Rant: People using cheap batts

[skellyo]

Ok here goes:

[RANT]
It seems there are many folks intelligent enough to be able to set up and use multiple electric RC's, but simply lack the understanding of what a battery with a poor C rating does under load. I see people on other forums lately posting links to the cheapie Tenergy 3500 sub-C packs on eBay and proclaiming them as great cells. Do these people know what a great cell is? How on earth can a sub-C capable of a 10C max discharge rate be a good cell?

Aside from that, how cheap do you really have to be to buy a $12 battery pack when you have at least a $2-300 vehicle? Ok, so I know there are many out there in the RC World that simply buy something because it has a high capacity and is cheap, but anyone old enough to be a member of any online RC forum should know that you pretty much get what you pay for.
[/RANT]

Ok, I'm done ranting now. I just get aggravated at things like that and think it's sort of like buying a new HDTV and only feeding it a standard definition video input. Sure, it'll work, but what a waste of $ if you're not using the performance capabilities.

[BrianG]

When running those batteries in 1/10th and 1/8th scale vehicles, the current requirements can be quite high indeed and weak batteries will definitely lessen performance. I can see maybe running smaller scale vehicles with less-than-perfect cells since current draw requirements are less. Maybe in lighter (~4lbs) 1/10th scale vehicles like stadium trucks might be ok as long as the user isn't looking for high speed and/or high acceleration rates.

The people extolling those cells as being a "good deal" should amend the statement to say "relatively good cells for the money".

[jollyjumper]

i think there is no way those el cheapo cells can handle the 120amps + spikes that 1/8th scales dish out.

[nbcaznmaster]

lol, it sounds like your talking about me. Im really cheap, but i aint dumb.