Revo 1/16 vxll

[ktm250]

I have had a 1/16 revo vxl sitting in a box brand new and I need to get a battery and charger for it. I am leaning towards the traxxas brand charger that auto id dual charger and the traxxas battery just because of ease. I like keeping things stock because I’m ocd and it keeps things cleaning looking. I’m am very new to electric especially brushless can I please get some help and some sort of point in the right direction. I plan to snag an x Maxx in the future that was another reason for wanting a traxxas brand charger. Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[WickedFog]

There are much better chargers and much better batteries out there for a lot less money. But if easy is what you prefer, then the Traxxas will do ok. Just not my cup of tea. The only thing with having a non-proprietary charger is you would have to either buy an adaptor for the battery connector, buy batteries with the Traxxas plug, or solder different connectors onto your rigs, which since the other brands all come with various connectors on them anyway, this is what I do. If you only plan on owning Traxxas kits, then no biggie. But if you venture away from that brand you will find rigs have Deans, XT60/90, IC3/5, EC3/5, etc. So the first thing I do with any rig that doesn't comply with my OCD is install the connectors I use.

 

[Greywolf74]

Traxxas cahrgers are overpriced and not the best things around. Id look at getting a Hitec X2 AC Plus charger. Right now you can find em on black friday special for about $100

 

[ktm250]

There are much better chargers and much better batteries out there for a lot less money. But if easy is what you prefer, then the Traxxas will do ok. Just not my cup of tea. The only thing with having a non-proprietary charger is you would have to either buy an adaptor for the battery connector, buy batteries with the Traxxas plug, or solder different connectors onto your rigs, which since the other brands all come with various connectors on them anyway, this is what I do. If you only plan on owning Traxxas kits, then no biggie. But if you venture away from that brand you will find rigs have Deans, XT60/90, IC3/5, EC3/5, etc. So the first thing I do with any rig that doesn't comply with my OCD is install the connectors I use.

Okay so from my research it appears to me that the deans are adapter plugs, or am I wrong?

 

[Greywolf74]

Okay so from my research it appears to me that the deans are adapter plugs, or am I wrong?

Yes, Deans are a type of battery plug just like Traxxas, EC3/5, IC3/5, XT60/90. They are what I typically use on most of my rigs.

 

[ktm250]

Yes, Deans are a type of battery plug just like Traxxas, EC3/5, IC3/5, XT60/90. They are what I typically use on most of my rigs.

Okay I think I’m figuring it out. Would I be wise to go with that charger the other member suggested and if so what model? I’m noticing there is a couple power output options I would have to assume it will be how quickly the batteries charge? I am just looking for something that will cover all the electric models and I won’t need 2 different chargers.

 

[WickedFog]

Most hobby grade chargers will run off AC (wall outlet) or DC (12v/24v power supply like from a computer or purpose built) power. When running off AC power, the charger will have an output that is different from the DC output, hence the different output designations in the description for most chargers.

For just starting out, you will likely want a charger than can plug into both AC and DC, like the one Grey mentioned, and just use the AC plug to run off wall current. Later, if you get into bigger batteries, like for the X-Maxx, or 6S high mAh batteries, you can then grab a DC power supply and get better performance from your charger.

When you buy a charger, just note that you need a charge cable that plugs into that charger, like the banana plugs, or XT60 plugs, or whatever it uses (charger specific). On the other end of the cable it needs the appropriate connector to mate with your batteries. Some chargers come with a variety of cables, some just come with one and you need an adaptor cable for your batteries, and some come with no cables. Basically, just search Amazon or wherever for example "banana to XT60" or "XT60 to Deans" or "Deans to Traxxas".

And if you are unfamiliar with charging LiPo's, do yourself a favor and watch some videos on how to properly care for them. They are not just plug and play. They are dangerous if you are uneducated, but perfectly safe if you are familiar with how to use them.