Review: TrueRC Hard Cased LiPos 5000mAh 2S 7.4V w/ TrueRC LVC w/ e-Station BC-6

[rawfuls]

Well, I promised a review, and here it is.

I got:
(2) TrueRC Hard Cased 5000mAh 20C 2S 7.4V 2S2P LiPo packs
Link: http://home.comcast.net/~truerc/read...eady_packs.htm (Scroll Down, no direct link)

(1) TrueRC 2S Deep Discharge Protector
Link: http://home.comcast.net/~truerc/read...eady_packs.htm (Scroll Down, no direct link)

(1) e-Station BC6
Link: http://home.comcast.net/~truerc/Charge/chargers.htm (Scroll Down, no direct link)

Included with the LiPos were: (Since I bought two packs, I get double of the things... of course)
(2) Deans Harness (4mm Bullet Connectors that plug into the pack, and the deans go to the ESC)

(2) Balancing Harness (4mm Bullet Connectors, and 1mm bullet connector for balancer port)

Included with the LVC (Discharge Protector) were:
A Harness, the connects the 2S balancer harness, to the the actual port of the LVC)

Included with the e-Station BC6 were:
AC Cord (For house use)
DC Cord (Alligator clips, for 12V use)
Alligator Clips for any kind of batteries (w/ 4mm bullets, to connect to the charger)

Packaging:
Packaging for the lipos were perfect. Signature confirmation, made it even more perfect.....Bubble wrapped, everything, just perfect! The packs would not budge, so the rough handling was nothing for the lipos.

Packaging for the charger (as I ordered this separately) and the LVC was great, once again. Bubbled wrapped, in the original packaging, in another box, and then was wrapped. Items would not budge while in package, so this was another plus.

Features:
LiPos:
Connections are in 4mm bullets (from harness to actual pack, through the hard casing)
Tough casing...
Harness made of 14-16GA wire.
Original Dean Ultras.

Charger:
4mm connections
AC Cord
DC Cord
LCD Display
Can charge

• PB Batteries
• NiMH Batteries
• LiPo Batteries
• NiCD Batteries

Load/Save Battery Memory
Can balance, fast charge, or normal charge all batteries
Voltage change

LVC:
2S Capability
Different voltage cutoffs
Button for easy use
LEDs for easy use

Usage:
Prepping and then using the LiPos is so easy! Just plug the red wire (+) to the red (+) female port, and do the same for the negative, black wires. Then, it's plug and play!

Using the LVC, you need the harness, the converts the equinox to the LVC. Plug the pack in their, using a custom harness you make.
The harness that I used is:
Use the balancing and regular set of harness.. Snip the balancing + and -, and just splice them right into the Deans harness. Voila. Plug these in, and, during use simply plug the pack into the LVC. You'll want to unplug the ESC's RX plug, and plug it into the LVC (make sure the polarities are correct! By using the manual). The LVC's RX plug goes into the ESC's RX position, and voila, there you are! Using the red button, you can change the Voltage of when the LVC shuts off.

For using the charger, it's as simple as it gets. You'll want to follow the whole manual, as it'll be way confusing if I tell you it. The manual is a GREAT English, and not engrlish like most manuals are written in. You need to set the intial functions for the charger, then everything goes from there! Everything in my setup, the LVC, the packs, and even the chargers are "Plug n' Play"!

Specifications
The packs fit every single car/truck I have.
The TT-01, the E-Savage, the EMaxx, and even the Evader EXT/ST pack slots.
But, for those people who want to make sure, over and over, here are the measurements.

Length: 5.30"
Width: 1.75"
Height: 0.45"
This is with the logo facing up.

BC6:
Length: 5.50"
Width: 5.50"
Height: 1.50" (At it's tallest point)
2.50" (At it's shortest point)

LVC:
Length: 1"
Width: 0.75"
Height: 0.25"

As you can see, everything is pretty small, and compact.

Everything is measured with it's logo pointing towards the sky.

Tips:
You'll want to make sure the LVC is on it's primary side, where the ESC can power up by itself, with one pack, if it's a 2 pack (like the ESavage, EMaxx) configuration.

Charger: You'll want to put this up on something, if you're charging on carpet. My dad is just....... he thinks of the worst, so he gave me a few aluminum boxes, to stash my stuff, in case, of the worst, which will never happen. >_>

Packs: Be careful not to drop these, although they are hard cased, you never know, better safe, then sorry!
Plug one connection at a time, do not

Bottom Line:
I think my setup was very affordable, for about $150 on packs, about 150 on the charger, and 20 on the LVC, for a total of 320, I think it's as cheap as it can get, but still get decent stuff that isn't cheap stuff.

Recommendations?
I would recommend this to an avid basher or racer, in less then a heartbeat. But if you're still new, you just got a vehicle, I would NOT recommend this setup. LiPos can be very dangerous if improperly used.
My packs have been in perfect balance, but if one of them gets out of balance, I will have a big issue. Treat these with even more care, than you would with a crystal glass, while tightroping.

Pictures
My carrying case, 20 bucks from Harbor Freight.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_2323.jpg

BC6 next to my MRC 960
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_2324.jpg

Everything
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_2325.jpg

Closeup of what you need to do to use the LVC
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_2326.jpg

LiPos in their little pouch (from packaging, works great though)
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_2327.jpg

Closeup of the BC6 w/ AC and DC cords.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_2328.jpg

Everything
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_2329.jpg

[magman]

I have 2 TrueRc hard case li-pos...bought them 2 weeks ago and only ran 1 pack for 20 min...everything went very well.

[rawfuls]

Wanna donate em? I absolutely love these packs...

[magman]

Originally Posted by rawfuls

Wanna donate em? I absolutely love these packs...

Sorry, they are actually for my daughter's new crt.5...

[rawfuls]

lmao.
Of course, you had to steal your daughters CRT.5 batteries didn't you! :p
Just yankin your chain.

[BL_RV0]

Nice review!

[rawfuls]

Thanks.

[Finnster]

Can you post up any ET graphs?

[rawfuls]

Unfortunately, I don't have a ET.....
Maybe someone else has an ET?

[Tempted]

I've had a BC6 for a while now and its the best charger I've used. Very easy to get used to and very user friendly(except the instruction manual). I like how it displays Charge voltage, amperage, time and capaciity on the first screen and then you flip to the next screen to monitor each cell. Why wouldn't you recomend this to a new RCer though? NiMh are just as dangerous as LiPo without the performance. When is the last time you saw/heard of a LiPo causing any damage(minus one idiot in the TRX forum who swears his "buddy's" house burned down and now Lithium packs are banned from his job)? I mean Lithium batteries are in cell phones, laptops, cameras and pretty much everything else now. They aren't dangerous to use. I have seen MANY more NiMh and NiCd failures than LiPo failures.

Edit-this was the guy, the mods deleted the good stuff though

Originally Posted by jrfink

I also have a few electrics.
I don't like lipos. My friend burned his garage and everything in it thanks to a lipo battery.
I run NiMH in my electric vehicles. I have several hundred dollars in batteries and swap them out to run them. Gets costly and time consuming.

He went on saying that no lithium batteries were allowed on the property where he worked because they were too dangerous When we told him Lithium batteries powered cell phones, laptops, cameras and more he said that none of that was in there Just a huge laugh. Apparently the mods thought it should be necessary to delete our comments on his idiocy.

[rawfuls]

Someone.. like me, when I first started RC. I put a LiPo on a charger.. wallwart. Thankfully, my dad pulled it out, and started whipping me, and then came the lecture....

Again, I was a total tard, but, you never know...