LiPo or NiMh when on a budget?

[RCmad79]

OK, so I am on a budget of £100 - £120. I am getting a B4 that needs radio gear and batteries/charger for £65 that leaves me £35 - £55. I can get radio gear for £30 from multiple places (not looked on ebay yet), which leaves me £5 - £25. I know a NiMh fast charger costs about £20 - £25 and I have an 1800mah nimh from another car I use, also 1800mah Nimh's are only £12 each at LHS. I was wondering if it is better to use Nimh to start with and save money after xmas to get LiPo batteries and charger??

[Col]

You need more money!

NIMH is false economy - you'd need a set PER RACE, and your 1800mah would be flat before the race is over (probably)

LIPO cost around £50 new from HongKong, and 1 pack will easily do to full meeting with top-up's between rounds (I did this for nearly 2 years with 1 lipo pack)
LIPO chargers can be had for £25 easily.

[brooksy]

Definitely go for lipo. Dependent on what motor your running and what size battery you buy you can easily do two races without charging. And as Col says if you put it straight back on charge after your race you won't have a problem.

[kayce]

If you're just bashing or fun-running I suppose it doesn't matter what you use - but if you're talking about racing (or have plans to race) then the cost of of nimh batteries easily outcost that of the initial investment in lipo batteries/chargers. Many racers get by with just having a single lipo battery for their car, since they can be recharged multiple times a day with no harm or problem - while those using nimh packs have to have multiple packs just to get through a standard day (and they don't last nearly as long, lifetime, as lipos). And that's why, while it may appear nimh batts/chargers are a little cheaper initially (or for one pack/charger) that the longterm outlay is much more inexpensive over the longterm with lipo..

[RCmad79]

ok, where do you find a lipo fast charger for £25?(please be in the uk, I dont know why I dislike ordering from abroad lol). I have found Graeme Hunter has a spare lipo battery he will sell me for £15

[daz]

Get yourself a trakpower pit pro 550, you should be able to get a secondhand one for around £15-£20. Put a wanted as on here, im sure someone will have one kicking about. You will also need either a 12v car battery or a power supply to power it tho.

[RCmad79]

hmm, new issue, the car I was going to get doesnt have a lipo cut off in it going to have to use nimh til I can afford to get a lipo cut off and lipo battery/charger only going to have a 540 motor so nimh should be ok if I have spares lol.

[JCJC]

Be your own lipo cutoff, don't drive until its almost flat, charge up, run for 5 minutes, charge again - see what you have to put into it, much easier that NiMh even without a cutoff.

Dont leave it in the car connected, even if the esc is switched off, sometimes a slow discharge will catch you out, always store with some charge - half to threequarters.

[jmke]

less than $30 for a 5700mah Lipo with enough punch even for 4wd, let alone 2wd; will last you close to 30min on 1 charge!
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...r_Lipoly_.html

[Col]

I never had a lipo cut-off when I ran lipo and brushed, and as far as I'm aware I don't have one now either.
A good lipo will last 20mins with a steady motor, so a couple of warm-up laps and a 5min race is a doddle.

[RCmad79]

if I was to go for a lipo ready car, this is the only one I am half able to afford, but it still needs a charger and battery, I rang the company to check its lipo rdy lol. http://www.modelsport.co.uk/kyosho-e...products/40385

[Col]

EVERY car is lipo ready

[daz]

Originally Posted by Col

I never had a lipo cut-off when I ran lipo and brushed, and as far as I'm aware I don't have one now either.
A good lipo will last 20mins with a steady motor, so a couple of warm-up laps and a 5min race is a doddle.

Most modern brushless speedos have a lipo cut-off. Your old LRP had it before you blew it up

[daz]

Originally Posted by RCmad79

if I was to go for a lipo ready car, this is the only one I am half able to afford, but it still needs a charger and battery, I rang the company to check its lipo rdy lol. http://www.modelsport.co.uk/kyosho-e...products/40385

If I was you, I would get something a bit my popular. It will make life easier when you break it and need spares. Pete (The one with the little shop) has or had a B4 with all the electrics for a good price and he has plenty of spares in stock, just in case.

[AC199]

Originally Posted by daz

If I was you, I would get something a bit my popular. It will make life easier when you break it and need spares. Pete (The one with the little shop) has or had a B4 with all the electrics for a good price and he has plenty of spares in stock, just in case.

He had the B4, its now sitting in my front room waiting for the radio to be delivered and the new shell to be painted. Looks like a nice bit of kit, would have bought it Saturday, but i only had 40 sheets on me.

[RCmad79]

he still has a b4 he told me. well I hope he does, I was paying £65 for it needed battery and charger plus radio gear, if he sold it no worries, I can get something even less popular lol

[AC199]

You should look me up when you get to the meeting on Saturday, we can have a chat about a mad rat...

[RCmad79]

I can get a brand new rtr mad rat for £99 lol, just needs lipo and charger. http://www.modelsport.co.uk/ansmann-...products/33535

[AC199]

I know. What do you think i did less than a month ago?

[Robin A]

This is a 12V and 240V LiPo charger. http://www.wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/62617/ £28.49. Not used one before, but looks OK.