Explain : running 6s........ (1) 6s battery vs. (2) 3s batteries ?

[3x9rtse]

So was at my LHS yesterday doing some bashing , talking to some guys there . One said it is better to run (2) 3s packs instead of (1) 6s , that you get more run time out of the two , and they don't heat up like (1) 6s pack will do . Is there truth to this ?
I just bought a new V4 Typhon and am running a single 6s , 50c , 5000mah in it . Thought it worked fine . Last year I had the Typhon V3 , and was running (2) 3s packs . Thanks guys !

 

[jondilly1974]

None of that makes any sense to me.

 

[Typhon2016]

No truth to that.
I only run single 4 or 6s. I even eliminate the extra wires to run dual batteries. Never an issue with heat. I prefer the cleaner look without the extra wires as well. And less to worry about getting caught in something

 

[bicketybam]

I run dual 3s batteries because I also own 3s trucks. So if one of the batteries ends up going bad on me I repurpose the other to one of the smaller trucks.

 

[Sledgehog]

The only "advantage"of running 2 3s batteries vs 1 6s is the cheaper cost of replacing one 3s if one of the cells goes bad. . The rest of what those guys said is pretty BS as most others have already commented
Only major advantage of 6s I guess would be they are easier to charge if you don't have a dual charger. Oh, and it takes a whole 15 seconds less to plug it in on your vehicle?

 

[slick2500]

The only "advantage"of running 2 3s batteries vs 1 6s is the cheaper cost of replacing one 3s if one of the cells goes bad. . The rest of what those guys said is pretty BS as most others have already commented
Only major advantage of 6s I guess would be they are easier to charge if you don't have a dual charger. Oh, and it takes a whole 15 seconds less to plug it in on your vehicle?

Not entirely true.

Don't forget the age of the batteries plays a roll in that, if you have 2 3s batteries that you have had for a year and one goes bad you will still have to buy 2 new batteries. If you try to run a brand new battery with one that is a year old with hundreds of cycles on it you will just kill the older battery. The older battery will have less capacity (mah) than the new one and in return will also put out less amperage and wattage compared to the new one. Also it's rather easy to deplete the older battery to under lvc while the other is still above (remember the esc sees total voltage not per pack) so this will also cause damage to the battery.

When running batteries in series both batteries must be the same age, capacity, C rate and from the same manufacturer.

TLDR - Never mix old and new batteries.

 

[3x9rtse]

Well said slick2500 , I did know that about pairing/matching batteries that you run 2 in a vehicle (learned this on my old Erevo ) . If I were to run 2 batteries and one went bad , now I have no use for that battery that is still good . Give to my friend with Typhon and Senton 3s I guess ! LOL

 

[slick2500]

Well said slick2500 , I did know that about pairing/matching batteries that you run 2 in a vehicle (learned this on my old Erevo ) . If I were to run 2 batteries and one went bad , now I have no use for that battery that is still good . Give to my friend with Typhon and Senton 3s I guess ! LOL

Or buy yourself a 3s

 

[3x9rtse]

Or buy yourself a 3s

LOL , I did/had !! About a month ago I bought a Typhon 3s BLX ,( ran great !!!! )and a Senton 4x4 Mega . The Senton being brushed , I took it out of the box , removed all the electronics and installed complete Traxxas Velenion brushless . Burnt the servo first run . Stripped the plastic spur gear second !!! That's when I decided I wanted an Arrma 6s rig again . Sold both of those to a friend ( cheap ) , and bought the Typhon 6s V4 . Next going to get the Senton 6s or Talion 6s V4 ......... or both !!!!

 

[olds97_lss]

I read a bit on this in the past and it seems there's a very small performance gain running a 6S pack vs 2x3S due to one less connector and a little less wire.

However, any pack that has cells wired in series is harder on one side of the pack than the other. I can't remember which, but either the negative side or positive side drains more than the other when used. So with that in mind, if you ran 2x3S, you could alternate packs so then your spreading the aging out to 2 cells vs just 1 cell. How big of an impact that is, I don't know. In the end, your running 6 cells in series.

I run trucks that use saddle packs and trucks that don't, so I have to run 2x3S or 2x2S unless I want specific single packs just for my outcast.

Think I read the 2 pack vs 1 pack thing here, have run across it on other information sites as well:
https://www.smc-racing.net/index.php?route=product/category&path=166

 

[Jerry-rigged]

However, any pack that has cells wired in series is harder on one side of the pack than the other. I can't remember which, but either the negative side or positive side drains more than the other when used. So with that in mind, if you ran 2x3S, you could alternate packs so then your spreading the aging out to 2 cells vs just 1 cell. How big of an impact that is, I don't know. In the end, your running 6 cells in series.

SMC posted this, and frankly, I think it is his BS way to say "not my fault" when a pack fails.

Cells run in series need to be matched. With 1x6s, all 6 cells are matched. With 2x3s, you have two different matches, so (IMHO) what ever pack is weaker will get stressed the most, and fail quicker.

 

[DoNoHarm]

I read a bit on this in the past and it seems there's a very small performance gain running a 6S pack vs 2x3S due to one less connector and a little less wire.

However, any pack that has cells wired in series is harder on one side of the pack than the other. I can't remember which, but either the negative side or positive side drains more than the other when used. So with that in mind, if you ran 2x3S, you could alternate packs so then your spreading the aging out to 2 (batteries) vs just 1 (battery). How big of an impact that is, I don't know. In the end, your running 6 cells in series.

I run trucks that use saddle packs and trucks that don't, so I have to run 2x3S or 2x2S unless I want specific single packs just for my outcast.

Think I read the 2 pack vs 1 pack thing here, have run across it on other information sites as well:
https://www.smc-racing.net/index.php?route=product/category&path=166

This. I think it was @Mongoose who I was talking about this to with his MMX, you said it a lot better. Also it’s the ground (negative) side.

 

[arrmadillo]

SMC posted this, and frankly, I think it is his BS way to say "not my fault" when a pack fails.

Cells run in series need to be matched. With 1x6s, all 6 cells are matched. With 2x3s, you have two different matches, so (IMHO) what ever pack is weaker will get stressed the most, and fail quicker.

BS or not I would still alternate packs, what's it gonna hurt and doesn't cost you anything. I run singles but if I went the other way I'd switch them up..

 

[Lazy Bushman]

for 6S I run 2x3S packs for the same reason as @bicketybam

I read the SMC thing and the comments above and no way am I alternating batteries....at least not on purpose. I do keep them in pairs however but who knows which was positive and which was negative last time, that would take a level of monitoring and management that would start to suck the enjoyment from my soul (personally).

Sometimes I think that battery management errs on the side of the immaterial. There are a bunch of things you absolutely eg charging them at 674C so some other ridiculously made up number, keeping them off the dash of your car while your wife goes shopping etc, but there are also a bunch of things that I wonder how much they actually make a material difference or at least if a person could definitively measure that difference or point to that thing being the specific cause of an issue. For me, I wonder if this 1 pack 2 pack thing is one of those, just like alternating batteries. No doubt there is a theoretical impact but can it be measured and observed in normal life without the assistance Steven Hawking? Maybe it's just me and it's why I'm the Lazy Bushman....dunno

 

[Outcastblxnut]

If you don't have 3strucks. Go with 6s. Ovanics makes some good cheap batteries

 

[nino]

Uhhh, I don't think it matters which battery pack is "first" in a series connection.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Uhhh, I don't think it matters which battery pack is "first" in a series connection.

It does actually. The second pack in that series "see's" more voltage and higher stresses.

SMC batteries has many write up's explaining how to get the most longevity out of your LiPos. This is one topic they discuss.
(they also have an article on the "graphene" packs)
https://www.smc-racing.net/index.php?route=product/category&path=166

"one of the packs is basically solicited twice as much as the other, by alternating which is seeing twice the work load every run, you are using the packs equally. We recommend keeping packs in pairs when used in series, and by marking each pair 1A-1B, 2A-2B, etc. it is easy to keep track of which pack has been used on which ‘side’ every run."

 

[nino]

Can't say that SMC's explanation helped... I'd prefer a more scientific source
So, the last cell in a single 6s or 4s pack also does more work? That means that with packs with many cycles on them, the last cells should be the first ones to lose capacity/fail/increase in resistance. Never noticed that trend. Gotta do some research.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Can't say that SMC's explanation helped... I'd prefer a more scientific source
So, the last cell in a single 6s or 4s pack also does more work? That means that with packs with many cycles on them, the last cells should be the first ones to lose capacity/fail/increase in resistance. Never noticed that trend. Gotta do some research.

It certainly could be scientifically tested but man it would be a bear of a test.
At least 3 sets of lipo's to eliminate the possibility of a "bad cell" scenario. All from the same manufacturer, same production date, and specs. Running for many discharge cycles in various temperatures and loads.

Not the sort of test anyone wants to do except manufacturers who we cannot trust fully since they lie to us to sell more products...

 

[slick2500]

Can't say that SMC's explanation helped... I'd prefer a more scientific source
So, the last cell in a single 6s or 4s pack also does more work? That means that with packs with many cycles on them, the last cells should be the first ones to lose capacity/fail/increase in resistance. Never noticed that trend. Gotta do some research.

Not sure if that's how it works because when you have 2 batteries in series together the wires between the batteries add resistance to the circuit, that ~4 inches of wire has a much higher resistance than the wires within the packs themselves so you have to take that into consideration. I'm guessing this is what causes one pack to deplete more than the other.