q about a charger.

[Loser]

hey guys I'm trying to gauge the dprice difference inbetween a 1/8th buggy and a 1/10th elec buggy, (yes i know the 1/8 will be more just not sure how much)

anyways what a good charger for an electric buggy (B4) i think i'lll be using like 3300's or something like that,dont need top of the line.

also how many batt packs would you recommend and what brand? i will be racing.

and finally which Novak esc would be the best? (or any other reputable brand of esc)


thx a bunch mike.

 

[redhatman]

hey, heres a common, and a very good charger: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXCLD5&P=ML

I would say 2-3 batteries is plenty. You dont want to over heat the motor.

And novak esc's are pretty well known and reliable. So that would be a good choice.

 

[Loser]

ok cool thx for the info that was the charger i was looking at getting (or the pulsar but my wallet isn't deep enough for a pulsar) i will probably be going with a hot bodies truggy, but if something happens ill probably revert back and go for the b4.

 

[Diver6127]

Both sl0eg1n and I use the Pulsar Competition as well as the Magna charger. Both are a little costly and require a 12v powersource or a power supply. I was looking at the specs on the Piranha charger provided at the link, and it may be good for stick packs but doesn't have the higher amp rate that will be needed to charge the 3300 packs correctly.

I have used Fusion batteries (mostly for my 1/12 .. premade packs). Sl0eg1n uses surge batteries as well as pole positions and fusion packs. All good batteries. When choosing your packs, look for low ir ratings and something that's at least a 1.17 rating. For the amount of packs to bring ... 4 should suffice. You'll have 1 for each qualifiyer and 1 for the main. You may also want to bring 2 practice packs that you can alternate so you won't have to dip into your other packs. Basically 6 total.

 

[sl0eg1n]

don't get a duratrax charger. i had the intellipeak charger and realized that it couldn't do the settings i needed. i would suggest the pulsar competition 2. you should never go cheap on the charger because you need to have your batteries last when you spend $60 - $80 for each pack. you will also need 4 battery packs. 1 for each heat and the main. you can get some used battery packs to use for practice. you can get a good deal from promatch racing.

i race on-road electric regularly through out the year. in my pit box i have the following items

7 battery packs, 3 practice packs bought used and 4 racing packs.
2 chargers
1 equalizer
1 soldering iron
1 comm lathe
4 19T motors (all with different brush configurations)

 

[Plaidfish]

Sl0ge have you tried the Duratrax ICE charger???
I bought one and it's pretty easy to use.....quick question, I KNow I've asked this twice before but.what settings do you charge your packs at? I run 2 3300 trinity packs in my TC3 and am currrently using this setup for Dis/CHarg:
cells: 6
voltage: 7.2
Charge Amps: 2 for fast .5 for slow
discharge: 10 amps
Peak detection: delta peak
max charge: 130%
top off: 500mah (fast charge only)
and I have it set to cycle 1 time when I start the charger
I think that's all my settings....are they correct? I just drift w/ this setup in the street so I'm really looking for more battery longevity w/ good punch.....

 

[sl0eg1n]

sorry, i never used the ice charger. i charge my 3300 batteries with 6amps at 50mV delta peak. i usually discharge my batteries at 30 amps to 5.4 Volts and equalize the cells to 0.9 Volts. i did a little experiment last weekend on my designated main race pack. at the last 5 minutes i set the amps at 6.5 amps. i had plenty of punch for the race and it helped out a bit because my motors need a rebuild and started falling off.

i started using the Indi zero-thirty to discharge/tray my batteries. it was recommended by one of the fast electric drivers in the NYC area. once i figure out the procedure for conditioning batteries with this new toy i will post it up. his batteries have lasted for more than 6 months and hasn't lost significant voltage.

 

[Plaidfish]

I was told the lower amp charges will have a longer lasting run time....is this true?
wow 30amp discharge....I don't have a tray so I'm limited to 10 from the charger...what does the higher discharge rate do for it other than discharge it faster? I thouhgt you wanted to discharge at similar current to what the motor draws......do they draw near 30A???

 

[sl0eg1n]

my cells are matched at a 30A discharge rate and during races the draw is usually 20A-30A. i was just told by the fast racers to do this as a way of keeping my cells up at the condition they were matched at.

i race so i need the punch to be kept up as much as possible. my batteries usually level off at the 3-4 minute mark and start dumping a little after 5 minutes. for thebest results charge your 6-cell 3300 batteries around 5-6A @ 50mV delta peak. the lower the amp you will gain some runtime at the expense of punch and vice-versa.

 

[Plaidfish]

AHHHHH...that's what I was looking for.....I was trying to figure out why my buddy's TC3 slams mine off the line....I have newer packs than his and basically the same setup......thanks

How often do you discharge w/ your tray (equalizer?).....I just do the discharge cyle before it starts the charge.....am I killing my packs by doing this?

 

[sl0eg1n]

i have 4 battery packs designated for each race. this is usually 4 packs for the entire race day. after each race i let them cool off before i put them back into the storage bin and leave the battery packs as is. before charging them i do the following.

1) discharge at 30A until 5.4V
2) equalize them on the tray.
3) then charge at 6.0 A @ 50mV
4) repeak if necessary

 

[bustedgears]

As far as the Novak, try the Rooster or the super rooster. I've had excellent luck with both.

 

[Revo Rancher]

Plaid, I bought the ICE charger a few months ago. I pulled it out this week as I finally got my Neo One motor and Sphere ESC in. I did not realize that I needed a power source for the ICE. Which one do you use? Or are you using a battery?

Looks like I will need to pick up a better discharger when I go get the power supply. I am running 3300 packs, too.

 

[Plaidfish]

I got a tripp-lite 20amp DC power supply for the track and a 50amp for home...I run all my RC stuff at the track w/ the 20A (charger/glow charger/radio charger/Bump box)....that way I never run out of juice......I got mine for cheap since they were left over from a job my company did......paid less than 100 for both......they were originally bought to use w/ a VHF radio and a 12V compressor....I forgot I had em for a while and when I came across them I just started using them and I'll never rely on battery power again.....

If you have any questions on how to use the charger PM me....
as far as a discharger, I'm going to build one from light bulbs....that's basically what the hobby ones are....anyone have the bulb breakdown? how many? what type?

 

[Revo Rancher]

Plaid, all I know is that they use auto bulbs. Hopefully this info is posted so we can rig up our own.

Thanks for the charger info. I think I found a good 30 amp one from Hobbypeople on sale for 59.99. I want to see what the ICE can do!

 

[sl0eg1n]

for that price you should get the indi zero-thrity. it's much safer on the cell because it's auto cutoff

 

[Plaidfish]

30amp is alot...if you are only runnning the charger then 8Amps is plenty....if you're doing motor breakins w/ it then you need a 20Amp.....30 you can power 2 chargers and a bump box...

O-I-C ....you meant 30Amp dicharger....nevermind

 

[redhatman]

how long would it take to discharge out of a couple light bulbs?

 

[sl0eg1n]

it depends on how much charge is in the cells. the main thing you have to worry about with dumping batteries is reversal damage. this happens when you discharge your batteries beyond 0.0V. this can be avoided with the autocutoff switch, $20. when you make the bulb discharger with autocutoff, the price will run about $60.

 

[Plaidfish]

60 bucks to make one?!?!?!
What's a good discharger cost and is that what the indy one you mentioned earlier is?