Paradiddle

My Feedback: (3)

Hi - been outta cars for a long time (I still have my gold tub gen 1 RC10 though!). My kids wanted some trucks for xmas so I got them both a Slash. I picked up an Onyx charger but now think that the charge time will just be too slow.

In the "day" we had 15 minute ac/dc chargers for our Nicads. So what do you guys use at the field when you want to charge up your nimhs?

I'd rather not spend a fortune - dual battery would be worth it unless its twice as much as 2 chargers. Can you charge a NIMH in 15 minutes or so?

Thanks for the input.

Jeff

Vic Z

Generally speaking you want to chatrge a NIMH at 1C. A 4000 mah battery should be charged at 4 amps, so any battery should charge for roughly an hour. You can probably charge faster, but doing so will create quite a bit of heat which will have adverse effects on the life of your battery.

Paradiddle

My Feedback: (3)

Wow. So you guys who race must carry 5 or 6 batteries if each one takes an hour to charge and they must cool. Hmmm.....

4goodbuys2

You could always go lipo , but kid's and lipo I'm not so sure.

Paradiddle

My Feedback: (3)

I don't know much about Lipo batteries other then you need to be very careful when charging them. I image they are more expensive to purchase and their charges cost more. I think I'll stick with NIMH and just figure out how to get more batteries.

Is the cost of Lipo close to NIMH?

ImpalaPolicePack

most of the time lipo are less expensive than nimh

you can get a 2s 5000mah 40c lipo for around 30$

Ttam Says Blarg

Cheap!

Turnigy 5000 mah 40c for a whooping 24 dollars
[link=http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=10305]Turnigy HK Lipo[/link]

Charger
Even comes with a AC adapter to plug it into the wall.
[link=http://www.hobbypartz.com/thac6smbachw.html]THIS[/link]

Vic Z

With 3 4000mah or higher batteries you should be fine. You'll get 30 plus minutes or so out of each. By the time you get the car checked out and cooled down you're looking at 45 minutes or so. You'll be 4 batteries deep before you have to wait for 15 minutes for a charge.
Lipos are the way to go.

LewAshby

Buy a LiPo charger that can also charge NiCd / NiMh batteries.

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

Welcome to the '90s.

Guys that race generally run lipo batteries. ThunderbirdJunkie can squeeze two qualifiers out of one battery depending on the motor he's running.

Go lipo, there's absolutely no point in doing anything with NiMh anymore ITBJHO.

guver

My Feedback: (325)

A TC 1030 will charge at 10 amps , many of the i-chargers will go faster than that if you desire. 10 amps is about max for any subC pack today. The best deal going for a dual NI charger is still probably the 977 MRC. Since I used to run dual pack monster trucks I made up many dual systems mostly dual 6.5 , 8 , 10 amp set-ups for chargign in a hurry. A pair of TC 1030 is the best and Checkpoint just happens to have a TC 9000 ps that will power them both.

diabolic-mind

i use an onyx 200 charger to charge my 3000mah battery. i charge it at 5amps and it fully charges in around 15 minutes. i spoke with the guy at my local hobby shop (been in buisness for 20+ years) and he told me that charging the battery at 5 amps will create heat and will have some effects on the batteries over all life span, but he said in comparision to charging it at 3 amps the difference in its life would not be significantly noticeable. i take his word on such things as ive been dealing with him for a long time and he has never once "screwed" me. but with my 7.2volt 3000mah venom battery 5 amps gets me charged in around 15 minutes. at 3 amps its around 25ish. the onyx 200 is a great buy for 60 bucks. just my 2 pennies