Maxamps not up to snuff?

[DrKnow65]

Dropped this post in the maxamps factory thread but I'd like some second opinions from the brushless crowd.

OK, long winded message so put on the ole' reading glasses and grab a cup-o-joe.

Just recieved my 8000HV pack last week for my brushless XXXT project and decided to charge them up this moorning (I am posting the some 12 hours later). Soldered on the deans connectors, shuffled the wires in the balance connector to fir my B6 balance charger and proceeded to spend 4 hours balance charging the new pack at 4amps (1/2C).

Charger goes beep and the pack is done right? So I let the cells settle down half an hour and get out my trusty fluke meter to verify the cells are balanced and within voltage range... This is where it gets off track . The cells show a .03v difference... I thought .03-.05v difference is when you decide to re-balance the pack?!?! Checked on the RCM and other forums and this seems to be concensses.

So I call MA support and ask the kid if this is ok for a brand new pack -I understand balancing is important because the paperwork sais to do it. His responce is that it is borderline if it's ok or not. I ask him what I should do, if I should discharge them on the charger and try again or what? He sais not to discharge them on the charger but it's ok to run them for a bit in the car?!?!?! What??? so then he backs up and starts to explane he's the only one there untill monday and I propable shouldn't do anything until someone who might know what to do comes in... I can't use my new pack till monday?!?!

So back to the forums I go. I find some info about discharging the cells to balanced level and then charging them agan as the 300ma shunt in the charger might not be enough to overcome the difference in cells at a higher charge rate. Makes sense. So I discharge the cells to 3.8volts at 1amp individually via the balance connector and then let them sit the 15min to stabalize (another 4 hour ordeal) test the cells and we are at 3.84vots each (perfect). The charger did take almost 300mah more out of one than the other but I figured they were not the same to begin with.

Back to the balance charger at 4amps and another 3 hours. BEEP, check the voltage again .04volts different. Kind of saw this coming as the charge voltage came up a little quicker on one than the other. Now it's night and I'm a little upset. I rigged up a car headlight to load the battery (4.5amps) and checked the voltage at the balance plug to see if mabey it's more balanced under a bit of a load, started at .04v difference and now it's up to .05v difference after 15 minutes.

So MaxAmps people, and anyone else who wants to drop an opinion (gonna copy this post for another thread in brushless).

1.Are these cells acceptable at the voltage difference they display?
2.Would they be considered "matched" at this difference?
3.Would a difference like this affect life span/failure potential?
4.Would quick charging these cells (non-balanced) exagurate the difference?

VERY well said BP

That should be sticked into a lipo thread on all the brands (true rc, max amps, TrakPower, FP etc...... Then have all the data logger graphs to prove how good they are, and then we can choose which packs are best for what cash we have, of course, im a Flight power, TrakPower dude =)

[rchippie]

Originally Posted by BlackedOutREVO

VERY well said BP

That should be sticked into a lipo thread on all the brands (true rc, max amps, TrakPower, FP etc...... Then have all the data logger graphs to prove how good they are, and then we can choose which packs are best for what cash we have, of course, im a Flight power, TrakPower dude =)

Guys dont foget thunder power, poly quest, or hyperion. they use the enerland cells also.

I said etc

I havent tried poly quest or hyperion

[rchippie]

Originally Posted by BlackedOutREVO

I said etc

I havent tried poly quest or hyperion

My bad i did not see that .

So, enerland are the best you can buy?

Why does most people say flight power over EVERYONE? If its the same cells, whats different?

[rchippie]

[QUOTE=BlackedOutREVO;125573]So, enerland are the best you can buy?

Why does most people say flight power over EVERYONE? If its the same cells, whats different?[/QUOTE

Thats what i understand from reading all the different forums. As for why people say FP is the best when several others use the same cells, i dont know maybe it's marketing or that alot of people dont know that other companys like Thunderpower or polyquest or hyperion use enerland cells as well.

[skellyo]

Originally Posted by BlackedOutREVO

So, enerland are the best you can buy?

Why does most people say flight power over EVERYONE? If its the same cells, whats different?

I was always under the impression that FP matched their cells better than the other folks.

Aside from that, they are so much easier to find these days than the other brands because tower is now carrying them.

[tallyram]

Originally Posted by BlackedOutREVO

So, enerland are the best you can buy?

Why does most people say flight power over EVERYONE? If its the same cells, whats different?

could also have something to do with assembly and materials used during assembly. i read that on an airplane forum.

Hmm, I have heard alot of heli guys say there FP packs have more power then there thunder power packs.....

I really didnt know there all enerland, thats good to know!

[Serum]

from my understandings flightpower uses a higher grade of enerland cells than others. Dafni once showed me a graph with a test of both flightpower and another enerland cell of the same capacity.

Originally Posted by Serum

from my understandings flightpower uses a higher grade of enerland cells than others. Dafni once showed me a graph with a test of both flightpower and another enerland cell of the same capacity.

Thats what I also got out of everyones opinion.....

And im sure if that came from Daf, it has to be good

[mwry13]

in regards to the max amps cells, ive had a horrible time with them. i work at a hobby store part time and with the recent realease with the brushless Traxxas cars as well as the max amps 3s "traxxas" packs... ive seen so many puff on them, catch fire, or just simply not take a charge. Max amps definatly has the advertising thing down but in my experience, there quality of the packs arent quite up to snuff.

just my 2 cents

[Serum]

yeah, thickness of wires used, quality of the solder-links on the cells.

[neweuser]

How you build a pack even matters on NiMh, so Lipo I would assume is even more important on how they perform depending on how they are built.