Maximizing run time

[peelz75]

New to current RC world, and as the title states, I am looking to add time only. I bought the truck(brushed) for a 9 year old, it is plenty fast for him(and me). But the 2000mah just gets him to 10 minutes. yawn

I would even sacrifice speed to do this(a little, not a lot) Preferably not lipo. were not "there" yet. Unless you all can talk me into it.

what are somenimh battery experienced performances? Quick web search finds some heavier batts... 3300... 3800.... 4000... whats too much for this motor and the ESC?

thanks folks!

 

[MSgt]

The higher the mah rating, the longer it will last. I quit buying anything under 5000mah. A 2s 5000mah lipo battery in my Fury Mega lasts about 35-40 minutes of skidding around on my ice/snow covered driveway.

Get a 2S lipo, a decent charger, and tape a wedge of foam rubber behind the trigger of the controller to keep the youngin from getting full power. Then when you want to run it, remove the trigger block and enjoy.

Here is a good battery, for a good price: http://spcracingbatteries.com/index...path=59&product_id=102&sort=p.price&order=ASC

Decent charger (but there maybe as good or better for less $$): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VP2I70W?keywords=ultra power lipo charger&qid=1452060366&ref_=sr_1_1&refinements=p_85:2470955011,p_89:Ultra Power&s=toys-and-games&sr=1-1

Just remember, mah is like how big your gas tank is. Voltage is what "octane" you're running. If you go lipo, keep it 2S (7.4V) and set the jumper on your ESC to the lipo setting. If you stay nimh, keep it 6 cell, but look for higher mah ratings to get longer run times. Even with nimh, you may need to add the trigger block to keep it slowed down for the youngin.

 

[MSgt]

Also, you can also go to a smaller pinion gear and lose a little speed that way too.

 

[peelz75]

Also, you can also go to a smaller pinion gear and lose a little speed that way too.

good idea... I dig the "wedge" on the throttle trigger too....

prob no lipo for him... for now at least. Until or if he gets more serious... also, Id probably get a new motor at that point.

i'm thinking around 3800-4000 nimh. get a few of those, and a better charger. we shall see.

 

[springboardz]

@MSgt - I like your trigger block idea - nice!

 

[MSgt]

Don't credit me...lol. I read about it several years ago when I got my kid's Stampedes.

 

[Cranius Maximus]

I bought a Granite for my son(that's what I keep telling my wife) and was also disappointed in the stock run time. After lots of reading about NiMH vs LiPo another benefit is charge times. My understanding is that the bigger the NiMH, the longer the charge takes. 2.9 hrs to charge a 2000mAh NiMH made my decision
easier. I have (2) LiPos and a charger on the way. We would rather run out of interest than battery. Just my $.02

 

[peelz75]

I bought a Granite for my son(that's what I keep telling my wife) and was also disappointed in the stock run time. After lots of reading about NiMH vs LiPo another benefit is charge times. My understanding is that the bigger the NiMH, the longer the charge takes. 2.9 hrs to charge a 2000mAh NiMH made my decision
easier. I have (2) LiPos and a charger on the way. We would rather run out of interest than battery. Just my $.02

yep. I see the stock charger is only pushing 700/hr. so takes a bit under 3 hrs to get to 2000. *yawn* we'll solve that soon. But hes only 9. if we go lipo, that's just more work for him/me, hes not ready for that. so nimh for now. looking at a deal on 2 pk of 3800's, then try that throttle block. and get a 2+amp charger. that oughtta do it. for now, at least. it's just doing donuts, and jumping little snowpiles, no need for seriousness. then, as he gets better, and maybe the motor craps out, well switch it all. brushless and lipo.

 

[springboardz]

Side note in relation to charging LiPo's - if you get into 4S and larger, you may want to consider an external power supply in order to perform balance charging in a relatively quick fashion. For example, my current setup is a Hitec X1 charger with a ProgressiveRC 350W Power Supply powering the setup. I generally only charge at 1C, but I don't like to wait hours for each of my LiPo's to charge. Others have simply picked up more beefy all-in-one chargers with a high wattage output - it all depends on preference. Generally, I have found that the higher end chargers require an external power supply...

 

[Blxer]

@peelz75, I've been using this charger for a year,

http://www.valuehobby.com/c6-and-power-supply.html

Only problem that ever occurred was a, (connection break error) that was after about 6 months of every day usage. Easily fixed by cutting and resoldering the deans connector with fresh stripped wire on the charge/discharge lead. The wire had become crisp from using it so much.

I thought I was going to need a whole new charger. If soldering isn't for you, then pickup a extra set of leads,

http://www.valuehobby.com/accessories/charge-discharge-wires/charge-cable-for-t-connector.html

It charges NIMH and lipo batteries.
Hope this helps.

 

[Cranius Maximus]

Just got my new batteries today. Looking forward to seeing how long 8000mAh lasts...

 

[springboardz]

Just got my new batteries today. Looking forward to seeing how long 8000mAh lasts...

8.0 amps? Nice! What did you get and what is the C rating?

 

[Dustin Mustangs]

I have a 7200 2s lipo that I get 45 or so minutes out of with a full charge. I normally drive it for about 30 minutes which leaves it at a safe storage voltage.

Speaking of which, another nice thing about a lipo this big is that I can get a good 15-20 minutes of run time from a storage condition with out charging first. I have young kids that don't particularly like to wait 30+ minutes to do fun stuff so that comes in handy around here pretty often.

 

[Cranius Maximus]

They are Floureon (2) 2s 8000mAh 40c from eBay for $67. I rolled the dice on the fit. The height of the battery and the foam installed in the battery box make it a very tight fit. Causes a .1" bow on the battery door. I know that this fit will bother some but I am not a professional basher. I buzz around yards and parking lots. 32 minutes of fun and mayhem and I ripped my steering arm off. Time to zip tie and order a new one. I don't know how long I have left on the battery but I'm happy so far. I also had to buy adapters because the batteries come with TRX connections.
P.S.
NO OVERHEATING ISSUES WHATSOEVER