Traxxas batteries in arma kraton

[dshaf]

Looking at purchasing a used kraton tomorrow, plan on getting correct lipo plug batteries very soon if I buy the truck. Would my traxxas 2s/3s lipo batteries be safe to use with an adaptor? I see people say no bc arma recommends 35c minimum, but would it harm anything for just a handful of runs on them and not constant rippling on the truck?

 

[DavidB1126]

I personally don't like to run adapters as it adds heat and resistance. I prefer direct connection. If you want to use them long term, it would be best to solder a Traxxas plug on the ESC.

 

[dshaf]

I will for sure buy the correct batteries. Just wondering if it would be fine for a week or so running on this setup until I get new batteries

 

[DavidB1126]

Yeah should be fine just to get it running.

Regarding the battery c thing, I don't specialize in that area but @WickedFog and @bill_delong does.

 

[dshaf]

Cool. Yeah, just want to test the truck on traxxas batt/ adaptors and maybe a handful of runs until I buy correct ones

What's the worst that could happen using adaptors? Just melt the plugs, or would it risk causing batteries to catch fire or damage motor/esc? Just curious

 

[WickedFog]

6s Kraton? If so, it is a heavy power hungry monster. I personally wouldn't run adapters on ours. Will it be ok? Probably. But I would give it a few quick blasts then check the temps of the connectors and batteries.

 

[332_RC]

I've had the adapter connectors come loose during bashing. But for a few sessions to get going you'll be fine.

 

[dshaf]

Thanks, I'll keep a close eye on connectors/ batteries until I get the proper setup

 

[Zerksies]

I'm not a fan of adapters, But the "C" rating on all traxxas batteries is not enough. Arrma from what i have seen is asking for 50C minimum. I'm not even sure if the ESC will power up. I would think it should.

 

[332_RC]

Is this Kraton a 4s or 6s?

 

[dshaf]

Kraton 6s. As long as it won't risk harming motor/esc I'll run it with adaptor until I get batteries. If there's chance of burning up the esc powering it up I won't chance it though

 

[332_RC]

My manual from my Notorious 6s says 50c 5000mah minimum. I don't know the downside of running less than that. K6 & N6 have same Firma 150a ESC. I think it's a LVC setting issue.

https://www.arrmaforum.com/threads/50c-100c-does-it-matter.19898/

 

[Weezel]

Powering up the truck with battery adapters isn't going to burn anything up.

They aren't ideal to use on something that is amp hungry. Running adapters is like running weak batteries. You can use the adapters to test the truck out.

I wouldn't use them long term or when you want to hammer down on the throttle constantly.

 

[Mrgoodwrench35]

I wouldn't do it at all other than to power it up and test it but that's just me being anal. Adapters cause excessive resistance in the supply circuit to the esc. That resistance causes voltage drop. Too much voltage drop can damage the esc, wiring, and lipo's. It's no different than having a cold solder joint.

 

[WickedFog]

Kraton 6s. As long as it won't risk harming motor/esc I'll run it with adaptor until I get batteries. If there's chance of burning up the esc powering it up I won't chance it though

It's not going to hurt your ESC. But if your batteries are not able to deliver the amperage your motor is pulling, the batteries are going to struggle to keep up, causing them to get hot. When LiPo batteries get hot, the chances of them venting and turning your RC into a puddle of molten plastic go up exponentually. The adapters will also create a bottleneck, causing them to overheat. If they melt and the two discharge cables come into contact with each other, out comes the 3500°F flames from the battery. That's why I said if you run it, don't run it very long without checking the battery and connector/cable temps.

So what I'm saying is, don't expect those batteries with adapters to allow you to put the body on and go out and bash. It's not advisable. But if you just want to see if the truck runs ok, that should be fine. Just be careful with the temps. Like run it 40 feet and back and check things out and repeat.

 

[Weezel]

Also using cheap quality adapters will exacerbate the bottleneck of voltage and amperage. Another side affect of adapters is the LVC will probably be activated prematurely due to the voltage drop.

I've used adapters before when I had different connectors on my trucks. I went easy without trying to go all out. I kept an eye on the temps and didn't have any problems.

 

[easy rider]

Looking at purchasing a used kraton tomorrow, plan on getting correct lipo plug batteries very soon if I buy the truck. Would my traxxas 2s/3s lipo batteries be safe to use with an adaptor? I see people say no bc arma recommends 35c minimum, but would it harm anything for just a handful of runs on them and not constant rippling on the truck?

Why chance it bro? It’d simply not be worth it to me. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[Rowdyray]

All good advice given so far.

With that said.....I would highly recommend you show up, if meeting in person, with your batteries and adapters. Some sellers are dishonest. They'll say they don't have a battery, or it's not charged. That should raise a red flag. Many times there's something wrong and they don't want you to figure it out until after the sale. Not saying all. An honest seller will have a charged battery ready for you to test it out.

My family and friends buy a fair number of used RC's. We're not made out of money. I've accumulated a bag of adapters now. Easy enough to bring them with and several batteries. The dishonest sellers freak out. If it checks out, we change the connector on the ESC to match the batteries we own. Or buy batteries to match the ESC. Adapters are cheap and available at the LHS. They've saved us a bunch of time and money. But, we don't run them permanently.

Good luck with your purchase. Hope it works out.

 

[Ramp addict]

If they can power an E-Revo they can power a Kraton. First run I would keep an eye on battery and plug temps. The only plug I've ever melted was a Traxxas so keep an eye on them.

 

[dshaf]

Picked it up today and few test runs she's running great, correct lipo batteries on the way. Shocked how much torque this thing has, and that's only on 2-2s traxxas lipos. Think I got quite a good deal for $300 and no repairs needed