Making the jump to lipo power

[markbt73]

I've been thinking I should finally step into the 21st century with my batteries for a while now. I had one little 2100 LiFe pack and a charger for it that I bought for a Sand Scorcher, and it does well in there, but the rest of my fleet runs on a hodgepodge of old NiCd and NiMH packs of indeterminate age and condition, charged by a couple of old MRC Super Brains. Last week, I charged up a very old 3900mah NiMH pack to go for a run and one cell grew in length by 1/4 inch. After it cooled enoguh to touch, I moved it outside, and decided it was time for some new batteries.

Special thanks to Momo and his shop in Clackamas for helping me decide how to get started. I ended up with a Duratrax Onyx 245 charger (can charge every battery I have, and two at a time), a Peak 2400 mah 45c hard-case lipo, in a stick-pack shape, and a Novak Smart-Stop cutoff, since all my ESCs are as old as my batteries.

Old & busted... New hotness.


Wired up the Smart-Stop so it can be moved from car to car.


After the charge, I stuck the pack in my old beater RC10CE, and... rats.


A little hacking, a little servo tape... Perfect! (at least for this car... I'll need to get a shorter pack for the ones I'm not willing to hack up)


I didn't have time to give it much of a test, but to say it's an improvement is an understatement. Remember that scene in "The Empire Strikes Back" where R2-D2 fixes the hyperdrive? Yeah, it was like that.


Technology is awesome.

[JK Racing]

I keep cut battery cups ready for any RC10 I am going to run. If I end up not running it anymore, back goes the original uncut battery cup

[MOmo]

Good finally meeting you.

Glad the setup is working out for you. I had a set of those black cups NIP there at the store for you. We should grab some locals and have us some vintage racing.



Momo