in mind that it is possible that all three packs shown here contain the same battery cells from the same factory!


About high voltage cells, they are known to fail sooner than standard. If you need a competitive edge and don't care how often you replace batteries, then go for it. But if you are a normal person with limited money for the hobby, just say no.

I don't know the longevity of a "high voltage" pack charged to 4.20v, but I assume it'll give a normal service life. I'm not convinced that the high voltage packs really are any different in terms of chemistry. Any lipo can be over-charged to 4.35v, but it might be dangerous, and it will certainly shorten the battery's life.

kenmtb

iTrader: (1)

SPC for sure. valuehobby sells some good GForce packs cheap. I have many of their packs and the perform very well.

BillyGoat

Turnigy.
You can get a decent 2s 5000mAh battery for under $30.
I've bought four. Only one of them has had issues. A bad cell. But the rest have lasted me for years of hard racing, and not a single one has puffed yet. I had a duratrax puff on me, but the turnigys haven't.

If you feel like you can spare the money to get better ones, by all means, get the better ones. But, if you're on a budget, Turnigy is hard to beat.

FuryriderX

iTrader: (2)

Ive had a couple Duratrax puff on me too. I'd avoid them for sure.

gigaplex

iTrader: (2)

Charging to the higher voltages is usually against the rules, even if it's just a club day where nobody bothers to scrutinise. And the voltage boost is likely to be redundant after the first lap anyway.

fredygump

iTrader: (1)

I watched a video of a quad copter guy talking about HV cells. He said that they do hold significantly more energy, and they hold a higher voltage for longer. He gave a flight demonstration that showed duration with telemetry that showed volts and amps. The difference was significant.

The concept is legit, but the packs do not last very long at all. He figured a couple months until they puff, depending on usage.



I hear the local indoor track is really cracking down on all the battery cheats, like batteries must be within 10F of room temp...and battery warmers are completely outlawed, even if you are within the allowable temp range. I don't know that they are checking voltage yet, but that is probably the next thing.

It's crazy what guys will do to win.

fredygump

iTrader: (1)

Did y'all know that you can go on the internet and buy "Vant" batteries in bulk? You can get 4S 5200mah packs for $35/pack, minimum order of 50 packs. If a club agrees everybody wants to buy a few batteries, they could go in together and save some serious cash.

A local guy recommended them, so I'm testing them out. The IR, according to my new charger, isn't super even. But much better than my old wore out packs. They're just cheap, and are probably the same as every other Lipo?

I did have an SMC order, but after a month of waiting, and after seeing the local track has their first track this Sunday, I decided the best batteries are the ones that I have in my RC!

CaliBayWolf

What is budget lipo $20 $30 $40 $50 ??? I bought some budget lipos at $20 a piece and totally wasted $80...SMC lipos at $40 and really work are so much more worth it...Been thinking about ordering a few from RC juice hobby star brand seem like a good deal around tha same price as SMC but with free shipping...free shipping hhmmm SMC u should look into that if I'm ordering $100+ of stuff...

RacerX11

iTrader: (6)

I think another good lipo to throw in the mix is hobbystar. I'll be honest though I've used smc, gens ace, turnigy, and hobbystar. I haven't noticed a difference in performance with all these packs, plus I can find them all under $40 before any shipping. To me if your spending over $50 for a 2s shorty your overpaying

Reubster24

iTrader: (37)

Zippy from hobbyking are my lipo of choice. I have never had one puff. I don't even storage charge them. I leave them fully charged so I'm ready to rip at any moment.