ob1n

My Feedback: (14)

zaphod42.......I'm a little confused.....you speak in your above post as if I were an OPPONENT of putting batts in the fridge. You also mentioned something about Nicds.....







If you HAD read my "BORING" post....you would definitely know that I am a PROPONENT of putting Nicds in the fridge and that I say NOTHING about running em hot. I feel as though you were talking "directly" AT me like I was putting you and everyone else "down" for throwing the batts in the fridge. If you'll check with many sources about batts...you'll actually find the Nicds and Nimhs are very similar as far as charging, storage, maintenance, etc. is concerned. Of course, they are different.... but really looking at em as to how they are handled...they are similar. Just keep Nimhs cooler and don't overcharge them at all(compared to Nicds) cause that's where the heat comes in. Best site I've found with info about batts is batteryuniversity.com....and the similarities, as far as care, between the Nicds and Nimhs are very similar....that is where I get this info.

Maybe I'm wrong and you weren't directing your post towards me....but I feel as though you thought I was on "the wrong side". Whatever the case, it's all good, dude!

Oh, and thanks cheeseclip for the compliment.....cheeseclip?!!??! How did ya think of that one? It's a pretty cool i.d. tag. Laters

Speedbasher

One HOUR of full speed racing and bashing? I don't know why no one else in this post is shocked at that. Something doesn't seem right to me. Fridge or no fridge, a 3300 pack will not last for an hour. Brushless, no brushless fridge, no fridge- impossible. If it is, someone please tell me what the rest of us are doing wrong.

MadDogRC

well it is a brand new pack so batteries last longer on the first few runs.

zaphod42

My Feedback: (3)

ob1n -- sorry for the misunderstanding. I was not opposing your view that cooling batteries will extend their life and improve their performance - in fact I agree with you 100%. I did point out the technical reasons that the nay-sayers use to make their point but I think keeping the heat down is much more useful than preventing the thermal shock. I apparently didn't get the point across very well but I have been cooling my batteries for 3 years now and am a firm believer that it is the thing to do. The only part I meant to direct to you was that I had been doing this with NIMHs (since you mentioned you couldn't speak for those) and that it works even better with them than with NICDs.

As far as the comment about NICDs liking heat - that was more a reference to SS Pede's comment that battery chemistry performs best warm. Certainly plenty of people at my track believe as Pede does and peak their batteries at a high charge rate right before each race - even their NIMH batteries. The short term extra voltage effect of running batteries warm and just peaked off the charger is much more pronounced in NICDs than in the NIMH cells which was why I said that NICDs like heat. I still know a few guys at the local track who are running NICDs in the stock class because if you run them hot off of the charger after a high rate charge they will maintain that extra voltage boost for almost the whole 5 minute heat. There is no doubt this shortens the life of the cells but to a dedicated racer that extra bit of speed is worth having to replace them often. Others (like me) like to make them live on as far as possible.

I actually didn't come into the sport until NIMHs were coming into style (I'm a late bloomer) but the things that the racers at our track do with their NICDs (discharge them after every run (even to completely dead), charge them with as much as a 12 mv per cell negative delta V cutoff at rates up to 10 - 12 amps, peak them multiple times before each run, run them so hot the heatshrink on them splits) are all things that are very bad for NIMH cells.

I haven't seen the batteryuniversity website but I will definitely check it out. I do my best never to flame anyone on this or any other site - I'm sorry you got the impression I was saying you were wrong. I guess I just get carried away with details.

ob1n

My Feedback: (14)

Like I said, dude.... "It's all good!!!!" Peace......out![8D] Laters

gm72

Really, really good information here, but I'm not sure that we have arrived at a consensus. I think the idea of cooling the batts is a good one, but maybe letting them warm to room temp before running them is a good idea? Is it possible to get a definitive answer or is it up to personal experience? I'm not trying to be a smart *****, just asking a question here. Thanks for sharing the knowledge, very good reading indeed.

zaphod42

My Feedback: (3)

It up to personal experience, I'm afraid. I run mine cool (right from the ice chest in my case) and I think I have more voltage and more 'punch' left at the end of the heat. I have some technical expertise (though I tend to go into too much detail as I proved earlier in this thread) and I see nothing wrong with cooling them or with running them when they are still cool. There are plenty of people on the other side of the aisle too, of course. If you want more info try the batteryuniversity.com website that OB1N suggested.

mattnin

I charge my nimh packs at 4A and immediately after they are done, I toss them into the freezer to store the charge. When I get to the track, I top them off at 5A (about a 2 minute charge each). I don't even give them a chance to warm up, and they kick butt in my Brushless E-Maxx beast.

cheeseclip

man that roll cage looks sweet!!!!
its suspension seems kinda soft it looks like its leaning cos the springs are soft

mattnin

The suspension is soft, but it is a really big truck too. Because it is a 4-link no, it has something most trucks don't have, anti-squat. The reason it was leaning so much in that picture too is because it was sliding out, look at the dust trails

By the way, those pictures aren't up to date. It now uses Revo shafts, XTM racing off road meats, two hitec 5955 titanium servos and is also 4 wheel steer. I will take a new picture of it soon.

I'll list the parts I am using on the truck, it is totally modified.

rc solutions t-maxx roll cage
hv-maxx novak brushless motor
e-maxx widemaxx a-arms
revo steering blocks and revo axles
custom 4-link made out of brass and aluminum
xtm racing wheels and meats
customized tq3 radio to allow 4 wheel steer and epa

You can't buy one of these in the store, but you can make it yourself

BTW, my batteries and in the freezer right now lol.