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Just getting back into 1/10 scale offroad racing. I know I have a learning curve given it's been 26+ yrs. From searching and reading here and elsewhere I think I have learned that I'll be looking for a 2s lipo to run my brushed RC10 in Classic Competition (Tamiya RS540 "stock" motor)

The array of 2s batteries is fairly overwhelming. I am considering a 5000mAh 2s pack as a baseline while looking for the lightest weight & highest "C" . I know it is a lot more juice than Id likely burn in any given heat but am operating on the notion that more capacity is better / will ensure least drop off in Voltage/current during any given heat. In the golden old days i had matched hand-built 6 & 7 cell packs, I use to maintain a set of racing packs, vs practice or play packs. For competition I used one pack per heat with some spares so I did not have to recharge a hot pack during a normal day of racing. (All NiCad) I stopped racing before NMH packs were largely available in the Philippines.

Couple of questions:

Which brand/model of 2s batteries are generally accepted as desirable for brushed competition (smaller/lighter & lower max current?) and brushless in 17.5 (2wd) and 13.5 (4wd) competition classes? Are all "Roar Approved" Lipos nearly equal or not? (I suspect not but looking for feedback)

What current capacity & "C" rating is generally accepted for competition, Brushed / brushless?

Which battery chargers are considered best of breed for Lipo batteries used in competition?

Thanks all for helping in my reeducation.

One nice thing about modern batteries is that pretty much anything you get will be way better than you remember. For racing, higher c rating and higher capacity will usually result in less drop in voltage as you mention, but there isn't much of a standard for how these are rated, so its not necessarily consistent between manufacturers. Also take into account whether you plan to try to be near the minimum weight for a given class, and how much battery weight will put you near that.

As for brand, SMC and Gens-ace seem to be good performance for the money. There are others at higher prices that may be a bit better for performance, but the price jump is usually significant. You now really only need one pack per car, since you can pretty much charge immediately after running. My current preferred offroad pack is an orion 100c 4500mah shorty.

I realize now that having 5 lipo batteries was a bad idea....

Ucsdmutt wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:14 pm I realize now that having 5 lipo batteries was a bad idea....

At least you'll have plenty of run time for practice days.

RC10th wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:20 pm

Ucsdmutt wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:14 pm I realize now that having 5 lipo batteries was a bad idea....

At least you'll have plenty of run time for practice days.

Or have a valid reason to have more cars

Timmahhh wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2017 2:16 pm One nice thing about modern batteries is that pretty much anything you get will be way better than you remember. For racing, higher c rating and higher capacity will usually result in less drop in voltage as you mention, but there isn't much of a standard for how these are rated, so its not necessarily consistent between manufacturers. Also take into account whether you plan to try to be near the minimum weight for a given class, and how much battery weight will put you near that.

As for brand, SMC and Gens-ace seem to be good performance for the money. There are others at higher prices that may be a bit better for performance, but the price jump is usually significant. You now really only need one pack per car, since you can pretty much charge immediately after running. My current preferred offroad pack is an orion 100c 4500mah shorty.

Tim, Thanks for your feedback. Looking at shorties as a result of your post. Any thoughts on chargers? Seems like a decent selection between Orion, Hitec, Dynamite, Protek, Reedy, LRP , iCharger... any of these generally accepted as being more effective / reliable that the others?

Cheers.

Hello.

For brushed motors don't look at the highest C possible.
First it is rubish, 100C is impossible. Second lipo can deliver their maximum current much more than the old nickel batteries.
The result can be an overheat of the brushed motor if you are running on a grip surface.
Lipo have long duration so don't forget to let the motor cool down...
On my experience the diffrence between a pricy bat and a low cost it the stenght to not inflate.
All my low cost lipos are inflated (and without any run under low voltage) all my "grood brand" batteries are as flat as they was new.
I run LRP and Orion batteries.
Take care to ESC. Vintage one hasn't got any low voltage cut-off.
This is mandatory for lipos. At least run with an low voltage alarm.
Otherwise Nimh are still available but Lipo is so confortable.
+1 also for only 1 Lipo it is sufficient for brushed. 2 For the whole day race in brushless 4X2.
For charger if you are Rotchild the best is LRP competition If no I own a RS16 SkyRC with a good balance.

Lou0151 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 15, 2017 1:19 am

Timmahhh wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2017 2:16 pm One nice thing about modern batteries is that pretty much anything you get will be way better than you remember. For racing, higher c rating and higher capacity will usually result in less drop in voltage as you mention, but there isn't much of a standard for how these are rated, so its not necessarily consistent between manufacturers. Also take into account whether you plan to try to be near the minimum weight for a given class, and how much battery weight will put you near that.

As for brand, SMC and Gens-ace seem to be good performance for the money. There are others at higher prices that may be a bit better for performance, but the price jump is usually significant. You now really only need one pack per car, since you can pretty much charge immediately after running. My current preferred offroad pack is an orion 100c 4500mah shorty.

Tim, Thanks for your feedback. Looking at shorties as a result of your post. Any thoughts on chargers? Seems like a decent selection between Orion, Hitec, Dynamite, Protek, Reedy, LRP , iCharger... any of these generally accepted as being more effective / reliable that the others?

Cheers.

Some cars will only fit shorty packs, others you can use it to fine tune weight distribution. It will have less capacity and/or be taller than a full length pack though.

All of the brands you mention make good chargers. Some charge at ridiculously high rates, which gets a tiny bit more voltage from packs that can take it, but often at the expense of safety or pack service life. Usually an 8-10 amp chage rate is plenty though, and i typically chage around 5 amps.

As mentioned, make sure to familiarize yourself with proper lipo care too. If used like a nicad, it can definitely cause issues with the battery, and potentially cause a fire if its bad enough.

Thank you all for you feedback. Very helpful, wishing you a a very Happy New Year!