Lipo Controversy... revisited... AGAIN...

[properchopper]

Yikes !

Let's face it, technology marches on ! Bob Dylan wrote : " Those not busy bein' born are busy dyin' " Like many of us, I pissed and moaned before I took the lipo plunge, and once dialed in, I never looked back. Bought 2, and then 2 more high dollar packs, and have been running them ever since. Puffed one pack at a race, Randy got it replaced. Will race 3 classes at WW IV with just 4 batteries, BTW.
If one considers the mph-gain per dollar ratio, there's no cheaper way to boost speed than to convert to lipo. Lipos woke my fleet up like a shot of moonshine !
I remember when the helmet law was instituted in Cali in '91. Some dropped out, I just put one on & ride. Don't even think about it.
The LSO, LSH, & OPC Spec classes will be a total ball to race, and my crystal ball's showing some interesting news coming out of Florida with Capt'n Ron & Jerry Dunlap's Vac-U-Pickle [ yup, that's what It's called !] class. Another affordable
concept along the lines of spec OPC.
Also, I just gotta' say that I've had a ball building my OPC, learned some new skills, and didn't break the bank.
With that said, I'm headin to the lake, my friends !

Tony H.
SoCal Fast Electrics

[Steven Vaccaro]

Steve


I can't believe the lipo issue is being regurgetated once again, and I can't believe I am allowing myself to once again get sucked into these threads of inaccuracy and of little value.

In the year 2002 (my first year) I watched Ed Hughy race at Batavia. Drobie and I attended to find out what Fast Electric was all about. In 2003 we went back and did some racing with 700 size motors. Ed Hughy, as you all know was the master of 05's. In 2004 we once again went to Batavia. This time with Brushless motors. Well, we blew Ed right out of the pond. I remember him having a befuddled look on his face. In 2005 we went to the Michigan Nats and watched Ed run one of his boats into the wall. I was standing next to Ed when he said that he has lost his hand/eye coordination and that he has grown to old for the sport. This entire time everyone was running NIMH's. Lipo's were not even being discussed.

With all due respect to Ed Hughy, he simply exited the hobby due to age.

I surely do not want to do battle with you Steve but IMO, inaccurate statements such as yours will do nothing but offer bad fuel for those that are either stubborn to change or are not fully educated on the subject.

Doug Peterson

Doug if you would like to call him you can.

You miss understood me and took one sentence out of my quote.
I embrace the change to lipo. But like I said there are racers that left. I guess some people would say "oh well". Maybe I'm just a sympathetic slob.

The reason this is brought up is simple. Someone pointed out one side of the story and I pointed out the other.

[Steven Vaccaro]

Motor = $50

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&P=SM&I=LXMYF2

ESC = $60

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXMYB8&P=M

$50 + $60 =$110

ESC Cooling jacket = $15

So Darin really is a lying ... It's really $125

Cooling jacket for motor = $13

So now we are at $138.

The $159 you noted was for the OSE set up, which is a good one.

So, even then

Power train = $160 (upgraded)
REK bottom = $90
Hull = $90
Prop = $20

$360 ready for packs, another $130

So it is really $490 with the upgraded stuff from OSE. Still, what a deal.

We are doing several of these in SOCAL. Most of us will be in the water in the next couple of weeks and will be racing them at WW IV.

Unfortunately I'm stuck with stock of motors and esc's I paid almost that retail cost for. the next batch of combos in the next 2-4 weeks will drop in price.

[ice329]

In life in general when things change people oppose it, some leave, some stay and shut up, some want change. Regardless of where change happens, it happens anyway and seldome stopped. New technoligy is a good thing most of the time. Think of it this way. The lipo stuff is going to be what is in full size things soon. You may not know this but your being watched by big brother, I am sure they watch what we do with these things and say we have to give this tech to the people. So just keep on fine tuning and laying the new path. Keep the old stuff but dont just right off the new things.

If we can run boats, car, heli's etc for 10-30 miniutes on a Lipo pack...hummm in some cases just in boats if we upped the scale you reolize how fast these boats would be going at true scale. I would guess 250 miles per hour sometimes more. Most time with monster brushless motors for there size. Think if we made these boats mph reality for there size and sized a brushless motor for efficency etc, we would say its slow but reolistically if that boat was full size would be flying. I would bet my last dollar that if we applied the experiance that some of you guys have you can get a boat to run for 2 hours at normal reolistic full size speeds. If that can be done in boats, think if you take a new real car with this tech and add say solar panel paint or solar roofs, hood, trunks etc now your talking. Weather its Lipo's and brushless or something else new we need to eliminate our dependency on foriegn oil.

[Bill-SOCAL]

Unfortunately I'm stuck with stock of motors and esc's I paid almost that retail cost for. the next batch of combos in the next 2-4 weeks will drop in price.

Honestly, given the upgraded cooling jacket and the fact that it is all together in one order, it is more than worth it.

Now if you had some bigger props (450 - 462) I could do all my shopping in one stop!!

[Steven Vaccaro]

Which props Bill? I have x series up to 1/4 inch x472
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/products.php?cat=86

[ReddyWatts]

The last NiMH's I bought cost me $129.00 to build a 24 cell pack and I have run them at around 50 - 80 amps in my setups. To replace them with lipo's, 2 - 4S1P packs in series will cost $258.00. The way I calculate it, they are still twice the cost of NiMH's, but with benefits.

IMO, the longer life is a big factor. Kind of like "pay me now or pay me later ". This makes the lipo initial cost more, but equals in time with NiMH, so the lipo's win out because of their less weight, less resistance for more speed.

IMO since the lipo safety issues were drilled into everyone in the forums early, i think it helped stop/lower lipo accidents. We do not need to stop talking about the hazards of lipo's and keep the newbies aware of this issue.

[Bill-SOCAL]

Which props Bill? I have x series up to 1/4 inch x472
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/products.php?cat=86

Of course I once again failed to communicate what the heck I really menat to say. I was referring to the sharpened and balanced props. Andy does far better work than I can do!!

Sorry, my lack of clarity in my post gave the wrong impression!!

Oh, and so we stay on topic, I have 8 NiMH packs here I plan to sell. Six Intellect 3600 and two 4200. 6-cell packs. Less than 6 runs on each. Once you go lipo, you never go back!!!

[SJFE]

We do not need to stop talking about the hazards of lipo's to keep the newbies aware of this issue.

That is a great point Mt Watts. I think no one suggested we completely stop though. You did get some nurons fireing in that brain of mine with your statment. Maybe you can put together one of those great guid line posts. Then maybe Steven can stick a tack in it.