What Battery Pack should I run?

[MotoGod]

OK so I'm having fun with the electric RC10T3 I salvaged together (and an Electric Rustler), but I do have a question. The RC10T3 has a Speed Gems 12T Motor in it. I'm using a Venom Racing 1800maH 6 cell pack in it, and I'm lucky if I get 10-12 min out of it. Is this normal? Do the electrics really only get that much time out of a pack? Or is it the pack not storing enough juice to run a 12T motor?

I picked up a cheapy Radio Shack 7.2V 2000maH NiCd battery pack and charger for $6 on eBay a few weeks back for my RotoStart and I tried that battery in here as well, and it lasts even shorter. Maybe 7-8 min of bashing around.

I have no problem heading out and buying a few new battery packs, I just want a guesstimate of how lo9ng these suckers *should* be running for. I'm not WFO the whole time, a good mix of 1/4 - full throttle though with some speed stints here and there.

I also have a Traxxas Stinger 20T motor (stock Rustler motor I think) and that one is WAY slower and still seems to eat batteries at a slightly slower rate, but not by much.

I really do like the electrics. Slap a battery in and head outside. No mess to clean when you're done and such, but if I have to bring 7 battery packs to last me an hour and a half....that's not as much fun. lol Fuel is easier to carry!

 

[RC Addict]

That sounds about the right run-time for 1800 mAh. I run 3600 right now and get about 20 minutes.

The NiCd may have built up a memory. They need to be fully discharged before charging.

P.S. I have a small AC/DC Peak charger and three batteries. I can run all day swapping and charging...

 

[tim-rachel]

i made a 1157 car light bulb to a conector to discharge that drains then pretty good i can get like 20 mins out of my stock rustler doing that

 

[MotoGod]

Hmmm. Well the Venom pack is brand spanking new....only charged twice by me. Ditto on the Radio Shack pack. I did just get this Pirahna Peak Charger.....so I'll need to look up some settings for it. I think the peak voltage is set to 10 or 11 on it...and I have yet to change it. lol Just changed the NiCd/NiMh setting and the battery size.

The batteries come out of the car pretty warm...is it safe to toss em right back on the charger? lol

 

[tim-rachel]

i have heard people say nit to and let them cool down but i always do it have not had a problem yet knock on wood lol

 

[Metalhead Matt]

No, it's not safe to charge warm or hot batteries. You'll ruin them quick. Better get the charge rate figured out, too. It's not only bad for the battery to charge it warm or with to much juice, it can be a fire hazard!

 

[MotoGod]

The batteries don't get hardly warm at all when charging. Maybe a few degrees warmer at the end, but still pretty cool to the touch. I think the Radio Shack pack gets 10X warmer using the charger they provided with it.

 

[Metalhead Matt]

I'm sure radio shack doesn't use the highest quality cells. The battery should always sit long enough after running to return to room or outside temp. Your really not even supposed to charge nimh's more than twice a day. Though I attribute this to people being impatient and charging them when they're warm. Then complaining to the manufacturer about bad performance.

 

[MotoGod]

I only have one NiMh battery pack at the moment and it's junk anyway...so the rest are all NiCds. I just read the manual for the charger and will make a slight adjustment to the peak setting, but looks like everything else is fine.