Going LiPo

When I had my first Tamiya’s all the batteries where NiCd’s. When I started on my second stint of Tamiya’s I got all NiMh’s, I wanted the extra run time and the price was half of what the LiPo’s where. Lately I’ve been able to get 4000mah lipo’s in the $40 range from Hong Kong (ebay). When you switch to Lipo in a Tamiya there’s a few things you should know.

1. You need a charger that is capable of charging LiPo’s
2. You need a speed controller or a voltage cut-off device so you don’t permanently damage your battery.
3. You probably need a STICK PACK! (the first lipo I bought was an $80 squared pack, I can only use it in my TT-01D after dremeling it.

The battery above is my favorite so far, I’ve gotten them through RC-Union on Ebay. I’ve replaced the Tamiya plug with Deans Ultra’s.

Why go Li-Po?
• Up to 30% longer runtime than traditional NiMH/NiCd (of the same capacity)
• Up to 40% lighter weight than traditional NiMH/NiCd (of the same capacity)
• Precision cell fusion technology virtually eliminates internal resistance
• Li-Po power delivery ensures maximum power throughout the discharge cycle
• Can be used and recharged unlimited times per session
• Less energy is lost to heat equals greater power output
• Fits 90% of 1/10 scale chassis with little or no modification
• Battery can be charged days, even weeks, ahead of time
• No complicated maintenance or conditioning required
• Cost is far less over time due to a lifespan that is up to 10 times that of NiMH/NiCd

LiPo batteries have a "C" rating which tells you how much current it is safe to draw from your battery. It's expressed in terms of the capacity C.

So my 4000mAh 25C battery is good for 100A (25 x 4000mA/1000).

My charger, this has a battery temperature sensor (for safety) and I also have a USB cable for it which can  graph charging and discharging. More for fun than anything else, I’ll play around with it more and post later.