Lead Weight For Lipo

[Rich D]

Hi Folks

im after some lead sheet to put under my lipo packs in my b44 and b4 please

Can anyone help ? Dont mind paying at all :thumbsup:

Cheers

[peetbee]

Try down your local tyre place, I just said it was for an rc model and they gave me a few strips of the stuff.

[jim76]

get down your local kwikfit and ask for some alloy wheel balancing weights. sticky back strips of lead. they will normally bung you a couple of strips for nothing, well, at least my local one did!

[DCM]

Just look out for a Scrappies van, then when he isn't looking, jump in the back and pinch some lead flashing that he has pinched off someones roof.... :P

[mark christopher]

you need the lead flashing, i carnt get hold of any more buy ask local builder etc

[frogger]

I actually gone and bought a whole roll of flashing ($$$ :o) and I've made cuts for my B4 and B44. I can do some cuts and sell them but have no idea what to charge. £5+postage/car? I'll make them bigger thane needed so you can do your own trimming. PM me if interested.:)

The one in my B4 is pretty much spot on 125gr and is nice and flat sitting under the battery so the weight is nice and low. :thumbsup:

[ashleyb4]

I dont use any weight in my cr with lipo If lipo gets voted in next year ifor one will be voting for the weights to be reduced.

A

[Lee]

Does that mean you will propose it as well ash?

I dont think people are weighing the cars up to the weight limit ash, its probably to get the feel of the car the same so the suspension will work as it does with the nimh

[super__dan]

Ash, If lipo is allowed, I don't see any reason to bother changing the weight limit, especially as lowering it might penalise people who haven't/can't afford to to make the change straight away. I think it should remain as is.

[DCM]

running the B4 with LiPo makes it even more skittish than it is, the decrease in weight is a disadvantage the way I see it.

[burgie]

I dont use any weight in my cr with lipo If lipo gets voted in next year ifor one will be voting for the weights to be reduced.
A

:eh?: Thats just bonkers.

[Chrislong]

The weight limit has got to stay the same, if not be increased!

If Trish is listening/reading, I know he is able to make some brass pads to fit under the Lipo. This is what I'll be using when I need to, will look very nice. ;)

Although stick back lead (wheel weights) are likely to be the cheapest way.

[Bungleaio]

I went to a couple of my local tyre fitters and they wouldn't even sell me some of the stick on weights let alone give them to me, the stingey gets.

I've just bought a few of these http://www.modelhelicopters.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2emodelhelico pters%2eco%2euk%2facatalog%2fVarAccs_CenturyAccs%2 ehtml&WD=stick%20weight&SHOP=%20&PN=VarAccs_JP%2ehtml%23a5508490#a5508490

[mark christopher]

I went to a couple of my local tyre fitters and they wouldn't even sell me some of the stick on weights let alone give them to me, the stingey gets.

I've just bought a few of these http://www.modelhelicopters.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2emodelhelico pters%2eco%2euk%2facatalog%2fVarAccs_CenturyAccs%2 ehtml&WD=stick%20weight&SHOP=%20&PN=VarAccs_JP%2ehtml%23a5508490#a5508490


they aint cheap no more there no longer lead, so mor bulk for the same weight

[mark christopher]

running the B4 with LiPo makes it even more skittish than it is, the decrease in weight is a disadvantage the way I see it.
until some one takes time to work out a set up for a lighter car!

[SHY]

until some one takes time to work out a set up for a lighter car!

We finally agree on something! :D

Maybe it's time for softer springs than what's available now?

IMHO weight DISTRIBUTION is paramount. TOTAL weight should always be as low as possible. And as much downforce as you can get.

[Lee]

IMHO weight DISTRIBUTION is paramount. TOTAL weight should always be as low as possible.


Agreed :thumbsup:

[ashleyb4]

I do add a littlebit of weight but only about 20 grams to the front of the car i added the full weight to bring itb ack up to leagal weight and it wasnt nice to drive. Put my nimh in with the same setup etc its nice but adding weight to lipo makes it horrible if we dont lower the weight of the cars there is no point what so ever in going lipo.

A

[Lee]

So its actually the make up of the cell that makes the car handle differently rather than the weight of the cells in the car, interesting :thumbsup:

When you brought the car back up to weight, you didnt stick the weights all over the bodyshell did you?

[ashleyb4]

No im not a retard like you lee i put it in strips across my battery tray bellow my lipo.

A

[mark christopher]

I do add a littlebit of weight but only about 20 grams to the front of the car i added the full weight to bring itb ack up to leagal weight and it wasnt nice to drive. Put my nimh in with the same setup etc its nice but adding weight to lipo makes it horrible if we dont lower the weight of the cars there is no point what so ever in going lipo.

A
sorry ash but thats total crap

what you have said there is your car was nice to drive before you went to lipo....................you put lipo in (lightening the car) and it was the same, then you added weight and it was worse, even though your prob running the same weight as nimh set up?

as for the point of going lipo

one or two packs
top up, no discharge/equalize/etc
same performance run after run

come on ash, think before you post fella!!

[SHY]

3,842 vs. 3,931... I have a sneaky feeling this is really all about being the #1 poster... :D

[ashleyb4]

Well i for one will be preposing lipo next year and i will also prepose that the weight limit is bought down. As as you all say the car should handel better with the extra weight so if i run a lighter car ill have a disadvantage. Lets not get into the weight/handelling debate

A

[mark christopher]

Well i for one will be preposing lipo next year and i will also prepose that the weight limit is bought down. As as you all say the car should handel better with the extra weight so if i run a lighter car ill have a disadvantage. Lets not get into the weight/handelling debate

A
no ash were saying current set ups are for a heavy car, making that car lighter in the centre of its chassis will alter its handling nd once folk try new set ups, then a lighter car should be faster, after all how many 1:1 classes add loads of weight to gain performance?

[frogger]

after all how many 1:1 classes add loads of weight to gain performance?

But they don't drive massively over powered cars like we do. If they'd all strap jet engines to their cars it would be a differents tory :D You need to keep the wheels on the ground for the motor to make it go fast. :woot:

[Lee]

im not a retard

Who told you that :confused:

[mark christopher]

But they don't drive massively over powered cars like we do. If they'd all strap jet engines to their cars it would be a differents tory :D You need to keep the wheels on the ground for the motor to make it go fast. :woot:

super bikes dont have high power to weight ratio?
f1 dont have enough power?
are you serious? your saying there not over powered and adding weight will help them?

if the car is lighter, the solution is not to ad weight but make the suspensiion suppler to ride the bumps and put the tyres in contact with the track

[mark christopher]

Who told you that :confused:
his mummy:D

[Lee]

:thumbsup:


Maybe its time for a new shock absorber :o

[Kopite]

If you have a lighter car, your setup has to be really really spot on, whereras if you have a heavier car, your setup doesn't have to be quite so perfect for it to get round (plus a heavier car seems to grip better in loose or wet conditions). This is what i've found with gaining and losing weight on the car (after trying to shed loads of weight on my cars, then going back to adding weights again)

i therefore will be running an absolute brick from now on :woot:

but the point is, with the weight loss of running LIPO, i would defo add weight to bring it up to the weight it was with NiMH (especially in 2wd)

bringing the weight limit down would be like pissing into the wind, or having sex with a diseased prostitute :thumbdown:

[Lee]

having sex with a diseased prostitute :thumbdown:

You say that like its a bad thing :o

[ashleyb4]

How would you know what my car handelled like one none of you drive a cr and none od you have driven a cr with lipo ive done 7 or 8 club meetings running my lipo in my cr and i preffered the feel of the car when it only had a very small ammount of weight and i was quicker to.

A

[ashleyb4]

Now let me have my opnion and my say. I pay my BRCA membership fee just like everyone else and im intitled to my say.

A

[Cockerill]

none of you drive a cr and none of you have driven a cr with lipo

I've done both and the X6 is far better :thumbsup:

Ash, will you be at the BRCA AGM this year?

I agree with most that the weight limit should not be reduced. It also needs to be a worldwide change, we don't really want to be running to different weight limits to Europe and the rest of the world. I say keep it as is and let people run their cars how they like, even with Lipo I think most would struggle to get under the current weight limits.

[Lee]

Ash, you dont pay your brca so you can post on oOple :woot:

Your so retarded its funny :woot:

[Bungleaio]

I'm using Lipo exclusively and RC is a lot better for it in my opinion, anyway in my touring car I needed to add about 240g to one side of it just to get it to balance on its left/right axis, as it happenes that took it up to the 1500g min weight limit. So in effect I didn't actually add any weight to the car, I only replaced the weight that was lost from changing cells. If the weight limit was reduced this wouldn't make any difference to me as the car isn't setup for cells in a saddle formation but if it was then there would still need to be a certain amount of weight added to balance it on the front/rear axis. So personally I'm happy with the current weight limits but I do think lipo should be made legal in all classes as I'd love to do some of the off road regionals next year.

[super__dan]

I'm not getting on the back of this for the sake of bashing Ash, but Ash, you're 'proposal' seems to be what's best for you, not for everyone including those not able to buy Lipo straight off (if even legalised).

I won't be at the AGM becasue I'm at Northy's daughters Christening but if you propose the idea I hope it doesn't get voted in.

[Tom3012]

Having helped in scrutineering at the Southport National I can remember only one car in 2wd that was anything near the minimum weight (+50g). So i can't see what all the fuss is about. Lipo's might let people get down to near the current minimum. Then add weight where its needed to balance the car.....


Regards,

Ian

[ashleyb4]

northy's monkey spanker was something like 3g under at bury last year :p

A

[Cockerill]

I don't think so Ash otherwise he wouldn't have been able to race it!

[jim76]

Ash, will you be at the BRCA AGM this year?


please please please don't let him in! We'll all have to run underweight 3 wheelers and drive backwards if he gets any proposals through!

[Rich D]

Thanks for the replies fellas - Frogger you have PM mate :thumbsup:

[OldTimer]

I have done a lot of testing with lipos, and to be honest the cars feel better running on the minimum weight, of course the results maybe different with different makes of car, but the people that have used my cars with lipos in agree they handle very well.

[ashleyb4]

He had to run back and get a piece of lead.

A

[ashleyb4]

Im hoping to be at the agm.

Andmy mum says lee go get a life you sad little man.

A

[PaulRotheram]

sorry to drag this out.. but surely it dosnt matter if the weight limit is reduced? people can still run 'normal - heavy' cars if they wish as itl be over weight. either way im not fussed, just pointing out the obvious!

[Chrislong]

There is a good point already said, the current weight limit is worldwide, lets not change it.

Both my cars with Nimh's are very over weight. Both of them with Lipo (3200 stick in 2wd, 3200 saddle in 4wd) were very under weight. For the Belgium GP I weighted them up and I honestly felt no difference for it - I just spread the weight to balance the chassis.

Even with keeping the current weight (which we should), Lipo has an advantage over cells in that Lipo can mean a car runs under weight and choose lead placement, whereas a Nimh car is usually well over weight. This is why I mention increasing the weight limit - but I now think keeping that limit global is most important.

Ash mate, I like you, but you do need to think a lot more about your posts. You go through phases of being more mature and then go back to completely random (yet be frustrating adament that you are right), for your own sake mate do see reason in what we all reply to you with, otherwise we'll just get sick of correcting you and call you a retard - like Lee has done.

Chris

[Lee]

As as you all say the car should handel better with the extra weight
A


Ash, leave your mum out of this we finished ages ago:woot:

I am sorry for abusing you, i didnt realise it was a mental issue and you have some sort of typing impediment, i can tell from the stutter in the quote above :woot::thumbsup:

[MK999]

sorry to drag this out.. but surely it dosnt matter if the weight limit is reduced? people can still run 'normal - heavy' cars if they wish as itl be over weight. either way im not fussed, just pointing out the obvious!

but after set up changes the lighter cars are bound to be faster once suspension is working properly under them, making ni-mh setups slower and effectively obsolete, forcing people to buy li-po and pushing up costs, which is one of the main attractions of the 10th off road class for many

[OldTimer]

I think you will find lipos will reduce costs not push them ;)

[MK999]

I don't have lipos, I have Ni-MH batteries, to run Ni-Mh currently costs me nothing, having to buy lipo would cost me around £150 in battery+charger, which is what I meant it by it increasing costs :p

[OldTimer]

Trakpower 3200 lipo stick or saddle £45, trakpower charger £38 total = £83

3 packs of Orion SHO 4200 @ £57 (maybe £60 with bat bars etc) = £171.00 (£180)

There is a good chance that you will replace cells over the winter for the new season, unless you are using some GP3700, so you can see how it reduces your costs ;)

[Gayo]

Setup-wise, I think that lighter cars need slimmer tyres. Less contact patch in order to have more pressure on the pins/spikes. :eh?:

[jono83]

sorry to drag this out.. but surely it dosnt matter if the weight limit is reduced? people can still run 'normal - heavy' cars if they wish as itl be over weight. either way im not fussed, just pointing out the obvious!
lol enough said !

[DCM]

Definately an interesting thread (so as much as it is fun, lets leave the Ash bashing out of it)

The way I see it at the moment, with the current tyres and car designs, they produce the grip mechanicaly with the aide of the weight, I know my 4wd rides better with Nims, but there is less strain and wear on LiPo.

I think there needs to be a setup change in 4wd, but in 2wd, I think there will be a re-think to produce the rear end grip consistantly.

[SlowOne]

Steady chaps, take a breath... :Dsuper bikes dont have high power to weight ratio?
f1 dont have enough power?
are you serious? your saying there not over powered and adding weight will help them?
Most weight limits on full-size cars are to restrict costs, not provide power-to-weight ratios. The 'bike analogy works to a point, but what we're saying Mark is that a 2WD car on the weight limit is the equivalent of a Rallycross car (1000bhp) weighing 150kg!!

If you have a lighter car, your setup has to be really really spot on, whereras if you have a heavier car, your setup doesn't have to be quite so perfect for it to get round (plus a heavier car seems to grip better in loose or wet conditions). This is what i've found with gaining and losing weight on the car (after trying to shed loads of weight on my cars, then going back to adding weights again)

i therefore will be running an absolute brick from now on :woot:

but the point is, with the weight loss of running LIPO, i would defo add weight to bring it up to the weight it was with NiMH (especially in 2wd)

bringing the weight limit down would be like pissing into the wind, or having sex with a diseased prostitute :thumbdown:If you don't adjust the suspension settings and the tyres, then you'll have to add weight. If you do both these things then the lighter car will be faster.

I've done both and the X6 is far better :thumbsup:

Ash, will you be at the BRCA AGM this year?

I agree with most that the weight limit should not be reduced. It also needs to be a worldwide change, we don't really want to be running to different weight limits to Europe and the rest of the world. I say keep it as is and let people run their cars how they like, even with Lipo I think most would struggle to get under the current weight limits.The Worldwide point is a good one, and we need to ensure that the weight limit proposal is put to EFRA next week for inclusion in this year's AGM. What's the new weight limit we need?

Even with keeping the current weight (which we should), Lipo has an advantage over cells in that Lipo can mean a car runs under weight and choose lead placement, whereas a Nimh car is usually well over weight. This is why I mention increasing the weight limit - but I now think keeping that limit global is most important.
ChrisThat's the point - if you can choose where to put the weight, then you really are at an advantage...

I think you will find lipos will reduce costs not push them ;)

I don't have lipos, I have Ni-MH batteries, to run Ni-Mh currently costs me nothing, having to buy lipo would cost me around £150 in battery+charger, which is what I meant it by it increasing costs :pGimme your coats, chaps, I'll hold them while you slug it out. If Mark Christopher gets into the ring, run away - he's a big bloke!! :D :D

It's like watching repeats of Top Gear on Dave - you've seen them all before but there is this morbid fascination - as you guys follow the same arguments and good/bad arguments that riddled TC for two years. The funniest bit is that you're all chasing obsolete technology. The future is not in LiPo it is in the LiFePo4 cells currently sold by A123. Costs less, charges faster, lasts longer, much safer, much more robust, and provides a voltage that every electric class can use.

[Lee]

The funniest bit is that you're all chasing obsolete technology. The future is not in LiPo it is in the LiFePo4 cells currently sold by A123. Costs less, charges faster, lasts longer, much safer, much more robust, and provides a voltage that every electric class can use.

Totally agree, my feeling is that lipo will not be voted in but the A123 cells will be the next type of cells we jump too ;)

[mark christopher]

The future is not in LiPo it is in the LiFePo4 cells currently sold by A123. Costs less, charges faster, lasts longer, much safer, much more robust, and provides a voltage that every electric class can use.
go on then how can every electric class use them in the voltages they say they are on thier site?

http://www.a123racing.com/html/racingPacks.html

i fail to find any classes that run 3.3v 6.6v or 9.9 volt??

[jim76]

just what i thought. offroad could use the 6.6v packs i guess, but everyone would need to fit 4.5 motors or maybe even faster

[mark christopher]

just what i thought. offroad could use the 6.6v packs i guess, but everyone would need to fit 4.5 motors or maybe even faster
which would make it dearer...................... defo need another charger, diff mores to cope with lower voltages ie 4.5 3.5

[Cockerill]

The Worldwide point is a good one, and we need to ensure that the weight limit proposal is put to EFRA next week for inclusion in this year's AGM. What's the new weight limit we need?

Why do we need to change the weight limit? We could keep the one we have as it has been fine for the last 10+(?) years and we've had plenty of changes in equipment and materials (Nicad-NiMH, Brushed-Brushless, 40MHz-2.4GHz, Plastic-Carbon Fibre).

The funniest bit is that you're all chasing obsolete technology. The future is not in LiPo it is in the LiFePo4 cells currently sold by A123. Costs less, charges faster, lasts longer, much safer, much more robust, and provides a voltage that every electric class can use.

If A123 is the cell we should all be using, why aren't we? It's alright saying it's the future, but in a couple of years there will probably be a 'new' technology that we should wait for, but wait that will be superseded again so we should why for the 'newer' one, and hence we will always be on NiMH cells.

Lipo was the 'new' technology a couple of years ago for cars, it's now in mainstream-ish use and has got to a stage where it is safe (hard case) and the right size to drop in to 99% of cars.

At the minute Lipo is (over NiMH) everything you mention A123 is, so why not use that whilst we can, it's got to be better than NiMH. Then when A123 become an option for cars and people are using it we can look at changing the rules for that.

Or maybe we should wait for hydrogen power to come to our cars, as that is clearly the future.

[SHY]

Spot on Cockerill! :thumbsup:

BetaMax, 2000, MiniDisc etc. were surely great products... better than what became de facto... but you gotta adopt what's here NOW... There will always be progress! :D

[Northy]

I did a little reading on the A123 cells, they are spec'ed differently in terms of voltage, they are the charging voltage, so may actually be the correct voltages (within reason) for our use.

HOWEVER, currently they are MASSIVE! They would not easily fit in any of our cars.

G

[stefke]

I did a little reading on the A123 cells, they are spec'ed differently in terms of voltage, they are the charging voltage, so may actually be the correct voltages (within reason) for our use.

HOWEVER, currently they are MASSIVE! They would not easily fit in any of our cars.

G

They fit a saddle pack car just fine in a 2x2 configuration.

[Lee]

Spot on Cockerill! :thumbsup:



Tut Tut Tut I think you will find its Multiple European A finalist Tom Cockerill :woot::p

G,

I have a source who says that these a123 cells are getting smaller, much smaller ;)

[Northy]

Tut Tut Tut I think you will find its Multiple European A finalist Tom Cockerill :woot::p

G,

I have a source who says that these a123 cells are getting smaller, much smaller ;)

Speak to me! :D

[BRS]

I dont do electric racing but had a right laugh reading this thread.

Good stuff... how many of you would let your girlfriend read this stuff if you have one?

[Lee]

Yeah your girlfriend must be well impressed when you show her your new piston liner.

Feel that compression baby oooohhh :p:p:woot:

[BRS]

Pot.... & Kettle eh hahaha thats a good point they're not to interested in seeing how you made a special thingymebob for the "toy car" are they

[MK999]

Trakpower 3200 lipo stick or saddle £45, trakpower charger £38 total = £83

3 packs of Orion SHO 4200 @ £57 (maybe £60 with bat bars etc) = £171.00 (£180)

There is a good chance that you will replace cells over the winter for the new season, unless you are using some GP3700, so you can see how it reduces your costs ;)

GP3700's would be me yes :p I know that li-po to buy as a set up is cheaper, but disadvantaging those that still run ni-mh by changing the weight limits is not the way forward, I would think most people if they knew that li-po was being brought in slowly would definitely change come the time for new batteries, I know that I will be looking at it very closely when the time comes to buy new batteries.

Maybe I'm in a very unique situation with batteries that would last long enough for it to work out cheaper in that short run, but a changing weight limit would almost definitely be an extra cost in terms of having to buy li-po's instead of running my current ni-mh's, as soon as most of the people racing are using li-po's tho, definitely all for it :)

[OldTimer]

I cannot see any need to change weight limits ;) you can get a ni-mh powered car close to the minimum limit if you really want to.

[MK999]

Well that was what my comment on it increasing costs (in the short term at least) was related to, the introduction of li-po is the obvious way forward for the sport :)

[SlowOne]

which would make it dearer...................... defo need another charger, diff mores to cope with lower voltages ie 4.5 3.5ROFLMAO - this is exactly the argument I put when you were banging the LiPo drum a couple of year's back. Now the tables have turned, eh??!!! :D :D :D

2 cells will make 12th and Oval, and will equal 5-cell touring. Make the Spec motor a 9.5 and it works there, and make the motor used in Off-Road a 4.5 or 3.5 and it works there.

The problem with LiPo is that at 7.4v it is burning motors out in TC Spec (ask anyone who tries to be competitive) and at 3.7v it doesn't suit anyone else. LiPo are volatile, can't be charged in 15 mins (and you were the one wanting convenience and lower numbers of batteries to carry around) doesn't deliver the amps unless you have more capacity than you need, and requires an investment in new springs, oils, suspension settings and tyres to use the lower weight limit.

Let me see now, I could invest in all that, and probably a new car, or I could buy one pack and a charger for under 100 notes and drive all day - it's a toughie!! :)

Sorry Mark, but you are now the person who does not want to move with the times - never thought I'd say that!! The future is LiFePo4!! :thumbsup:

[Cockerill]

requires an investment in new springs, oils, suspension settings and tyres to use the lower weight limit.

What lower weight limit? I thought we had discussed this and 99% of people decided it was better to keep the current limit :bored:

What I am saying is yes LiFePo4 MIGHT be the future but it isn't at the minute. Right now Lipo is the future as it has been proven to work in RC Cars.

Just like brushless was the future (and used) for at least 1 season before it came legal.

There is no point missing Lipo out as that means another 2/3 seasons of NiMh with at least 3/4 packs a season, when you can run on 1 Lipo pack, per car, a meeting (I've done it, and I didn't need any new springs/oils/tires).

Once A123 cells have had some in use in cars and have been proven to work, that's when we start looking at having them as legal cells, until then, I'm afraid Lipo is the future.

PS. oOple is a majority off-road place, not many care about touring cars!
PPS. SlowOne, Are you American?

[mark christopher]

which would make it dearer...................... defo need another charger, diff motors to cope with lower voltages ie 4.5 3.5

ROFLMAO - this is exactly the argument I put when you were banging the LiPo drum a couple of year's back. Now the tables have turned, eh??!!! :D :D :D

2 cells will make 12th and Oval, and will equal 5-cell touring. Make the Spec motor a 9.5 and it works there, and make the motor used in Off-Road a 4.5 or 3.5 and it works there.

The problem with LiPo is that at 7.4v it is burning motors out in TC Spec (ask anyone who tries to be competitive) and at 3.7v it doesn't suit anyone else. LiPo are volatile, can't be charged in 15 mins (and you were the one wanting convenience and lower numbers of batteries to carry around) doesn't deliver the amps unless you have more capacity than you need, and requires an investment in new springs, oils, suspension settings and tyres to use the lower weight limit.

Let me see now, I could invest in all that, and probably a new car, or I could buy one pack and a charger for under 100 notes and drive all day - it's a toughie!! :)

Sorry Mark, but you are now the person who does not want to move with the times - never thought I'd say that!! The future is LiFePo4!! :thumbsup:


go on then, if you used that argument................... explain!

do at least 50% of chargers cater for lipo?, now how many cater for a123 cells?

lipo is .2 volts higher than nimh, no motor changes needed, explain how your saying its cheaper yet you say you need to buy lower winds? your also increasing voltage on at least 3 of your mentioned classes and reducing it in off road

i dont see anyone blowing motors, unless there over gearing which will happen no matter what power source.


no go show me where im not moving with the times, lipo is here NOW, its stable and we can go there next year, as packs fit cars NOW.

if in another year the A123 are proven to work and can fit in cars/classes then yes ill use em, but i live for now, and what we have is lipo,

have you actually used the A123 cells?

[mark christopher]

tom no he is not from the usa, from the uk

[Stu]

Yeah your girlfriend must be well impressed when you show her your new piston liner.


Lee - don't diss people from Burnley, they are special.

[mark christopher]

Lee - don't diss people from Burnley, they are special.
yup they even have thier own "special" hospitals :p:woot:

[SlowOne]

go on then, if you used that argument................... explain!

do at least 50% of chargers cater for lipo?, now how many cater for a123 cells?

lipo is .2 volts higher than nimh, no motor changes needed, explain how your saying its cheaper yet you say you need to buy lower winds? your also increasing voltage on at least 3 of your mentioned classes and reducing it in off road

i dont see anyone blowing motors, unless there over gearing which will happen no matter what power source.


no go show me where im not moving with the times, lipo is here NOW, its stable and we can go there next year, as packs fit cars NOW.

if in another year the A123 are proven to work and can fit in cars/classes then yes ill use em, but i live for now, and what we have is lipo,

have you actually used the A123 cells?Mark, you really do make me laugh!! :D These are all the things I said to you when you were saying we had to go LiPo because it is the future. I'll have one last try...

12th can use 6.6v and go to lower-wind motors. TC can use 6.6v for both Mod (much as it is) and Stock - just change to 9.5 motors. Off-Road can use 6.6v by upping their motors to 4.5 or 3.5. It's a universal voltage for all, it doesn't need any receiver packs and it can be run in any class now except 12th - the voltage is a maximum, not a minimum!

The problem with motors burning out in TC is a voltage problem, and now the motors are stronger people are losing speedos (the next weakest link in the power system) except where the voltage is lower. TC Mod and 12th have no problems, nor does anyone using 5 cells or less. 6.6v makes the power system more durable than 7.4v without any loss of speed.

When LiPo first came out they didn't fit the cars - some don't now.

When LiPo came out, NiMh was there then.

It doesn't come without any changes, and neither did LiPo. It's the future because it is not volatile and doesn't need an extra case to put it in. It can be charged in 15 mins so you only need one pack. It can discharge at higher rates than LiPo or NiMh. And yes, you have to buy a new charger, but at £40 that's hardly a problem.

I have no idea what A123 will do with pack sizes, and no I haven't used one. But, when they do come out with a stick pack for my buggy, I will buy one and I will use it. It is the fastest growing technology for batteries, and it is being used in power tools now. It is being tested by lots of computer companies, and it is the future replacement for NiMh in hybrid and electric cars.

Everything that is powered by batteries is looking at this technology as its future - why not RC? Argue away my friend, but this is the future. I won't be going down that track, but there will be plenty who will. this is simply a better battery technology than anything we have, so if it happens this year, or the next five years, I don't mind - but it will happen.

I'm sure you'll come back on this, but I'll not hog a thread on our little discussion. I'm happy to wait, and to support new technology - are you just stuck in a LiPo rut?? !! :p:D:D

[Richard Lowe]

The problem with motors burning out in TC is a voltage problem ... 6.6v makes the power system more durable than 7.4v without any loss of speed.
Not true, to produce the same amount of power with a lower voltage higher currents are needed, which produce more heat. How else could you pull hundreds of watts from a wall socket without the thinner wire melting? Yet we need 12 guage in out little cars...

Batteries can only give so much current out, dictated mostly by their internal resistence. Moving between a 5 cell and 6 cell pack you will still have the same current limit, but higher voltage on the 6 cell pack so higher overall power output.
If you limited the current of the 6 cell pack to provide the same overall power (V=IR remember ;) ) and kept the cars weight the same the 6 cell car would run cooler.

[Northy]

Rich is the man and correct :thumbsup:

Skillz Rich you mild mannered man :D

G

[SlowOne]

Not going to challenge your physics Rich, but the fact is that as the power reduces, the motor and speedo problems reduce. Check out TC Spec 10.5 - people are blowing motors and speedos, whereas in TC Mod they're not. (Doesn't work like that in Off-Road, as the grip is what limits the power the motor can deliver)

My physics is W=VA - if you have a limited current delivery system, and you increase the volts, you get more power. More power for a fixed efficiency means more losses, and those losses go in heat and that kills motors and speedos. I just think you are ignoring the fact that the cooling system to deal with that heat is fixed, and so the more volts you pile in, the worse the problem gets. Just my (O level!) 2p...

[Richard Lowe]

Very true, I was just pointing out the higher voltage isn't the sole factor to making everything run hotter as you implied. Adding an extra cell does increase the voltage, but by default increases the overall power the pack gives out - and thats what stresses things more :)