Is it okay to run Lipo’s on stock ECX Amp MT with voltage / monitor checker? Which parallel charging board?

[Rockstead]

I just bout 3 extra Amps MT for the kids, making it 4 in total.

I was starting to look at buying more 5000mah Nimhs when it was pointed out to me that I should get Lipo, I didn’t think it was possible with the stock esc/motor.

I was told to just add voltage monitors and I’m good to go, would you agree this is safe?

Also what kind of Lipo is best to get for the Amp? 2S, 3S, Which mah? It’s all new to me.

Also which parallel charging board?

 

[Pillowpants808]

2s Lipo and Voltage Alarms should be good. I personally use a Hitec X2 AC Plus Black edition but it's not budget oriented. Skyrc iMax B6 is a cheap balance charger that has a built in balance board.

 

[Pillowpants808]

https://www.ecxforum.com/threads/lipo-battery-storage-safety.2251/

 

[Rockstead]

Sorry, I’m so confused about batteries, connectors, and charging.

I currently have a stock ECX Amp, IMAX B6 v2 charger, 8.4v 5000mah Nimh battery.

I attached picture of what I have.

It was recommended that I Upgrade o Lipo 2S 5000mah 30C batteries instead of further investing in Nimh’s because I just bought 3 more amps.

1 - I need the ability to charge multiple batteries at a time.

2 - I need the cords long enough from the charger that the balance board and batteries can be charged in a fire proof bag.

3 - I need to buy voltage alarms

4 - I don’t know how to choose the right components, connectors, extensions for the above.

5 - Am I missing anything to buy, in addition to a fireproof box do I need a fireproof bag when they are not charging ?

4 - Will this be okay for stock Amps without the Metal Gears Upgrade? Typically I only hear peop’e Going to Metal Gears when they go brush’ess And not too many oeop’e Talking about going Lipo with a stock amp and regulators.

 

[WithinU]

@Rockstead, I am glad pillowpants posted that link. If you are new to LiPo or just new to Rc in general.
I personally, would hold off a bit, just run what you have currently. Adding a LiPo wont make the brushed motors crazy fast. Not until you get into the brushless motors and ESC's will you see the increases. At least for me it didn't. Well maybe just a teeny weeny bit.

I would invest in proper chargers in the beginning. Like the one pillow posted and or the ones I have. I have 3 of these but that doesn't mean you have to buy this particular one. I have used this brand and version quite a bit, and they seem to be doing fine, gone are the days of fast charging, everything now takes an hour to charge with a decent charger.

There is a learning curve with liPo's that you really need to brush up on before making a decision based off of one of our suggestions. LiPo's can be finicky and could potentially wreak havic for your home or garage if not taken care of properly.

I am not trying to be dramatic but would like to see you educate yourself before plunking down more money.
If you are just bashing around the parking lot, 2S 4000-5000 Mah 50c would be good, make it a hardcase, to provide a bit of protection.
Higher the Mah the longer the run time, and also the longer the charge time.

But I am no expert by any means, but there are some on here that are.

Ahhhhh I see you posted at the same time as I did. You have a decent setup already, the only way to charge multiple packs at a time, is to have multiple chargers.

 

[Rockstead]

@Rockstead, I am glad pillowpants posted that link. If you are new to LiPo or just new to Rc in general.
I personally, would hold off a bit, just run what you have currently. Adding a LiPo wont make the brushed motors crazy fast. Not until you get into the brushless motors and ESC's will you see the increases. At least for me it didn't. Well maybe just a teeny weeny bit.

I would invest in proper chargers in the beginning. Like the one pillow posted and or the ones I have. I have 3 of these but that doesn't mean you have to buy this particular one. I have used this brand and version quite a bit, and they seem to be doing fine, gone are the days of fast charging, everything now takes an hour to charge with a decent charger.

There is a learning curve with liPo's that you really need to brush up on before making a decision based off of one of our suggestions. LiPo's can be finicky and could potentially wreak havic for your home or garage if not taken care of properly.

I am not trying to be dramatic but would like to see you educate yourself before plunking down more money.
If you are just bashing around the parking lot, 2S 4000-5000 Mah 50c would be good, make it a hardcase, to provide a bit of protection.
Higher the Mah the longer the run time, and also the longer the charge time.

But I am no expert by any means, but there are some on here that are.

Ahhhhh I see you posted at the same time as I did. You have a decent setup already, the only way to charge multiple packs at a time, is to have multiple chargers.

View attachment 5376

I have so many questions, lol, sorry. I kind of cleaned it up, and from what I’ve been told and read, you just buy a parallel charging board for multiple batteries, and please tell me what makes someone choose 50C over 30C when it comes to Lipo’s?

Thanks for all your replies, I’m getting there and I need your help in rounding up my complete shopping list:

Here is a picture of all my components I currently have Sorry, All this stuff is a little overwhelming, batteries, connectors, and charging.

https://imgur.com/a/StcqKxa

I currently have a stock ECX Amp, IMAX B6 v2 charger, 8.4v 5000mah Nimh battery.

1 - For charging multiple Lipo’s or Nimhs at once, which connectors do I need on the end of that parallel charging board as I see there are different ones sold.

2 - Can I buy a parallel charging board stock that has long extensions so that I can charge it all in a fire box, or do I have to buy those extensions? If I need to buy the extensions, I don’t know which ones because I’m confused about the connector type.

3 - Do I need need to buy voltage alarms with any specific connector type and how will it fit in my ECX Amp, do I need any modification or adapter?

4- Am I missing anything to buy, in addition to a fireproof box do I need a fireproof bag when they are not charging ?

5- Will this be okay for stock ECX Amps without the Metal Gears Upgrade? Typically I only hear people going to Metal Gears when they go brushless and not too many people talking about going Lipo with a stock amp and voltage alarms.

Am I missing anything? Parallel charging board, extension so it’s long enough to fit in fire box, voltage alarms, 2S 5000mah 30C batteries, fire box, fire bag?, the correct connector types, maybe Metal Gears if stock can’t handle it.

Can you help me with a complete shopping list for above, really appreciated.

 

[WithinU]

Yes, you can parallel charge batteries. You being fairly new to the hobby I don't recommend it.
You are essentially tricking your charger into thinking there is a one 4s pack instead of two 2s packs, so on and so forth.
But yes you can do it. And would be a tricky way of getting out of buying additional chargers.

As far as bags and fireproof cases, I would invest in one or two. I purchased two. I purchased one initially and when it arrived it was smaller than I expected, so I purchased a second one.

30c vs 50c is the discharge rate? I am not 100% sure if that is a burst rate or average rate?
But it means the rate the pack can be discharged, or used. They have packs higher than 50c, I was just thinking about long term investment. If you ever upgrade to high power brushless and ESC's.

I may be wrong or not technically correct on some of this, but I am sure someone will correct me. LOL

 

[Pillowpants808]

Seriously read up on this thread I posted below. It answers alot of your questions. The stock esc uses an EC3 connector. Unless you know how to solder or someone can solder for you, you need to buy batteries, charger leads, and lead extensions with EC3 connectors. When you do upgrade your esc and motor, you will have to look for one with an EC3 connector or have someone solder that connector on the new esc. Any ESC will always have the Male end connector on it. The battery will always have the female end connector on it. The safest way to charge your batteries are to physically be in front of them while they charge. Read the thread below and then youtube about it.

https://www.ecxforum.com/threads/lipo-battery-storage-safety.2251/

 

[WithinU]

I was actually looking for that thread @Pillowpants808 , you beat me to it.
@Rockstead read the post linked by pillowpants. good information in there and yes I was the newb asking questions.
Very good links in the post to help you understand things better. Lipo's and Nimh packs.

 

[i_r_beej]

@Rockstead you're not ready for LiPo batteries. (Not trying to be a jerk, but just getting right to the point.) When I got back into RC after a 23 year break, the technology was almost completely different. I got an ECX buggy with it's NiMh battery (very similar to the NiCd's I was used to) and had fun driving the car and learning about the new tech such as 2.4GHz radios (no more crystals!!), digital servos, ELECTRONIC speed controls (fancy!), and brushless motors. Never mind LiPo batteries.

Briefly, lithium polymer batteries require a basic understanding and more care and attention during use/discharge/recharge. Get used to your cars, get used to how to charge the NiMh batteries, read everything you can about lithium batteries in RC, and pretty soon you'll be ready to make the switch to LiPo batteries. You'll get batteries that provide more "punch" (due to lower internal resistance inherent in lithium batteries), greater power density (longer run times) and a cooler running battery--LiPos do not heat up like NiMh during discharge and charge cycles. I run the LiPos in races and "bashing" sessions and once done put the LiPo right back on the charger to recharge. Can't do that with a NiMh as it needs to cool down before and after charging.

 

[i_r_beej]

From what I’ve been told and read, you just buy a parallel charging board for multiple batteries, and please tell me what makes someone choose 50C over 30C when it comes to Lipo’s?
The higher "C" (which applies to LiPos only) rating means that the battery can be discharged and charged at a higher current. Match the batteries "C" rating to your car's needs. Add up the current draw of each component: motor, ESC, servo and compare that to the "C" rating of the battery. In most cases a 30C will be sufficient but I'd recommend going with higher (like 50C) to "future proof" your battery so in the event you install a more powerful motor or servo the battery will be able to supply sufficient current.

If your charger has only one charging port (one pair of positive and negative sockets) you can only charge ONE TYPE of battery with a parallel board. You can't mix NiMh and LiPo.


I currently have a stock ECX Amp, IMAX B6 v2 charger, 8.4v 5000mah Nimh battery.

1 - For charging multiple Lipo’s or Nimhs at once, which connectors do I need on the end of that parallel charging board as I see there are different ones sold.
I recommend you stay with NiMhs for now. You'd need to match the connector on the battery to the connector on the parallel board: EC3 to EC3; Deans to Deans, etc. ECX brand typically use the blue EC3 connectors.

2 - Can I buy a parallel charging board stock that has long extensions so that I can charge it all in a fire box, or do I have to buy those extensions? If I need to buy the extensions, I don’t know which ones because I’m confused about the connector type.
You can buy longer charge leads. However, see my note above-- I think you're rushing to LiPo. Please stay with NiMh for a while. It's a good solid battery technology and the packs are relatively cheap.

3 - Do I need need to buy voltage alarms with any specific connector type and how will it fit in my ECX Amp, do I need any modification or adapter?
Voltage alarms for LiPos connect to the balance charge leads that stick out of the pack. ANY LiPo LVA will connect to ANY LiPo.

4- Am I missing anything to buy, in addition to a fireproof box do I need a fireproof bag when they are not charging ?
Again, you're rushing to LiPo. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but you have some more research to do. You need to be comfortable and familiar with basic charging concepts and practices before you more to LiPo. You don't NEED a fire-proof bag or box. Got to a hobby store-- see all the LiPos stacked on top of each other on the shelf? Or hanging next to each other from pegs? The danger comes from improperly charging or discharging LiPos.

5- Will this be okay for stock ECX Amps without the Metal Gears Upgrade? Typically I only hear people going to Metal Gears when they go brushless and not too many people talking about going Lipo with a stock amp and voltage alarms.
No. I have a ECX Circuit, which started life as an AMP-- both cars are 99.9% identical. I raced in on an indoor carpet track (high traction) using the stock plastic transmission gears and differential. I also installed a PLASTIC pinion gear on the 13.5T brushless motor. No issues. YMMV depending on how you drive the car and apply throttle. An inexperienced hand can destroy anything.

Am I missing anything? Parallel charging board, extension so it’s long enough to fit in fire box, voltage alarms, 2S 5000mah 30C batteries, fire box, fire bag?, the correct connector types, maybe Metal Gears if stock can’t handle it.
Really, just stay with what you have right now. It's like you just got your driver's licensce, a "new-to-you" Honda Civic and are already wanting to start racing it at the local asphalt track. Take a breath and learn the ins and outs of what you have right now. Then you'll be ready to take the next step.

Again, I'm sorry if I come across as blunt or a jerk. Not trying to do that. But I am speaking from experience. I started with an ECX Boost and modified that with all sorts of non-ECX parts, learning loads in the process. After a while I ugraded to a brushless power system (and LiPo) and started racing it. Learned tons doing that, too. Then I moved to kit race cars and continue to learn.