- Messages
- 149
- Reaction score
- 227
- Location
- Cleveland, OH
- Arrma RC's
- BigRock 4x4
- Infraction
- Kraton 8S
- Kraton EXB
- Senton 3s
I bought into the "Smart" stuff from Spektrum because I wanted to protect my family. However, it seems that the smart system may actually hinder that. Can anyone confirm that I am experiencing what I think I am?
Yesterday we plugged a few LiPos in to charge. After a run, we usually just charge them up fully and put them away in their lipo bags because they automatically put themselves in storage mode. This is one of the reasons I invested in the smart eco-system... getting a 12 year old to put stuff away is hard enough. This makes it simpler.
The primary reason for smart stuff was because I thought I was protecting my family. I kept the Firma electronics in multiple of my vehicles because they all came with IC5's and I don't have to mess around with it. I later purchased an S2200. We have a total of 3 smart chargers and 10x smart lipos. This is so convenient and I love that I don't have to worry about things as much.
When I received my first few LiPo batteries I checked them regularly. When I purchased new ones I used the S2200 to check them out and charge them up. I was actually able to find a bad LiPo out of the box because of this system. The system alerted me that there was a voltage off and after one quick email to Horizon I had a replacement a day or two later. Fast forward and it's been so convenient that we're just plugging in packs and letting them be. They might not be the best LiPos on the market for punch/speed but man does knowing I have this smart system monitoring my packs make me feel so much safer about them. It's a trade off for a less punchy battery but, to me, it's worth it.
UNTIL ..... yesterday.
I plugged in two LiPos and for whatever reason both of them have dropped the center cell! Guess what the smart system did? They realized they were 3S packs and that each cell should only charge to 4.2v and displayed an error.
Ok. That's a lie. That's not what they did. That's what I wish they had done.
They did nothing.
Yesterday we plugged a few LiPos in to charge. After a run, we usually just charge them up fully and put them away in their lipo bags because they automatically put themselves in storage mode. This is one of the reasons I invested in the smart eco-system... getting a 12 year old to put stuff away is hard enough. This makes it simpler.
The primary reason for smart stuff was because I thought I was protecting my family. I kept the Firma electronics in multiple of my vehicles because they all came with IC5's and I don't have to mess around with it. I later purchased an S2200. We have a total of 3 smart chargers and 10x smart lipos. This is so convenient and I love that I don't have to worry about things as much.
When I received my first few LiPo batteries I checked them regularly. When I purchased new ones I used the S2200 to check them out and charge them up. I was actually able to find a bad LiPo out of the box because of this system. The system alerted me that there was a voltage off and after one quick email to Horizon I had a replacement a day or two later. Fast forward and it's been so convenient that we're just plugging in packs and letting them be. They might not be the best LiPos on the market for punch/speed but man does knowing I have this smart system monitoring my packs make me feel so much safer about them. It's a trade off for a less punchy battery but, to me, it's worth it.
UNTIL ..... yesterday.
I plugged in two LiPos and for whatever reason both of them have dropped the center cell! Guess what the smart system did? They realized they were 3S packs and that each cell should only charge to 4.2v and displayed an error.
Ok. That's a lie. That's not what they did. That's what I wish they had done.
They did nothing.