ORIGINAL: plasma 327
I just recently made the switch to Lipo from matched 7 cell Mimh and wish I would have done so sooner.
I have 3 7.4 5000 mah 40c protek lipos and am very happy...
I was searching around the net and saw Maxamps and for the equivilant they want twice the price..
Are they really trying to gouge the rc user that badly?? I was shocked!!!
I am suprised they sell any at all for the prices they list...
Maxamps probably isn't selling to hobbyists any more. With those prices I would guess they have shifted into the industrial and commercial markets.
When castle and other companies sell into industrial markets, they can differentiate their products by offering different firmware, special software / tools, etc. only to those industrial companies, in order to justify the price difference. Maxamps can't do this, they sell OEM batteries. If they kept their hobby prices low, they would undercut their own industrial prices.
Roughly 5+ years ago they had the best prices in town, I remember things like a 3s 4000mAH battery for $99. (this was several years ago, an equivalent battery would cost $189. or more elsewhere). Then at some point their prices took a a jump while the rest of the hobby suppliers prices have been on a steady downward trend. Since then their prices have been completely flat. Today I often see the proven 'best' brands like Thunderpower batteries for less than Maxamps, it's pretty ridiculous and there's no reason a hobbyist would want their batteries for the prices they charge.