soutthpaw

I just ordered a Rockslide 1/8 and like the Dual battery idea. From looking at the adapter plug that is available it seems that 2 batteries are wired in series, not parallel. is this correct? is there some sort of on board voltage regulator that will prevent 14.4 vdc going to the motors? also what style of plug do they use for the batteries and what is the largest amp hour batteries I can get to put in this machine? thanks

t9dragon

My Feedback: (11)

Running the batteries in a series will increase the voltage, more power.
Running the batteries in parallel will increase the MAH, more run time.

Do you have pictures of how you have it set up?

soutthpaw

Haven't got it yet,  just ordered this AM.   I would have thought double the voltage would burn out the motors... 

K_B

Your ESC will most likely be what goes up in smoke if you double the voltage (batteries in series); unless the ESC is designed to handle 14V.

nitrosportsandrunner

you guys are wrong.

that esc will handle 14.4v, and so will the motors.

the adapter is wired in series, and double the voltage to the motors.

the rockslide has 100 turn brushed motors. it drives at like 3-4mph on 7.2v, but has good torque.

the speed and torque are nearly doubled running a pair of 7.2v nimhs in series.

I have run that same ESC in the smaller rockslide which has a pair of 70t motors and i ran a 3s lipo on that truck(i had a low voltage alarm)

t9dragon

My Feedback: (11)

Who is wrong and wrong about what?

nitrosportsandrunner

technically KB, as he said the ESC would fry.

K_B

I said IF the ESC isn't designed to run 14V. In other words, I would be more concerned about the ESC than the motors. Frankly, I'd be concerned about the thing holding up in general considering the dubious quality and spotty parts support of RedCat stuff.

nitrosportsandrunner

sorry KB, i didnt read your post close enough.


i have the supercrawler

while i wont deny that some of redcats models are "scetchy" when it comes to durability, the supercrawler doesnt fall among those models.

the axles are crazy tough. the motors are simple and last a long time. the ESC is actually very good for a RTR rock crawler.
it can handle 14.4v, it has a fan, has drag brake and no-delay reverse.

the radio's multi function steering(4 wheel steering with 4 steering modes) is pretty sweet.

i am rebuilding my supercrawler into a smaller truck for winter crawling and plowing

soutthpaw

Thanks for the replies, I most likely will go with a series 14.4 power setup then.   I have been out of RC for several years.  So what is the deal with the LiPo batteries?   What is so special about them and will they work for this crawler?  are they worth the extra cash or should I just get a couple of NiMH 500mah batteries for now?

nitrosportsandrunner

lipos are a fully different chemical storage battery.

they provide more voltage and amperage, in a lighter package.

they do have some special requirments tho.

they cannont be fully drained, like nimh packs are. the individual cells should not be allowed to drop below 3.0v

speed controls made with lipos in mind monitor the voltage and cut power before that happens.

also, they need lipo specific chargers. ones that will "balance" the cells(make sure each cell has exactly the same voltage)

lipos are not really nessesary in crawlers. the lipos are lighter, but other than that provide little advantage since crawlers do not demand high amperage.

to run lipos in you crawler, you would need a low voltage alarm. a little beeper that monitors the lipos voltage and beeps when its time to start running.

lipos are best for brushless, speed type applications.

there are many who install brushless in their crawlers, but in the super crawler its not worth the cost. the performance upgrade is minimal.

soutthpaw

Cool Ill just get some NiMH batteries then.   any recommendation on brand? quality.    Not sure if the Ebay stuff is junk or what to look for/ avoid. 

nitrosportsandrunner

avoid "venom" brand nimh packs. their lipos are OK, but their nimh packs suck!

the duratrax onyx pack
tenergy pack

or even your local radio shack may have some packs that are in red that are 3300mah. if they are $20-$25, then go for those.

the beauty of rock crawlers, is that they get REALLY good runtime.

a single 5000mah battery can get you 1/2 hour of runtime.

soutthpaw

Ordered a couple of batteries and the dual battery pigtail.  looks like I will be set.   might need a couple micro crawlers for my kids later....

Shabbernigdo

i way over 30 min of run time on my cr-01 with a 3000 mah tower hobbies battery pack.

soutthpaw

My dual battery adapter arrived today from Redcat Racing, part number E413 and it is different from the image shown on the website.This adapter is wired in PARALLEL, not in SERIES as the image on their website shows.