Which first: Brushless or Lipo??

[losiXXXman]

I'm thinking about joining the "new school" of power methods. I'm low budget and will have to do one and then wait 3-6 months before doing the other.

I know if I do Lipo first, I'll have to get a lipo cutoff ($25), Pack (40 and up), and charger (?).

Brushless, I'm thinking a hobbywing system. ($90).

Which should I do first? Looks like the brushless will be cheaper, but will either one alone get my ten minute run time I need for the local racing? My NiMH packs are 3000 and 4200.

[ricerscott]

I would go brushless before Lipos. If your batteries are still good just use them and save up for lipos in the future. Also I would probably pass on the hobbywing set up. Castle just came out with a short course sidewinder/motor combo. I think it is pretty reasonable in price. I have had nothing but good luck with the castle stuff as well. I can't say the same about the hobbywing set up I had.

[Mr. ED]

I disagree: I read somewhere the brushless system draws too many amps and thus drastically reduces the life expectancy of NiMh batteries.

The lower weight should help extending your run-time even if you get the same amperage rating Li-Po's.

[call-911]

I would do LiPo first, personally.

[losiXXXman]

Won't I also notice a performance leveling over the full run as opposed to the gradually weaker feel of the NiMH and NiCds as well?

[adam lancia]

Pay now or pay later.....

What I found with making the switch (I went LiPo first) was that because of hte extra voltage, I wasn't pulling the trigger as far and was getting longer run times with a lower mAh LiPo battery vs a higher mAh NiMh battery. I picked up a used Orion 3200 LiPo and got a deal on a LRP Pulsar 3 charger. Total was around $160 for both. And in the mean time, I picked up a used LRP SPX for $75 and a used Nosram Matrix Evolution for 35€ and a used Speedpassion 3.0 10.5t motor for 25€. Just need a little patience to look for the deals

The Hobyywing ESC's are the same as those from Speedpassion. HW makes the ESC's and SP writes their own firmware, as does HW. I don't know anything about their motors however, there are lots of good motors that you can pick up used at a fraction of the cost of buying new. There are also lots of good used LiPo chargers out there to be had, just be sure you get it from someone you trust so you know it's not abused. You can even go that route with an ESC, but again, from someone you can trust.

I've made the jump from NiMh/brushed to LiPo/brushless recently, it's doable on a budget. Just look around a bit.

[realoldschooldude]

I'm thinking about joining the "new school" of power methods. I'm low budget and will have to do one and then wait 3-6 months before doing the other.

I know if I do Lipo first, I'll have to get a lipo cutoff ($25), Pack (40 and up), and charger (?).

Brushless, I'm thinking a hobbywing system. ($90).

Which should I do first? Looks like the brushless will be cheaper, but will either one alone get my ten minute run time I need for the local racing? My NiMH packs are 3000 and 4200.

Honestly, from my experience, if you can't do both at the same time you're wasting your time.
And, no offense intended (really), if you're going the super-cheap route (that's no-budgt, not low-bduget) by buying the off-brand stuff, if you can't afford both then you really shouldn't be doing it either.

Basically doing one without the other is about like trying to run a 1:1 racecar, tuned for racefuel, on pump-gas you buy at the corner gas station - or spending the extra money on racefuel, and then wasting it in your wife's grocery getter Honda.

Those of us that got into BL years ago had all sorts of issues to deal with, whether it was cogging/studdering from trying to run NiMH batts or un-updatable software, or that we also dealt with low-quality Lipo packs that just weren't worth what they cost (either then or now).
So what I'm saying is don't repeat the same mistakes we made.

Just wait until you can afford both, and then make the jump.
I've seen too many people try to piece-meal their way into BL/Lipo, or buy the really low-dollar/non-namebrand stuff, and it seems as if they're the ones always having troubles (sooner or later).

There is a lot of misinformation circulating about who makes what for whom, and while it's true that most of the BL and Lipos come out of China/HongKong, the reality is that you can't compare a $25 ESC with a $150 model. It doesn't matter who manufacturers it if the guts and the softward aren't the same, in the same manner that a Nissan doesn't compare with a Lexus. You get what you pay for.

[Mikeyboy]

I would get a decent brushless set up first. You will notice better performance and longer run times over a brushed motor. Then save some cash and go Lipo.

[Mr. ED]

mmm, let's take this another route...
what class are you running in, what type of car, and how old/abused are your current batteries and moter? Did you ever have the moter maintained: collector trued, brushes replaced?

10 minutes doesn't really sound like unobtainable with a 3000mAh Ni-Mh, leave alone a 4000 mAh one.

With the right gearing, clean bearings, correctly meshed gears and sensible drivestyle you can get a long way

[klavy69]

Just from experience I picked up lipo batteries first. Really noticed it picked up my old brushed system in use. Allready had the charger though so that wasn't part of the expense. I also had to go that route since the batteries I was dealing with at the time just weren't cutting it. Good luck, either way you go you won't be disappointed.
Todd

[Kayne]

I went the lipo route first. I noticed a big difference at first. Look around you can find some good deals. I know some guys run the turnigy lipo's and they are not that expensive. I picked up an imax b6 charger with power supply off fleapay for about 35 bux shipping included. Only draw back is I had to wait about three weeks for it. It came from China. The castle sidewinder setups aren't that expensive either. About 150.
You should check this thread out there is some good info there.
http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=8377

[muck]

I also went lipo first but found i was going through brushes fast. Then i went Hobby Wing. I had real good luck with HW and am considering one for my T4 i won last week... providing it shows up (USPS looks like they lost it)

I also ran nimh packs on my BL rustler VXL. I ran the 7 cells and they did last enough longer on it than brushed to make a difference. I am not sure how a 6 cell would do. I think you would get a little longer run time. But your packs have to be able to handle a BL. A 4200 would, a 3000 does but i know you get more out of a BL if the mah is higher.

[Mr. ED]

http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=8377

Thanks for the link.
In view of the current subject my understanding is a nimh battery pack has a too high internal resistance for the current drawn by a brushless moter, and this makes the cells overheat=>wear out faster.

[Kayne]

Contact Eau Rouge and he can explain it all very well.

[Eau Rouge]

Are you racing or screwing around bashing in the street? It's a big difference in the answer between the two IMO.



doug