Would that battery work since it's 7.2v and the stock battery is 8.4v? I know I can go up in voltage, didn't know if I could go down.

I was browsing and getting ready to ask if this one would be a good one.:

http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...or-84V-3300mAh

Edit: The first charger you listed won't do LiPo batteries but the second one will right? And IIRC the first charger has 3 charge modes so I could do a fast charge, a medium, and a trickle charge? I'm mainly wanting a new charger so we can shorten the down time between battery charges. Also, can I really upgrade to the LiPo batteries without going brushless? Sorry about all the questions, just new to all this.

The local hobby shop is over and hour away and it would cost more in gas to drive than I could save on them building one, and when I was asking about batteries and chargers the other night he didn't say anything about building them.

 

Batteries


Charger

 

Oh no.... I hope you don't have to double your budget now, but I have to show this! HAHA


Traxxas Ford F150 SVT Raptor or just the clear body for $35

 

D@mn.. they ARE running 7 cell packs stock.

You can run the 6 cell pack. It won't have as much punch as the 7 cell pack, but I REALLY don't think you're going to miss the 1.2 extra volts running over beer cans in the back yard.

Traxxas offers a 5000mah pack:
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...xxas-Connector

My guess is they're hammering an extra volt in there for more power but the math is STUPID. 7 cells at 3300mah (which is what the truck probably comes with but I looked on the site and can't find the info) would work out to 471mah and change per cell and that kinda sux. 8.4 volts at 3.3 amps wide open with a high centered 2wd truck is gonna be a whellie machine!! LOL! You stick 5 amps to it and you better be in shape to chase it around and flip it back over off its lid.

The wall wart the truck comes with is a trickle charger. I have never "trickle charged" anything. The pack is rated at say 3000mah- I charge it at 3 to 3.5 amps. Both chargers have an automatic setting and menus for "plug and play" and when you hook a battery up, it charges at the "proper" rate per cell to a point and trickle charges for a top off. I HAMMER mine. I charge a 2700mah (2.7 amp) pack at 3-3.5 maybe 4 amps depending on when the next heat is up. I've flat out ABUSED both of those chargers, loaned them out and they've handled it.
Charging an rc battery is like charging a car battery. You can shoot amperage to it in 3 million ways. The first charger is old school and tuned more to the nicad batteries hence the "3 stages" (no "rolleyes" smiley). You don't have that problem and you aren't racing so you don't have to worry about discharge rates and "delta peak" and bs like that.

Get the badass Traxxas battery. Get the cheaper charger. Charge the stock battery at 3 amps and the traxxas badass battery at 5 amps and run them DOWN. Don't confuse the two and let the charger work.. both chargers will charge the batteries and when their hot, the charger will go into "trickle" mode and maintain or "top off".

Stay away from the lipo batteries for now. Unless you want to chase a 40-50 mph missle around the back yard.You can run the Lipo batteries with the brushed motor, but I dunno if the stock speed control would cooperate. Plus... WhyTF would you spend the $$ on the batteries, Esc and charger to put in a $200 truck for a 10 yr old?? NO!!

Youtube some lipo powered r/c's. You do NOT want to be drinking your beer in the backyard and having a 10 pound MISSLE piloted by a 10 yr old kid taking your shin out..



been there, done that.

 

my dad did that to my uncle while trying to show off with my 1/8 nitro buggy

 

Here's an interesting search on LiPo... they are tons of fun, but for a 10 year old, it's also like giving the keys to your new Lamborghini to a 15 year old. Bad stuff will happen!

Google This

 

I know you found the kit you want, but another option that i didn't see. if he is actually really interested in this and it's not just a toy for christmas, is buying a kit version and helping him build it. they sell kits that include almost everything needed and some list part #'s needed to complete it so no guessing on what will and won't work.

 

Yea I've seen em. But thanks for rubbing it in!!!! LOL That would be more for me than it would be him. I think he's gonna dig the monster truck alot more than a truck that kinda looks like his dad's. I've seen the raptor bodies for the stampede on ebay, so if he tears up the stock one, I might just have to get one.


So...................................No LiPo batteries for a while I guess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It's kinda a neat idea, but he has no idea we are getting this for him. So it might end up just being a toy for christmas. I'm hoping it sticks with him for the long haul, but if not, it might stick with me!!! But getting him one that he has to put together first might just turn him away from it before he gets started. I don't think he will mind maintaining it, but putting it together before he can even see what it does is probably a bad thing for him. Thanks for the idea though.

 

Mike, the truck comes with a 3000mah battery, so I figured that the 3300 would just give it a couple more minutes of run time. The 5000 would probably be a better one to get for him, but I'm trying to keep it as cheap as possible to start off with.

With the cheap charger you listed, what would be the charge time for these batteries? I'm looking for a turn around of under an hour so we could keep playing.

 

Do they have a charger that is comparible on a main hobbies website? I've looked and can't find one. That one looks nice but the shipping charges offset the savings on the unit. They want over $10 to ship the charger. I tried pricing the truck, batteries, and charger on the barn floor website but the truck doesn't come with a battery and looks like an older model stampede. So with the truck, 2 batteries, the charger, and the shipping it comes out to be alot more than I would spend on a mains website.

I did find this on ebay though:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/G-T-POWER-X-...item5add7fd505

Would this be a good one?

http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...rger-6S-5A-50W

 

charge times are going to depend on how far you run them down before you charge them. If you do the math on charging a 3000mah battery at 3 amps it should charge in about an hour. You CAN charge them at 4-5 amps, but the higher the charge amperage, the hotter the battery gets and you'll sacrifice some run time. All the new chargers can sense what you're plugging into them and automatically do the math on charge rate and peak charge. I listed the 2 chargers that I've used and had good luck with.

 

This one is one sale this weekend, would it be a good one to get?

http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...er-6S-10A-200W

 

If your talking about nimh batteries I wouldn't charge them more than 1.5 amps. They don't take to heat very well and my 3200mah battery gets pretty warm just charging on 1.0 amps. The lower the amperage on the charge gives you a better charge and better run times. Also it doesn't destroy the battery..

As for a good main website to check out got to towerhobbies.com

They have anything you would ever need..

This is the charger I have and it's mostly plug and play...

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LL3088&P=1

I know it's a little more than you want to spend but if these batteries and chargers aren't a good brand or of quality build it could catch your house or garage on fire..

You could get this combo from them. Includes truck radio and battery and charger..

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...=LXNJJ0**&P=ML


Which ever way you go good luck. I'm into this hobby being I have a 1/5th scale truck.. Talk about expensive parts. LOL


James

 

You live close to Champaign IL. Don't you?

Tower Hobbies is WAREHOUSE is there.
Even if you have to have it shipped it would only be one day away.