=tuber 10=

[scr8p]

you'll need a power supply for that ice charger. just a heads up if ya didn't know.

[badhoopty]

oh. duh, i didnt even read the description... lol i thought that was a powersuppy. i wondered why it was so cheap compared to other ones. YAAAY

so i'm an idiot as usual... are there any lipo chargers that come with a powersupply?

btw i'm putting together a fancy 10 today... it's turnin' me on already.

[teshreve]

Lipo packs require a bit more attention, a totally different charge method, and ESC's that will shut off when the pack's voltage gets too low.
Unlike Nicd and Nimh, you cannot just apply a regulated current until the pack voltage peaks, nor can you discharge them until they are dead. Doing either one will net you at best a dead pack and at worst a fire.
Lipo packs are rated in "C". A pack with 1800 mah capacity has a C rating of 1800 mah. Most top quality packs these days can be discharged at 20C. For an 1800 Mah pack, that would be 36 amps. Unlike other cell chemistries, substantial damage will occur above this rating. With nicd and nimh you could abuse them almost comically and they would survive. For charging, 1C is the general rule, which sucks, because it takes forever to charge lipos. I am betting higher charge ratings is the next big feature.

For brushless tech, there are two major classes: sensored and sensoreless.
Speaking in broad, generic terms, sensored brushless motors are more precise and act more similar to brushed motors. Sensored motors have hall effects sensors in endbell to feedback to the ESC where the rotor is. This requires the sensor itself, another set of wires between the motor and the ESC, and likely some additional cost. Sensorless controllers use CEMF to determine where the rotor is. Rotor awareness is critical in brushless motors because in order to generate torque the coils in the stator must be fired ahead of the magnet, and since the magnet/rotor is always spinning at different speeds and can change very quickly, the timing (when to fire the coils) in the stator is the entire enchilada.
I recommend sensored as I have had both. For low speed and near stall speeds, sensored will shine.

[teshreve]

I have an Ice charger. The menus are infuriating. The user interface is just flat not intuitive. In all other ways, the Ice charger is great. And yes, you will need a 12 volt power supply.

For Lipos, try http://www.cheapbatterypacks.com
I have purchased from them twice and while nothing was stand out about their service, I didn't have any troubles either

[badhoopty]

hoopty scratches his head because he felt something blow right over the top of it.

lol, how about a novak or mamba system?

[teshreve]

For reference purposes:

2600 mah, 7.4 volt Lipo (2S)
120 grams
130mm long x 40mm wide x 13mm thick

3300 mah, 7.2 volts Nimh (6 cell)
405 grams
135mm long x 47mm wide x 24mm thick

The reason I post this is because lipo packs come in a bewildering variety of shapes and sizes.
S = series, BTW.
A 2S pack would have 2 cells in series. Each cell in lipo land is 3.7 volts, unlike nimh and nicd, which is 1.2 volts.

[teshreve]

hoopty scratches his head because he felt something blow right over the top of it.

lol, how about a novak or mamba system?

I think the Novak Velociti 6.5 would be great. Probably more power than you can use, comes with both motor and controller, great brand name.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXKSW1&P=7

I recommend some reading before investing in lipo. Brushless is pretty plug and play these days, but lipo requires just a bit of knowledge to be happy with. It is well worth it.

[scr8p]

here's an ac/dc charger, but it's for lipo's only. no nicads or nimh.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXPPE0&P=

[justinspeed79]

I would highly recommend the DTX Ice. I find the menus and all functions very easy to use, it's very versatile, and very reliable. I have been using the same one that I got when they first came out, and have not had a single problem with it. It can do just about anything you will need for a nitro or electric R/C car.

The only small gripe I have about the Ice is the lack of back-lighting, but that is just a luxury I can live without. If you really need back-lighting there is a kit available for the Ice for around $25.

The power supply......

DTX recommends 15 amps, but I have been using a cheap 7 amp unit with no problems. I can even charge at 6 amps using the 7 amp power supply. Basically you will need a power supply to match the amps you want to charge at, and add one amp for the charger itself. The max charging amps on the Ice is 10, but if you want to use the motor break-in feature you will probably want to get a power supply with the full 15 amps.

[badhoopty]

how about the team orion advantage charger? i can get one pretty cheap on ebay. its between that and the ice.

i still just got a superbrain...

[JR]

how about the team orion advantage charger? i can get one pretty cheap on ebay. its between that and the ice.

i still just got a superbrain...

Please toss that superbrain! Man I bought one for RX packs, and I hate it. Finally I went with a pair of CE GFX's ran by a rivergate bulldog 30A power supply. Now I can charge battery packs and not get false peaks or worry about the unit itself overheating.

The Orion charger doesnt look too bad, and it would be a huge upgrade from the Superbrain!

[justinspeed79]

Check these ones out. I have heard nothing but good things about them. When I got my Ice I almost got the original Triton instead. I think the new Triton Jr looks pretty nice, especially for the price.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0091p?&C=PKL&V=GPM

[JR]

Check these ones out. I have heard nothing but good things about them. When I got my Ice I almost got the original Triton instead. I think the new Triton Jr looks pretty nice, especially for the price.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0091p?&C=PKL&V=GPM

That charger looks good(Triton Jr.). Can do 4 lipo cell packs where the Orion is limited to two.

Things I dont like. looks like you cant change Delta threshold, and it has auto trickle charge that doesnt look like it can be dsabled.

The triton 2 has the goods to do almost everything. You can charge up to 7A max where as the jr. was only good to 5A. adjustable DeltaV for NIMH which is a good thing, and it has 10 batter charge profile memory which is nice.

[badhoopty]

now with shock hoops!




i'm almost done detailing all the joints. this thing is STURDY. i still need to trim out some insets for the bottom out of an old tub and nose. it doesnt need them but i think it will look pretty hot.

its gonna get powdercoated red with the body be mainly white with black accents. i got some old kyosho shocks i'm gonna strip and polish, maybe go full alum suspension as well. i'd love to score a set of t/a machine centerlines for it.

i got some interesting ideas for a body, its gonna end up a pretty rad little buggy if i say so myself...

[toymkr73]

very cool!