lunchbox question

[charlo 0]

Hi guys, looking to get either a clod or lunchbox but I'm not so sure about what's required to get a lunchbox ready for lipo's. I know people recommend the hobbywing 860 esc for the clod but which esc should I get for the LB ? Otherwise I know it's possible to use the stock tamiya esc with lipos but I'm not very familiar with buzzer alarms you're supposed to install. Some help would be appreciated ! THanks

[TurnipJF 9192]

The Quicrun 1060 is the one to go for in a Lunchbox with a brushed motor. It has a LiPo cutout so you don't need to worry about buzzers. 

[charlo 0]

all right, thanks for the info. Now I just need to wait, every rc stores in canada are out of stock of clodbusters and lunchbox...the pandemic must have messed up the inventory

[DeadMeat666 1675]

I don't know about the Clod, but the Lunchbox's battery compartment is designed with oval Nimh batteries in mind, so some modification of the chassis would be required to fit the typically square Lipos, unless you won't mind buying oval Lipo batteries.

[EvilSpike 294]

3 hours ago, charlo said:

what's required to get a lunchbox ready for lipo's

As Deadmeat says, the battery compartment will need a little of the webbing shaving down with a dremmel to fit the square edged packs.

I have seen someone mount a Lipo inside the tub of the chassis longitudinally and I don't think it took much effort. If I remember rightly they were advertising a battery tray on ebay.co.uk to hold it in from the top?

[charlo 0]

couldn't I just buy an oval lipo ? Do they even exist ?

[jupitertwo 1484]

48 minutes ago, charlo said:

couldn't I just buy an oval lipo ? Do they even exist ?

Yep, they do 

https://www.modelsport.co.uk/core-rc-4000mahr-7-4v-30-60c-2s-lipo/rc-car-products/388538
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07PLCVF6V/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_01P3FbV5W3R6R?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

etc

 

[TurnipJF 9192]

1 hour ago, charlo said:

couldn't I just buy an oval lipo ? Do they even exist ?

Almost all my LiPos are oval. They are far more versatile than the rectangular ones, as an oval LiPo can fit both oval and rectangular battery bays, and if you get the Core RC ones, they are short enough to fit the vast majority of NiCad and NiMH battery bays too.

[smirk-racing 253]

I have used my normal 2s and 3s packs for many years in my lunchbox (both soft case and hard case).

I recall one 3s pack which was just a little too tall, and so I added a few small washers under the all the attachment points for the battery holder (see red arrows below). That basically lowered the battery holder a few millmeters and that allowed the pack to fit easily. However, that was for a 4400mah 3s, which is WAY too big. I'd say something as small as 1800-2000 mah 3s can get you by in a pinch, or ~3000mah 2s. When using smaller lipos I often found I'd need to wrap the entire lipo in a small sheet of foam in order to get it to fit firmly within the battery compartment. Although the lunchie bounces around a lot, I never once had a lipo come loose.

Obviously it all depends on the size of lipo you're using, but I am able to re-use some of the same square edge hard case lipos I use in my other vehicles in my Lunchbox.

It is ideal to get a lipo that fits "just right" but sometimes it is also nice to just re-use whatever you're using in other vehicles.

I did not have to use the dremel in order to fit my standard lipos, although I've read about others needing to do so.

 

[berman 5315]

If you buy a 1060 for a lunchbox, you ideally will have to extend the power cables as they will be short, and I would replace the 1060s switch with a traditional one that fits the factory location.

[Dakratfink 967]

I use the oval lipos in my Pumpkin (same chassis as a lunchbox.) I have run the Tamiya ESC in my m06 with a lipo. If you go that route the alarms are easy to use. You just plug-in in to your lipo’s balance lead. In fact a lot of drone (and some car )people run them even with an esc that has lipo cutoff built in because they are so cheap and easy.  
if you don’t want to go the plug in alarm beeper route the Hobbywing 1060 is like $20 USD and probably one of ten best brushed ESCs you can get for the money 

[Wooders28 4723]

Not had any fitment issues with any 2s stick Lipos in the lunchbox, but 3s can be a bit of a squeeze.

1060 esc is the way to go for any brushed RC imo.