the 501/511 lipo list. - Comparisons

[Colinevan]

I know theres been a few threads on lipos,

But id like to know, which lipos fit the car, and whethere its worth getting a higher c rating etc.

So far, i think the followinf fit, but if anyone knows different, please post; -

Trackpower 3200 saddle . - direct fit, but need spacers under the posts

Demon 4200 35c saddles - not sure on these ones?

http://demonpowerproducts.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=4256

http://www.jespares.com/radio-controlled-models/electric-cars/electric-components/batteries/lipo-packs/gm-v-maxx-7.4v-4200mah-2s3p-saddle-lipo-pack-35c.html

http://www.jespares.com/radio-controlled-models/electric-cars/electric-components/batteries/lipo-packs/lrp-lipo-4800mah-40c-7.4v-hardcase-saddle-pack.html

http://www.jespares.com/radio-controlled-models/electric-cars/electric-components/batteries/lipo-packs/reedy-4200mah-35c-lipo-saddle-pack-efra-brca-approved.html

http://www.jespares.com/radio-controlled-models/electric-cars/electric-components/batteries/lipo-packs/speed-passion-4200mah-7.4v-30c-lipo-saddle-pack.html

Vampire lipos
http://www.vampire-racing.com/

Is there any that i should avoid or is there any , that get a deffo thumbs up.

Thanks

Col.

[Dyna]

The Vampire 4400's are great, last ages, punchy and easy to fit with room to spare in the 501x. They get my thumbs up :thumbsup:

[mendes]

Great,
i just had the same question...
The pack i have right now just died, ( cheap ebay saddle pack:thumbdown:)
But wanted to know about the intellects.
How is the fit and quality of these packs?

And how does the 6000mah fit? it won't under the topdeck but will it in some
other way...

Thx,
Miguel

[Piman]

I am using the LRP 4800 Lipos. Great packs, BRCA legal, fit perfectly with a small 3mm spacer under the battery posts. The cable sockets are slightly recessed so a cable with a Corally connector soldered on at 90deg fits perfectly under the top chassis brace. In addition the packs have the locating lugs on the bottom that fit into the cell cut outs in the chassis keeping the whole pack very secure.

Only issue is the cost.

James

[Colinevan]

I am using the LRP 4800 Lipos. Great packs, BRCA legal, fit perfectly with a small 3mm spacer under the battery posts. The cable sockets are slightly recessed so a cable with a Corally connector soldered on at 90deg fits perfectly under the top chassis brace. In addition the packs have the locating lugs on the bottom that fit into the cell cut outs in the chassis keeping the whole pack very secure.

Only issue is the cost.

James


Hmm the lrp does look good, cna i ask do you have a pic installed in the car showing how the wires are kept away from the belts etc.

Thanks

Col.

[MRD]

Here's my 501 with LRP 4800's

http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/mark_dyson/501xLipo01.jpg
http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/mark_dyson/501xLipo02.jpg
http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/mark_dyson/501xLipo03.jpg

Well recomended :thumbsup:

[Colinevan]

Cheers for that MRD, Dyna has also been in contact and he uses the vampire cells.

Hopefully some pics up showing them installed in a 501 as well.

If anyone else has lipos fitted, where by theyve had to modify the car or space them out, stick the pics on here if you like, as in the long run it may help others out.

The lrp cells look nice n easy because of the corally tube pos.

Thanks

Col.

[jhammond]

MRD, after seeing how neat those LRP's look, I'm really tempted to switch to Lipo in my 501x.

It just seems so much hassle. (Sell my Pulsar 2, NIMH cells and purchase new stuff. <I would want a Pulsar 3 and some LRP 4800's.) And being a student and all... Ha.

But then NIMH cells are looking a little archaic now.

Grrrr. Agonised by indecision.

Julius.

[pugs]

Colin, if you want a cheaper option try the ip4200(they are on the brca list) fit straight in the 501x, need to file the transmission centre for the 511, also need spacers under the posts like on mrd's car pictured above, you can pick them up brand new for £46 delivered from hong kong on a very well known auction site;) my oldest pack is nearly 2 years and is still mint!

[MRD]

I like my wires to be super neat and these lipo's make that easier. I used to run the Track Power 3200's and had to make my own battery posts and use rubber strips to stop the packs moving. With these its just a case of a 3mm spacer under the standard posts and thats it. Like Piman says, its the locators on the bottom of the packs that make the difference. No more rubbed belts. Its alot of cash, I bought two sets of 4800 40c saddles and two 5300 40c LRP Sticks which was near enough £400, BUT thats all my cars powered reliably for two seasons at least.

I wouldn't bother with a Pulsar 3 tho, I use two Propeak Sigma EQ's. Its 12/240v, 6amp max charge, They ballance charge, do all the batterys out at the mo plus the new LiFe type, add to that I only paid £65 for one new. Much better vaue than the 12v only, none ballancing £150 Pulsar 3 ;).

[Colinevan]

Hmmm decision decisions lol..

See i want a lipo that fits and doesn't have nasty corally plugs that have to be soldered at mad angles so that they fit in the car to avoid the belts etc.

From what iv been advised, they're all prob made by the same battery manufacturer anyways, its whether i plump for a cheaper set with a lower c rating or go for a more expensive set like the lrp with a higher c rating that may be better in long run ( note the word may lol ). Im a firm believer in buy cheap buy twice, but so far, from what i gather all the cheaper lipo cells all seem to get the thumbs up. I just want something that will fit without having to go anywhere near a dremel, and to look neatish.

Thanks guys.

Col.

[MRD]

Colin, if you want a cheaper option try the ip4200(they are on the brca list) fit straight in the 501x, need to file the transmission centre for the 511, also need spacers under the posts like on mrd's car pictured above, you can pick them up brand new for £46 delivered from hong kong on a very well known auction site;) my oldest pack is nearly 2 years and is still mint!

http://www.feralbatteries.com.au/images/products/IP420030CSADDLE.jpg

Thats a good cheap alternative to the LRP's. They're 30c which is still plenty of punch. Ive found the 40c's are fast but are really knocking the crap out of my speedo's :bored:.

[pugs]

Thats the ones MRD, there actually rated at 30c+;)

[Colinevan]

Are the locators part of the plastic case, or were they stuck on afterwards like you do with a cat sx. Any pics to show the underside at all, pretty please lol.

And for versatility, how easy would they fit in a t4 and madrat, bearing in mind the locators etc.

Thanks

Col.:thumbsup:

Or i could just buy a cheaper set like the ones above and buy another stick pack lipo for the t4/ madrat etc.

Spend that money as they say ha ha.

I like my wires to be super neat and these lipo's make that easier. I used to run the Track Power 3200's and had to make my own battery posts and use rubber strips to stop the packs moving. With these its just a case of a 3mm spacer under the standard posts and thats it. Like Piman says, its the locators on the bottom of the packs that make the difference. No more rubbed belts. Its alot of cash, I bought two sets of 4800 40c saddles and two 5300 40c LRP Sticks which was near enough £400, BUT thats all my cars powered reliably for two seasons at least.

I wouldn't bother with a Pulsar 3 tho, I use two Propeak Sigma EQ's. Its 12/240v, 6amp max charge, They ballance charge, do all the batterys out at the mo plus the new LiFe type, add to that I only paid £65 for one new. Much better vaue than the 12v only, none ballancing £150 Pulsar 3 ;).

[Colinevan]

Good point about killing the speedo actually lol.

I currently use ep 4200 that are 2 seasons old and wasnt used for a whole 12 months lol, i re charged and cycled them yesterday as they were not holding capacity, but after 3 charges.. managed to charge at 4.9amps and they peaked at 9.2v and were warm to touch. I think just lacking a little punch , but the lipos will blow them into the weeds.

http://www.feralbatteries.com.au/images/products/IP420030CSADDLE.jpg

Thats a good cheap alternative to the LRP's. They're 30c which is still plenty of punch. Ive found the 40c's are fast but are really knocking the crap out of my speedo's :bored:.

[MRD]

Not sure about the IB's but the LRP's have a a gap in the locators so if you turn them upside down in cars such as the B4 the battery strap fits flat on the cells. Two saddles are the same length as a stick so you can use them in touring cars and such. Here's a few pics to show what I mean :D.

http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/mark_dyson/Lipo01.jpg
http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/mark_dyson/Lipo03.jpg
http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/mark_dyson/Lipo04.jpg
http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/mark_dyson/Lipo02.jpg

Looking back I could have managed with just two sets of saddles but its good to spread the use over a few lipo's.

[Colinevan]

Right I see, so the tubes are right the way through to the bottom so you can use them in other cars perfecto lol. Hmm it's prob gonna be lrp that I plump for. It's just a shame they're so expensive..

I'll see how the vampires look in the car , but I reckon it's going to be these.

Thanks once again.


Col

[Dyna]

Here you go Col, ask and you shall recieve.... :)

I reckon it comes down to how much dosh you got to play with tbh. Those LRPs look damn fine if you ask me, and if you can afford it they look your best bet.

The Intellects are great value mind, and at 45 quid half the price of the LRP's. The Vamps like mine about 60 quid, but probably little or no better than the Intellects - at least i doubt many of us would tell the difference if we are being honest.

Anyway, pics below. Sorry about the state of the car, really needs another rebuild.... :lol:

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd257/dynastorm/501x/Vamp001.jpg

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd257/dynastorm/501x/Vamp006.jpg

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd257/dynastorm/501x/Vamp008.jpg

Dyna

[Colinevan]

Just an update guys, many thanks for the pics and recommendations....

In the end, i thought sod it and got a set of lrp's :thumbsup:

Just need to re wire the speedo, shim the battery posts up a bit and im away.

Many thanks. :lol:

[djmcnz]

Just an update guys, many thanks for the pics and recommendations....

In the end, i thought sod it and got a set of lrp's :thumbsup:

Just need to re wire the speedo, shim the battery posts up a bit and im away.

Many thanks. :lol:

Hmmm... your money but not a wise choice IMHO. I'm an LRP fan but those packs are just way too expensive for what you get. Generally LiPo hard cases are a rip off. The Intellects pictured above have the same internals as most hard packs out there and are the "correct" price for what you get.

The Intellect's fit into the 511 without much drama. You need to shave about 0.4mm from the leading inside edge of the case to clear the rear bulkhead and add a 3mm spacer to the battery posts. The alternative is to fit a cradle such as the ones available on this site that move the batteries back a little. This removes the need to shave and space... and there's more protection from lateral movement with the cradles.

Detailed photos here: http://www.oople.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29882

Edit: You'll need to use 90 degree 4mm battery connectors to clear the body - LRP make a deens pigtail for this.

[Colinevan]

I chose the lrp's as the lugs secure the batts to the chassis a1, without any movement at all. Theyre almost solid without putting the straps on the top lol. I didnt particularly want to have to mod the car either. I dont own a dremel ( as i dont own an xfactory car yet miiiiiaaaaaoooowwwww lol ) and wanted something that just goes in.

Theyre also slightly more punch at 40c, so will be ace with my 2wd running a low 7.5 etc, I got them at a good price £90 locally, so i didnt have to pay postage either, so all in all the lipos fit with only the spacers under the posts.
Iv been advised not to buy anything like the brass trays as they increase c of g, so chose this route as i think it looks neatest as well.

Thanks anyways, but if this thread is kept alive, im sure it will assist others who want to lipo up.

Col.:thumbsup:



Hmmm... your money but not a wise choice IMHO. I'm an LRP fan but those packs are just way too expensive for what you get. Generally LiPo hard cases are a rip off. The Intellects pictured above have the same internals as most hard packs out there and are the "correct" price for what you get.

The Intellect's fit into the 511 without much drama. You need to shave about 0.4mm from the leading inside edge of the case to clear the rear bulkhead and add a 3mm spacer to the battery posts. The alternative is to fit a cradle such as the ones available on this site that move the batteries back a little. This removes the need to shave and space... and there's more protection from lateral movement with the cradles.

Detailed photos here: http://www.oople.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29882

Edit: You'll need to use 90 degree 4mm battery connectors to clear the body - LRP make a deens pigtail for this.

[djmcnz]

I'm confused - you started this thread talking about 501X/511's and now you're talking about a 2WD? My comments about the batterys was for the 4WD 511 only... YMMV with other cars.

Just for clarity:

You do not need to modify the 511 chassis/bulkheads to fit the IP hard case saddle LiPo's.

Fredriks cradles are carbon fibre, and do not affect roll centre or centre of gravity by themselves. They do however move the battery back a little which has a positive effect on pitch and yaw (in my brief experience).

[Colinevan]

Ah , i mis read what you said, its the battery case that needs a slight shave...

The cells are predominantly for use in a 501, however it may sometime crop us where by i can also use them in my madrat ot the T4 ( these usually have a trakpower 4900 stick under normal use ).

I was told not to bother with the cradles , i was on about the brass ones at the time originally for a b44, by some more experienced uk drivers who provide input direct to tamiya. My car itself was owned by such a person and has various parts fitted that are not available to purchase, such as 11 deg castor blocks ( alloy ), chassis with cells further back, upper arms mounts that already include the spacers ( extra material machined ) etc. among other things, that i would prob not even notice the difference on lol :lol:.

Because ther knowledge on the car far exceeds mine, i just went with there advice.

[5POINTSTAR]

Thanks for the pics, I switched to lipo but have yet to wire up the IP 4200 saddles in my 501X. I cannot find 90 degree battery connectors to solder the ESC leads and jump wire :mad:. Help?