tmaxxchump

hey guys/gals. this is my first post here, and i'm a little new with rc universe. first off i'm new with electics and i'm looking for some advice and some help. i'm regular in the traxxas forums, so i hope i get the help from others, that i give to new hobbist in our forums


i'm looking into getting a rc18t or a losi mini t. i'm really not sure which one i want yet, but those are the two that i narrowed it down to. this electric will be used for indoor use only, since outside i'll use my nitros. i'm open to other suggestions with other 1.18th scales. its mostly going to be jumped inside in my large basement.

i'm not concerned with going brushless, or getting crazy with upgrading this. i don't upgrade until i brake something, it simply makes this hobby cheaper.

my question to everyone is if i get a rc18 or mini t, what is a good battery that charges quickly, and i get good runtime. i talked with jason from maxamps and he said ask around here for advice. he mentions the hyperion EOS5 LiPo charger, and not to exceed an 2s LiPo battery. I understand about the 2S, being that it is 7.4v. with that being said, can someone give me good advice on any battery, that can be charged quickly, and get good runtimes from. i'll worry about the charger later. i want to eventually go brushless, so keep that in mind when helping out with batteries. i would like to use these batteries when i go brushless.

also, keep in mind i'm not familiar with most jargon of electrics.

thank you
maxxchump

rschoi_75

Both choices are fine, but I would stick to the pro versions of each truck (since you eventually want to go brushless). It mainly depends on whether you want 2wd or 4wd. 2wd - mini-t and 4wd - rc18t.

Other good 4wd choices are: Xray M18T and Dtx Vendetta buggy/ST.

Batteries:
1) Nimh: easier/safer to charge and care for than lipos. Stick with Gold Peak (GP), Intellect Batteries (IB), or Elite cells. Often these cells are sold under another brand name such as Trinity, Reedy, SMC, Team Scream, etc... Popular choices are IB1400, GP1100, and Elite 1500 cells. go to www.cheapbatterypacks.com or www.maxamps.com

2) Lipo: charge only with a lipo compatible charger. The main thing here is the Current rating... or "C". An average mini motor will draw anywhere from 5 - 20 amps constant from the esc. A lipo's constant amps can be found by this equation: (Ah x C = amps provided). So if the constant C is 10, and your batts are rated at 1100mah -> 1.1 x 10 = 11 amps constant.

You want batteries that will be able to provide all the power you'll ever need and then some. So shoot for a battery that has a constant "C" rating of 15 or more, with a max (burst) rating of 20 or more, and a capacity of 1100mah or more.

A specific battery will depend on which mini you choose. Since mini battery configurations are not universal, you need to choose a vehicle first. then we can give you good battery choices.

SocialD

I was in the same boat as you. I have a Revo2.5 that I love, but I have a hard time getting to somewhere to use it. So, I bought an RC18T to use in my basement. I found that the RC18T is just too large and fast to use in my basement. So unless you have a really large basement, you might want to consider something even smaller. I picked up a Losi Micro-T for inside my house and the RC18T is strictly an outside vehicle now. The Mirco-T is a much better fit for my basement and the track that I have for Mini-Z's.

tmaxxchump

right now i'm finding myself checking out things for the rc18t. i'm probably going to go with the associated truck. i never ran a two wheel drive truck, so i'm tossed up if i would like the two wheel drive or the four wheel drive... i'm about 80% sure once i get the right advice for batteries and what not, it will be the associated.

alright, well i assume i'll get the quick charge out of LiPo batteries. about how long to charge a good LiPo pack? also i would sacrafice slightly longer charge for better runtimes. jason at maxamps recommended the EOS5. If i do end up with LiPos, i would like a lipo charger that will charge my nimh r/x batteries and REVO ez-start batteries. please be sure to let me know what excessories i would need. i see there are LVC and balancers?

since you mentioned the pro versions, what do you think about the tekin performance rage motors and esc? i was looking at them, since tower sells them. also if i do the pro kit, can i use my traxxas Tq3 transmitter and receiver that i'm not using as a temp tx/rx? i'm looking to order the new spectrum pistold grip for my revo when i race. i would just get another rx for it.

and for the record i take good care of my batteries, and r/c. this isn't a first hobby level truck. i understand what your talking about, your just putting the blurry pieces together for me. this information is great, and i really appreciate it.


as for the size of my basement, its pretty big. it's pretty open, around 30x60 feet. i'm sure that prolly isn't big enough but i'm not looking for WOT runs. just something to putz with and keep me occupied

rschoi_75

- It should take about an hour or so depending on the Lipo's capacity. This is assuming you are charging at 1C.

- The hyperion EOS5 is a good lipo charger, but does not do nimh. You need a charger like the ICE, Triton, Checkpoint, MRC 989, and so on.... They are more expensive, but any of those chargers will handle all your needs. Or you could get a separate lipo only charger and a nimh/nicad only charger.

- Balancers are always a good idea with lipos. what ever lipo you decide on, get a compatible balancer.

- An LVC is only needed when you are running an esc that does not have one built it. You will need one with most brushed esc's. Most BL esc's have them built in.

- The tekin mini rage system is great. Whether you choose mamba or tekin, you should be happy. Tower carries both, but a cheaper place is www.b-p-p.com.

- You can use you Traxxas Tx/Rx no problem. the Rx is a little big for a mini, so you'll just have to be creative when installing it.

Good luck!

tmaxxchump

alright, well i would be more interested in the combination chargers, since i would like to have a better charger on my new r/c packs for the nitros. out of those compatible chargers, what do you think its the best for the buck? i don't want cheap, but i don't want to go over kill. i'm interested in this because i'm looking into the future, in case i buy more electric r/cs. with that said, if you recommend a good charger, i'll look for the corisponding balancer.

i'm glad i can use my traxxas Tq3 transmitter and r/x. that is great, since i can save a little bit of money there. i've been looking at getting an xray buggy for a while, but decided against it since the track isn't doing competition racing with them. this is why i think i'm going with the mini elec.


as of right now, i'm going to take your advice and get a pro kit. i'm really liking the rc18t factory kit. i'll use the tx/rx and get either the mamba or tekin motor/esc. as for the battery all i know is i need no more then a 2s lipo pack. any advice there would be good. i do want good runtimes.

rschoi_75

The MRC 989 is the best bang for the buck. The power supply is included and the charger can also do lead acid batteries (good if you have an electric scooter or bike). Most other quality chargers do not come with a power supply. That will save you around $40.

As far as batteries go, you can use a 2s or 3s lipo with the mamba or tekin brushless systems. The only time you need to stick with the 2s is if you're running brushed motors. There are lots of good packs around. The most popular one right now is the Apogee 1500mah limn lipo. It will give you about 15-20mins of run time. I think you can get that at tower as well.

tmaxxchump

alright, thanks for the advice with the 2s or 3s cells with a brushless system. i talked with jason at maxamps and he said only 2s, but i now understand why.

i'm going to start shopping around at those sites you linked. i think i'm going to go with a rc18t because its a little smaller. i actually was looking into the duratrax vendetta, but i think for my usage it isn't the right model for me. i'll look into getting the pro version


how am i looking at the moment with this setup.

MRC 989 LiPo charger
Apogee 1500mah limn lipo (prolly two packs) i assume the one hour charge for these packs?
Blinky Balancer
Mamba system (did some research and like the programablilty since i do have a laptop capible of going to track if needed)
Associated RC18t Factory Kit
Traxxas Tq3 Transmitter/Receiver


My last question is pretty much still concerning batteries. is there any other battery/charger combo that charges faster with similiar runtimes? or will i sacrafic runtime for quick charges?

jaejw1

why isnt the vendetta right for u,,, tey are all capable of doing the same thing,,,

tmaxxchump

i feel that it is too big for my application. i'm looking to mostly bash my mini inside in my basement. i see the vendetta is 2 inches longer and its wider too. i don't want to get too big, because then i feel i'll be cramped. i'm not knocking duratrax or their models. i never looked into them really. i assume their quality is good being that many posts involved the vendettas.

rschoi_75

The vendetta line of buggies and st's are awesome. They acutally have a tighter turning radius than the rc18t. It may actually be better for your basement. Furthermore, the M18T has the tightest turning radius of any mini. So you may want to think about your vehicle choice a little bit. Like I said before, they are all fun, so you really can't go wrong.

One thing to note... you may not want to go mamba if you plan to run in your basement. You'll never be able to see the true power of a mamba is such a tight space.

tmaxxchump

well i'm sure once the weather gets nice outside, and there isn't any road salt and anit skid i would take it out. prolly bash on the road since its just been paved. i would keep that option open, but i wouldn't want to race it on dirt since it would make a mess after inside the house if i decide to run that.

Revo003

RC18MT! ALL THE WAY!

tmaxxchump

hahah thank you for your input. what are you running in your rc18? esp/motor/batteries? and charger please.