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Old 11-12-2010, 10:22 AM
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Zeeb
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Location: St George, Utah UT
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Default RE: LiFe battery questions?

Ummm.... May I suggest that for your first venture into gassers you are pushing the envelope?

First; DLE's don't like anything over 6.0 volts input on the ignition. They say you can run 'em that way and some folks do, but Jody at Valley View (DLE dealer and service) and other knowledgeable folks agree, says it'll shorten the expected life of the ignition module if you exceed the 6.0 volt input limit. The nominal voltage on a 2 cell A123/LiFe pack is about the same as a five cell NiCD/NiMH at about 6.6 volts but they come off the charger at 7.2 volts.

Second; As I mentioned, I balance charge mine and the Triton will not do that by itself even if it has LiFe programming.

Third; while some folks are running a single battery for the rx/servos and the engine ignition, I'm not ready to go there yet. If you do, you need to pay attention to how that is setup. Some folks have thought it was okay to pull power for the ignition module from the rx buss, it isn't.

Fourth; smoke is kind of cool but it ads an average of 1lb. in weight to the model and for stuff the size you're talking about 1lb. is a LOT. Smoke systems can be fraught with issues from setup to leaks and getting that smoke oil out of the wood inside the model should it leak, is nearly impossible.

While it may be a bit frustrating doing the searches, all these questions have been covered extensively in various places here, other forums and manufacturer's websites as Beavis pointed you at and some folks will have different opinions than mine which you would probably benefit from hearing before you make a decision about how to proceed.