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Jorgen

Getting back into rc after 35 years👍🙂

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5 minutes ago, Snakehands said:

Err, clue for you: I've got more than one pack. Run for 10 minutes, check buggy, change pack, rinse and repeat. It's laughable to claim that 1200mah is 'unusable' and fun destroying. Anyway, they perform much better without heavy bricks inside them.

We have more than one pack too, in fact we have four 3300-3600mah NiMh per kids buggy and two 4000-5000mah LiPo for each of my buggies. About 30 packs in total. 

Still doesn't make me want to charge them every 5 minutes and would cause logistical problems as we only have a couple of chargers but will be running three or four buggies at the same time (I have multiple kids). We just spend all day running then I charge the packs later in the evening after the days running is complete. This is especially true when we are out at the beach/park or at an event miles from home and in a place with no mains power. I wouldn't want to be charging loads of packs constantly off my 1:1 car battery or even it's separate leisure battery.

Also, changing batteries in our buggies is a PITA. On the Avante2001 and Egress the hard case LiPo is a tight fit between upper and lower decks so if any grit gets trapped in there the battery jams so we prefer to wash the car first before attempting to change packs. Same with the DT02 and DT03 with internal battery tray that mean you have to remove shell to change battery. After running through dirt, mud and grass the buggies are filthy and we don't want that dirt dripping all over our electronics and battery trays so we tend to wash them first by hosing them. So in our case we prefer to charge as little as possible, run as much as possible and then wash cars at end of day.:)

 

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You do it your way then but there's still nothing intrinsically wrong with running light. Still, if your totally obsessed with max run times then you'll obviously hold up a crucifix at such an idea.

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@Snakehands Are you breaking your vintage cars every 10 minutes so you have to stop and check them? Literally the only benefit to your battery suggestion is less weight. Any car, especially a vintage car, is plenty fast enough on a stock silvercan with NiMH battery, even a heavy one. You say that weight is the biggest performance killer but you're still running vintage cars with tiny 2s batteries, so you can't be that concerned with performance? Oh wait, there's a second benefit--it's not just the weight--Lipo 2s is 7.4V and NiMH 6 cell is 7.2V--OF COURSE lipo will be faster! The voltage is higher!

I'm with mud4fun on this. I need a balance. I don't care how heavy it is, or that it has 0.2V more than NiMH, I don't want to be changing batteries every 5 or 10 minutes (the reason I don't use my old NiCds anymore either). Unless I'm doing something stupid, my vintage cars can run through multiple high capacity NiMH packs per day without breaking. That reliability and runtime, to me, is worth any tradeoff in weight or performance. There are plenty of other areas on the car that can be upgraded for better performance. In my opinion, "runtime" is part of the overall "performance" umbrella anyway.

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The weird thing is @El Gecko that my vintage buggies are all running 33K+ rpm motors, all capable of 40mph+ top speeds, are tuned for racing and can do a sustained 150-200 laps of a postal racing track or about 100 laps of our much larger and very rough garden track on one charge of my high capacity LiPo. I sincerely doubt Snakehands silver can powered car can match that performance, lap times or race duration on even a light 1500mah LiPo so I think performance is a red herring. The higher capacity LiPo wins every time?  Like you, I can run my vintage buggies at that high performance level for hours upon hours without breakage. Indeed none of mine or my kids vintage buggies has suffered a failure in the last 10000 laps of postal racing! :)

My daughters Thundershots have gone for a year without breakage, must be over 50+ hours hard use each bashing and racing including jumps and hitting kerbs etc and they have been running heavy high capacity Nimhs, typically running 30-40 mins per charge.

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This is a great thread...I have too just come back into this world and the old batteries certainly dont charge and more.  I did get a newer battery (still old) and that worked but i think my older charger burnt it out....

So i have a thunder shot, Hornet and  Peugeot 406 ST, what battiers and fast charger would people recommend? 

Overlander NX-20 NiMH 20W Compact Charger ?

Nimh Battery Pack SubC 3300mah 6v Flat Premium Sport (overlander.co.uk) ?

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12 minutes ago, mud4fun said:

 

My daughters Thundershots have gone for a year without breakage, must be over 50+ hours hard use each bashing and racing including jumps and hitting kerbs etc and they have been running heavy high capacity Nimhs, typically running 30-40 mins per charge.

Hit a curb and bits break off. Now I know your just making things up to bolster your nebulous case for running heavy. 

 

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1 hour ago, El Gecko said:

@Snakehands Are you breaking your vintage cars every 10 minutes so you have to stop and check them?

No, after about 10 minutes of running I just check them over. 

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5 minutes ago, scott1979 said:

This is a great thread...I have too just come back into this world and the old batteries certainly dont charge and more.  I did get a newer battery (still old) and that worked but i think my older charger burnt it out....

So i have a thunder shot, Hornet and  Peugeot 406 ST, what battiers and fast charger would people recommend? 

Overlander NX-20 NiMH 20W Compact Charger ?

Nimh Battery Pack SubC 3300mah 6v Flat Premium Sport (overlander.co.uk) ?

I'd get a Lipo compatible charger and use Lipo packs. https://www.overlander.co.uk/chargers/overlander-rc-s65-ac-65w-balance-charger-discharger.html

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19 minutes ago, Snakehands said:

Hit a curb and bits break off. Now I know your just making things up to bolster your nebulous case for running heavy. 

 

No, it just shows you have an odd outlook on using your cars?

Our buggies are modified, with the Thundershot A5 being cut in half and the rear B8 used instead. This reduced stress on the front suspension mount in the event of a collision. On top of that we use adjustable upper arms on many of our race buggies which flex under impact and further reduce impact damage from glancing kerbs.

Our Avante class buggies have had after market alloy hubs plus the much stronger re-re gold anodised alloy hub carriers fitted.

So I'm sorry to say but you are very wrong and naive. In fact your responses are so odd that I will cease to respond and assume you a troll.

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28 minutes ago, scott1979 said:

This is a great thread...I have too just come back into this world and the old batteries certainly dont charge and more.  I did get a newer battery (still old) and that worked but i think my older charger burnt it out....

So i have a thunder shot, Hornet and  Peugeot 406 ST, what battiers and fast charger would people recommend? 

Overlander NX-20 NiMH 20W Compact Charger ?

Nimh Battery Pack SubC 3300mah 6v Flat Premium Sport (overlander.co.uk) ?

NiMH will work perfectly fine in the old cars, and often they come with Tamiya plugs so there is no modification needed. You just want to make sure you get "6-cell" and "7.2V" and as high of a mAh rating as you can afford. A 6-cell 7.2V pack is the standard size for most Tamiya cars and is basically a direct replacement for the old 7.2V 6-cell NiCD batteries. The mAh will determine how long of a runtime you get (older NiCds were 1200-1800mAh, for example, and new NiMH can be 5000mAh, which is why they run longer).

Lipo batteries come in different shapes and with different connectors, and often require modification to fit in the old cars. Lipo batteries also require safe handling so they don't explode or catch fire.

That charger you've linked should work for NiMH/NiCd, but if you're ever thinking about upgrading to Lipo in the future, you might want to get one that does NiMH and Lipo.

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1 hour ago, scott1979 said:

Arent Lipo more problematic, will they run with my old gear now issue? 

2S Lipo is 7.4v versus  6cell NmHi at 7.2v so not much in it voltage wise. The Lipo will hold nominal voltage for more of the discharge curve. You just need to read up on how to look after Lipos but that are pretty easy to use. For example, you mustn't over discharge them. and you have to store them at the correct storage voltage as well. Might seem like a lot to learn but it's not really.

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1 hour ago, mud4fun said:

No, it just shows you have an odd outlook on using your cars?

 

Nothing odd about not crashing into things like curbs. I've never needed to mod stuff because I don't wreck it in the first place. 

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4 minutes ago, Snakehands said:

Nothing odd about not crashing into things like curbs. I've never needed to mod stuff because I don't wreck it in the first place. 

Then why would you stop every 10 minutes to check the car if you haven't wrecked it? Your arguments make no sense.

Unless you're simply trying to justify using inferior batteries? This is getting a bit quixotic.

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3 minutes ago, El Gecko said:

Then why would you stop every 10 minutes to check the car if you haven't wrecked it? Your arguments make no sense.

Unless you're simply trying to justify using inferior batteries? This is getting a bit quixotic.

Because they are old vintage cars and I want to run them but not into the ground. I'm not stripping them down every 10min, you big silly goose!

If I want to run for an hour I'll get my Slash out or my 1/5th scale IC.  

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15 minutes ago, Snakehands said:

Because they are old vintage cars and I want to run them but not into the ground.

Based on this statement, you should be driving very lightly and using 7.2V 5000mAh NiMH to enjoy driving your old cars slowly for longer.

It's not the miles that ruins the old cars, it's the wrecks. That lipo you use makes the car FASTER than in its original configuration, so you will be more prone to wrecking. It also wears things out faster since the RPMs are higher, higher power/more force, etc.

Basically you are doing the exact opposite of what you intend.

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14 minutes ago, El Gecko said:

Based on this statement, you should be driving very lightly and using 7.2V 5000mAh NiMH to enjoy driving your old cars slowly for longer.

It's not the miles that ruins the old cars, it's the wrecks. That lipo you use makes the car FASTER than in its original configuration, so you will be more prone to wrecking. It also wears things out faster since the RPMs are higher, higher power/more force, etc.

Basically you are doing the exact opposite of what you intend.

That's complete and utter rubbish. Unloading all that weight reduces the stress on everything. It's simply Newtonian physics. I'm not the one who has had to mod the cr*p out of his vintage buggies due to crashes. 

Anyway, the original question was about putting a hotter motor and I said you can get better performance from running a light 2S. 

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2 hours ago, El Gecko said:

NiMH will work perfectly fine in the old cars, and often they come with Tamiya plugs so there is no modification needed. You just want to make sure you get "6-cell" and "7.2V" and as high of a mAh rating as you can afford. A 6-cell 7.2V pack is the standard size for most Tamiya cars and is basically a direct replacement for the old 7.2V 6-cell NiCD batteries. The mAh will determine how long of a runtime you get (older NiCds were 1200-1800mAh, for example, and new NiMH can be 5000mAh, which is why they run longer).

Lipo batteries come in different shapes and with different connectors, and often require modification to fit in the old cars. Lipo batteries also require safe handling so they don't explode or catch fire.

That charger you've linked should work for NiMH/NiCd, but if you're ever thinking about upgrading to Lipo in the future, you might want to get one that does NiMH and Lipo.

Any you recommend batteries and charger?

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23 minutes ago, scott1979 said:

Any you recommend batteries and charger?

I use this charger for my NiMHs (have not tried with Lipo but appears to be ready and the reviews say it works fine):

https://www.horizonhobby.com/product/prophet-sport-mini-50w-multichemistry-charger/DYNC2030.html?KPID=DYNC2030&CAWELAID=320011980001425425&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=97846720982&CATCI=pla-899697836082&utm_campaign=shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzbH059q87gIVT__jBx3NXAR7EAQYBCABEgIt5_D_BwE

For NiCds, I still use the ancient 15-minute quick charger, but I hardly ever run NiCds anymore. You can't mix NiCd and NiMH batteries and chargers--that's probably why your NiMH died.

For new NiMH batteries, there are a lot out there but Tenergy seems to be some of the best for performance. I have Traxxas and Gens Ace brand batteries at the moment. The biggest thing is to find one with the right specs. 6-cell, 7.2V is what you want for the old cars, to match the old NiCd ratings, and the capacity can vary from around 2000mAh up 8000mAh I think I've seen. More capacity = longer runtimes but generally anything from 3-5000mAh is a good target.

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38 minutes ago, Snakehands said:

That's complete and utter rubbish. Unloading all that weight reduces the stress on everything. It's simply Newtonian physics. I'm not the one who has had to mod the cr*p out of his vintage buggies due to crashes. 

Anyway, the original question was about putting a hotter motor and I said you can get better performance from running a light 2S. 

I think you have me confused with someone else. My buggies are not modded like you say, and I don't really crash much because they aren't built to be stupidly fast.

You can argue for "less weight" but a few hundred grams is not going to make that much of a difference in a car that was DESIGNED for a heavier battery anyway.

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@Snakehands can you post a picture of your extensive RC car collection so we can see what your experience and expertise is based on?

I would like to see a picture or at least the details of this mythical super light 1500mah LiPo as I have been unable to find one to buy anywhere? Or a link to where I can buy one? After all, it is what you were recommending?

I see you have been a member since 2009 but have no pictures in your showroom and seemingly only own one car, a Sand Scorcher which is hardly the pinnacle of performance is it, quite frankly it is a utterly diabolical for performance? I have one, owned since new in 1981and is utterly cr*p so hardly a basis for dishing out advice on what is or isn't good for performance and has zero relevance for anything produced since 1982.

Myself and my kids have 12 vintage buggies we use daily, all leagues ahead of a Sand Scorcher for performance and anybody that has ever actually used a buggy, from whatever manufacturer, will know that there are design flaws or weaknesses in just about every design. We rectify them to be able to utilise our cars. If you don't recognise or understand this it means you have not run your cars frequently enough or in competitive environments. I would hazzard a guess that even my youngest daughter has more real world experience in driving a buggy, and probably puts in more hours of run time in one month than your entire life, so your comments and recommendations are truly laughable. 

Unlike a Sand Scorcher, our Egress, Avante2001 and Vanquish were designed to RACE. They were expensive when new and are still expensive now. We have three of them being used in the sort of conditions and races they were designed for. Just like racers of the day we have modified ours to suit race conditions. Any racer that says they never crash is either lying or has never won a race. You will crash and you will need to repair and modify your buggy. That is a fact.  From your comments I assume you have never raced so you comments are both irrelevant and grossly obnoxious as you have no idea what you are talking about.

Your arguments are irrational, contradictory, abusive and verging on perverse - classic troll behaviour. 

 

 

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Well... that escalated quickly gentleman.

 

I think this charge is idiot proof and the logic behind my statemant is...

a Quanom Cube 4A charger basically charges at a rate of 4A. On a 4000mAh battery its a 1Hour charge.

It can charge 2, 3, 4S. BUT smaller batteries puff (1300-1500mAh) after 10 or more charges.

and I have a separate charger now for my NiCd.

A voltcraft v-charge, simple 1A charger.

these are basically plug and charge chargers, nothing to setup.

for storage of lipos just charge them until 75%
 

Quanum Cube charger

103684.jpg

voltcraft v - charger eco 1000

image.jpg?x=250&y=250
 

(these Volrcraft chargers are also for lipos out there. Costing only 15€ new)

for using lipos with old rc gear you need a lipo alarm, a buzzer that tells you when the battery is done.

tester-buzzer-for-lipo-batteries-of-1-to

 

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Yeah, we use a SkyRC T100 for balance and storage charging the LiPos and a Pro-Peak super nova for discharging and charging NiCd's and NiMh's. The SkyRC T100 doesn't have a discharge mode for NiCd/NiMh so is poor for those. We also use some Pro-Peak quick chargers for emergency use when away from home that can run off the 1:1 car batteries but we rarely use them these days as our packs are all higher capacity.

We always store the LiPos at storage charge in a fireproof box. The NiCD/NiMh are fully discharged after use then fully charged. They are stored fully charged. We have NiCd that are 20-30 years old still retaining 90% capacity even after 3000+ charge cycles so we must be doing something right :)

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1 hour ago, mud4fun said:

@Snakehands can you post a picture of your extensive RC car collection so we can see what your experience and expertise is based on?

I would like to see a picture or at least the details of this mythical super light 1500mah LiPo as I have been unable to find one to buy anywhere? Or a link to where I can buy one? After all, it is what you were recommending?

I see you have been a member since 2009 but have no pictures in your showroom and seemingly only own one car, a Sand Scorcher which is hardly the pinnacle of performance is it, quite frankly it is a utterly diabolical for performance? I have one, owned since new in 1981and is utterly cr*p so hardly a basis for dishing out advice on what is or isn't good for performance and has zero relevance for anything produced since 1982.

Myself and my kids have 12 vintage buggies we use daily, all leagues ahead of a Sand Scorcher for performance and anybody that has ever actually used a buggy, from whatever manufacturer, will know that there are design flaws or weaknesses in just about every design. We rectify them to be able to utilise our cars. If you don't recognise or understand this it means you have not run your cars frequently enough or in competitive environments. I would hazzard a guess that even my youngest daughter has more real world experience in driving a buggy, and probably puts in more hours of run time in one month than your entire life, so your comments and recommendations are truly laughable. 

Your arguments are irrational, contradictory, abusive and verging on perverse - classic troll behaviour. 

 

 

I'm not posting pictures on here as it's too much agro. Get yourself over to Tamiya Legends on Facebook and introduce yourself and I'll post pictures there for you. 

 

Current inventory of vintage Tamiya:

x2 Sand Scorchers, x2 Hot Shots, 1 Super Shot, x2 Thunder Shots, x1 Terra Scorcher, x1 Porsche 959. All are running except the 959. 

Lipo wise, I've got a few 1500 (85mm x 35mm x15mm) and even one 1300 2s. If you can't find a 1500 2s via google then I don't know what to tell you. 

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23 minutes ago, Snakehands said:

I'm not posting pictures on here as it's too much agro. Get yourself over to Tamiya Legends on Facebook and introduce yourself and I'll post pictures there for you. 

 

Current inventory of vintage Tamiya:

x2 Sand Scorchers, x2 Hot Shots, 1 Super Shot, x2 Thunder Shots, x1 Terra Scorcher, x1 Porsche 959. All are running except the 959. 

Lipo wise, I've got a few 1500 (85mm x 35mm x15mm) and even one 1300 2s. If you can't find a 1500 2s via google then I don't know what to tell you. 

Tamiya Legends is a shelf queen collector. As much as I enjoy his videos, what he knows about running or racing vintage RC buggies could be written on the tip of a small pin. Even my youngest daughter groans at his advice. Seriously if you are prepared to share your collection there rather than here and you hold him in such fine regard then it explains alot.....:D

He is a great guy, enjoyable videos and makes some awesome looking cars but they are all display only stuff. You don't put spacers in your shocks and lower your Egress to look good on a shelf... The shocks and ride height are adjusted for terrain and on most dirt tracks my daughter's could wip his a*rse in a race.

I think your comment answers all my questions....... I know exactly what I'm dealing with :lol:

You don't need to say anymore.

I showed my kids this and they are rolling around the floor in hysterics....... they watch Tamiya Legends all the time so know exactly where you are coming from..... no more explanation needed :D

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