question about battery chargers

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Pete - 28 Mar 2006 08:15 GMT

I have a question about recharging NiMH batteries for my R/C car. (I
have a DuraTrax Evader ST RTR.) Is it really all that important to
discharge the batteries before charging them? What happens if you
don't? The reason I ask is because I want to buy DuraTrax's twin pulse
charger (I like that you can charge 2 at once), but I noticed it does
not discharge the batteries, it only charges them. Will buying a
charger that discharges the batteries have that much of an effect? If
discharging is important for battery life, I would rather buy one with
that feature, even if I lose the ability to charge 2 at once. I am
brand new to this hobby, so I don't know much about batteries and
charging. Thanks.

-Pete

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M78Ultra - 28 Mar 2006 21:25 GMT

The way I see it is ...if your not into real serious racing and you don't
have to have your batteries "conditioned" perfectly, don't worry about a
discharger.
The R/C itself serves as the discharger...just run it 'till it dont run no
more.
I use the Intellipeak Twin Charger for our batts in our 2 Evaders and never
had a problem.
I would recommend actually storing your NiMH batts with a charge if they
aren't going to be used for awhile.
Also, I would recommend charging them atleast once a month or so (if not
being used) to keep them from going totally flat.
When using NiMH batts..also be sure to let them cool down all the way before
recharging them. Check them while they are charging as well to see that they
do not get overly hot. If they get real hot..disconnect them and let them
cool and start over.
With a NiMH battery if your not going to use it until say tomorrow, you can
charge it today and then "top it off" (put it back on the charger)on the day
you are going to use it. It will "top off" rather quickly, and give the
battery it's full "go-go" juice and help avoid it from being "flat".
We run basic Epic 3000 packs mainly in our Evaders. (Just a decent basic
NiMH pack)

You can pick up EPIC 3000 or Dreadnaught NiMH batts from Tower pretty cheap.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHBP3&P=ML

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXERB5&P=ML

> I have a question about recharging NiMH batteries for my R/C car. (I
> have a DuraTrax Evader ST RTR.) Is it really all that important to
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> -Pete

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M78Ultra - 28 Mar 2006 22:06 GMT

Some other basic tips for your Evader ST (if it is all stock)
Pick up a high torque/speed metal gear servo for the steering...if it has
the factory one it will more than likely strip out real soon.
If you want a bit more speed with stock motor:
Don't use DuraTrax motor brushes (they stink)..Install Trinity 4383 Silver
Serrated Brushes
Install Trinity 4038 Extra Heavy Duty Motor Springs
The Trinity Brushes and Springs added about 5mph over stock speed on our
Evaders.
Be sure to pick up com cleaner stick and some electric motor spray as well
(the video with a RTR Evader shows the basics on cleaning the motor)
HTH

> The way I see it is ...if your not into real serious racing and you don't
> have to have your batteries "conditioned" perfectly, don't worry about a
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
> >
> > -Pete

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Techpriest - 30 Mar 2006 13:55 GMT

I agree with M78Ultra that with NIMH batteries it is not a big deal.
Some racers say the batteries have more punch after a good discharge,
but for playing and novice racing, you would probably not notice the
differance.

I wanted to add that with NICD batteries it is a big deal. If you do
not discharge them all the way every few runs they will stop taking a
full charge. If you get some NICDs later you can get a seperate
discharger fairly cheap, so don't let that play a big part in your
charger selection.

Given the choice, your better off with NIMHs. Somebody might offer you
a great deal on NICDs though, so just keep that in mind.

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Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Land Models / March 2006

question about battery chargers