mike- the multiplex can charge 5 cells (most i will run) and up to 5 amps for lipo. thats not bad at all for the price. the astroflight can charge 9 amps, but thats not a ton more. i can get by with the multi plex even if i buy new packs.

Man I so wish I could compete with the Nitro MT's with my electric truck but lasting those long mains 15-30 mins isn't going to happen. A battery change would eat up some time.

5 cells at 5 amps isn't bad at all! So, this could charge a 5ooomah , 5s pack in about an hour. Not too shabby. The Astro could charge a 8000mah 5s pack AND a 8000 mah 4s pack in the same time, though!

yeah thats what i was thinking. i just cant afford to have 2 chargers, so the multiplex looks perfect to me. all in 1.

Can't beat it for the price.

Oh, it can be done. 15 minutes would be pretty easy, actually. In racing, you could always sacrafice some top speed in exchange for runtime as well. Speed doesn't win races-it is usually the driver that wins. There is a user on this board that gets about 15 minutes of run time in an electric revo with gp2200 cells! Also, one pit stop in a 30 minute main would still allow you to be competitive.

I 2nd that!!! Just took out my maxx with 2000XL/18cells. Temps here are around 33*C today. I ran my truck for about 20-25minutes of speed runs and some pootling around in 1st, and the batts still had PLENTY left. Batts were cold, 7020 was barely warm, and the 2000XL was quite toasty. My batts are 3300's, but took 3575mah when charging.

A 15minute main should be no problem with 3300, and with a decent set of lipos (4000mah+) and a high turn motor (1600XL/1200XL), a 30minute main should be no problem.

Whats the average time to exchange batteries.

In the larger west coast races they normally have two seperate classes. Electric and nitro correct? Maybe I only need to last 15 mins.


So I'm looking at like $400 for lipos and charger? So many decisions! Thats why I love this hobby lol

-Thanks guys!


** Edit **

Well Mike maybe my esc or motor was toast because my run times were horrible. When I get it back I'll re-test my runs times.

I'm drastically thinking about going electric revo. Maybe keep e-maxx stuff that I need for T-maxx then sell the rest and buy another revo? Hmm.... lol

It's not the cheapest setup, as a matter of fact it may be the most expensive for the numbers, but I'll be running FMA/Kokam's new BalancePro packs in a few weeks (when they're actually out).
I'll be running two of the 2s2p packs in series. It will work out to 14.8v and 6400 mAh. I'll also be getting the specialized charger for the BalancePro. This should mean I'll get both batteries charged to 90% in about an hour. The charger goes up to 10 amps and the batteries can be charged up to 3C with the specific charger.
This is the setup I'll be using to get my 1/8th buggy through a 15 or 30 minute main. I'll probably be better off going from the 8L ot the 9L for this (Mike?).

I also have 2 of the 3s 3200 Kokam packs (20C) that I'll run in parallel for the same purpose. These are charged with my ICE charger at 1C each, which takes about twice as long.

For 14.8 volts on a 1/8 buggy, you should probably go to the 10L motor.

You'll see the order for one in about 3 weeks :)

Just make sure that the buggy hasn't got a metal spur.. (it has got an untaimable hunger for pinions... ;) )

Are Lipos safe, I really want to try them but get really put off with all these warnings that they are very unstaible? What is it that makes them unstable?

That is a loaded question(are they safe). A primary reason they are more dangerous than their nimh or Nicad counterparts is the fact that they contain more energy. They also don't have a hard case like the nimh, so they are more prone to damage this way. If they are cared for properly, they are pretty safe. I haven't had any disasters and I run them all the time.

How do I know how many Lipos my charger can do? It says upto 5 at 8000mAh. Is this good? Are Lipos just 1 cell? Is that all you need?

Hmm. Think I will stick with my NIMHs.