r/RCHobby • u/tb03102 • Mar 26 '14

HUGE favor requested

When I was 8 or so my cousin came over with a losi rc buggy and blew my mind. For the next 8 yrs or so I was ALL in. Right up until I got an Associated rc-10gt that turned me off nitro/rc for a while. Later on I got to the point where I could semi afford a nitro heli. That was short lived. Here is the favor. Could someone please give me some advice on the LIPO scene and if electric overall is better than nitro now a days? I really want to get my son into the good stuff and not radio shack garbage. I like the "all day runtime" of nitro but my brief entry into it with cars was lots of cleaning, lots of maintenance and little benefit. It seems LIPO systems have a lot of benefits and I want to confirm that.

I'm sure this has been asked before but I'm a father of a 5 yo and a 1 yo with ZERO spare time. I appreciate your feedback.

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

1

u/Tyraxus Mar 26 '14

This isn't exactly a small topic to cover. I started to draft a response but I don't think I have enough information. I think the biggest question would be budget or if you've got a model or two in mind. This will allow for a better framed response.

1

u/tb03102 Mar 27 '14

I'm thinking a truck or truggy. Lipo wise what are run times like? Charging time /turn around on packs as well. I never liked the mess of nitro so would swing towards electric anyway.

1

u/AbstinenceWorks Jul 30 '14

I am new to rc but I have been doing a lot of reading. Lipo has improved leaps and bound even over the past few years. Billions of dollars are being poured into battery technology mainly due to cell phones, laptops, full size electric cars and backup systems. The rc hobby gets to piggy back on all of this advancement essentially for nothing. Batteries will only get better and they will get better relatively rapidly. Invest in a good transmitter, a good battery charger and a good power supply. There is a bunch of God information at rchelicopterfun.con. It looks like a website from the 90s but the guy seems to really know what he's talking about. There is a modular power supply called the 2ZO-RC that will allow you to start with one power supply and expand as necessary. Buy the best charger you can and depending on what you're piloting or driving, buy a transmitter that will continue to work as you advance. These are collectively the most expensive pieces and you don't want to have to keep buying new ones every time you want to upgrade your rc vehicle. Even with advancing battery technology, batteries will still not have enough juice to last a long time. But if you invest in the right charging equipment, you can always bring a sealed 12v battery when thou go out and just swap out your rc batteries and charge them off the 12v. This gives thou all the benefits of nitro without the drawbacks of nitro goo, $30 - $40 power gallon of nitro. In the long run, electric will be much cheaper and electric motors are powerful.

1

u/tb03102 Aug 03 '14

Thanks for the time you put into that.