Rules thoughts

[sjslhill]

Also, LiFePO4 is much safer and is used in most applications, not LiPoly with flammable polymer. The rules won't allow them to be used at all on an equal level.

[sjslhill]

No, I don't want emotion and people calling each other names....

Oh so as soon as you get valid points on a topic you started that you don't like you want it locked?

[Brushless55]

Can you say dreamliner 787? Yes, don't say it ain't so, I have industry letters and know the testing people. LiPoly batteries are burning up the airplanes and I know why.

That's the not the point however, what's the matter with moving the voltage from 7.4 to 8.4? Your charging LiPoly up to 8.4 anyway.

But this thread is going nowhere, lock it up Mr. Clark

any idea how far a 7.2v Nimh pack gets in volts when fully charged at a 1C rating??
wait are you not in the battery business but don't already know?

[blowNover]

No, I don't want emotion and people calling each other names....

That's a very good point. But you kind of opened a can of worms saying something like I don't want my children around them lol

[sjslhill]

Not the same dude, throw a load on it and it drops faster than Lipoly. You know that LiPoly remains above 7.4 until it's almost down. Why would you be against it? NIMH sucks and can't win, right?

The thread was a bad idea, sorry.

any idea how far a 7.2v Nimh pack gets in volts when fully charged at a 1C rating??
wait are you not in the battery business but don't already know?

[sjslhill]

That is a serious point

I don't want them around them and they are forbidden to charge them. The packs are stored outside. My wife and I both agree on this subject. You can do what you want.

That's a very good point. But you kind of opened a can of worms saying something like I don't want my children around them lol

[sjslhill]

Oh and if it comes up, we don't sell into hobby anymore. This thread has nothing to do with selling batteries. I would never sell NIMH again either, I just like using them.

[Brushless55]

Can you say dreamliner 787? Yes, don't say it ain't so, I have industry letters and know the testing people. LiPoly batteries are burning up the airplanes and I know why.

That's the not the point however, what's the matter with moving the voltage from 7.4 to 8.4? Your charging LiPoly up to 8.4 anyway.

But this thread is going nowhere, lock it up Mr. Clark

any idea how far a 7.2v Nimh pack gets in volts when fully charged at a 1C rating??
wait are you not in the battery business but don't already know?

Not the same dude, throw a load on it and it drops faster than Lipoly. You know that LiPoly remains above 7.4 until it's almost down. Why would you be against it? NIMH sucks and can't win, right?

The thread was a bad idea, sorry.

Yes it is dude
"your charging Lipoly to 8.4 anyway" you say
a fully charge NIMH or NICD 7.2v (6cell) pack is GREATER than the 7.2v markings on the pack

you are talking VOLTS when CHARGED
some of my 6 cell Nimh packs would read around 9v when fully charged

also put a load on it... "you know that LiPoly remains above 7.4 until it's almost down"
uh not so true at all!
under a load we can see 3.0-3.2V per cell this = 6.0-6.4V

[Cooper]

I don't want them around them and they are forbidden to charge them. The packs are stored outside. My wife and I both agree on this subject. You can do what you want.

There is no problem with me understanding why you don't want them around. But as far as the hobby they are here to stay for a while. Just use some common sense and keep storing and using them properly and you woulnt have any more problems than you have encountered in your years of battery service. One thought though is to purchase some from a reputable source/manufacture.

[HTVboats]

When I read the opening post my reaction here we go one guy wants the rule book changed to accommodate his needs. If say 20% of racers wanted a change well a good discussion.
Since this has turned into somewhat a safety discussion which is always a good thing. Lipo's so far haven't become the hazard they could be. As far as banning them when an airliner goes down it would create a short news cycle and fade away. I retired from the insurance industry and my wife and son still run our agency. What I do believe, and it is a sad commentary, that loss of property not loss of lives drives change. When enough houses or businesses burn to the ground that it causes a loss for insurance carriers they will raise rates to compensate or exclude claims involving lipo fires. Before you start flaming insurance companies remember they are a for profit business. Red means you raise rates or change what you agree to back up. I would not be surprised at some point in the future a "class D" extinguisher being required in a home where a hobbyist has lipo's, or a fire claim could be denied. The bottom line is so far there is too more profit being made with lithium polymer products than losses being paid. I also believe technology will advance before it all becomes an issue.
Mic

[Cooper]

Very much agree and love your statement that insurance companies are a for profit business. I get so upset with people thinking that big company is money hungry, doesn't care about the little guy but they have no problem playing games on company time or taking home a box of pencils (stealing). I hope people read and understand what drives our economy. (With exception of government involvement, not good) again to the op use whatever you are comfortable with but lipos serve no more problem (when used properly) than the gas can in your garage or the wireing, plumbing, gas, in direct proximity of your children.

[DPeterson]

Steve - Where have you been racing these days?

[sjslhill]

Doug,

Steven called me a while back and stated the nationals were back east in 2014 and invited me. I started thinking that I might want to run something. I have been running ECO boats at a lake we have a cabin on. Not sure what I would run at the national event and I know for sure it would be just for fun. The sport has went way beyond my experience.

The thing that shocks me in this thread is I guess people are afraid that NIMH would beat LiPoly if it had a slight beginning voltage advantage. I don't expect any rules to change but I thought I'd bring up the idea. The way the rules are written, LiPoly is the only batteries that could win.

I do think at some point there will be an event and Lipoly is going to come under some serious attention, the things are dangerous.

[T.S.Davis]

Interesting idea Steve.

The rules were changed to allow the latest technology. We never even thought about making it possible to still compete with the old stuff. Well, I didn't at least. It's a worthy discussion. P could have been 15.6 and allowed 13 cells. Changing the rules now based on the old stuff would likely receive little support though. That would be like trying to find a way to make brushed motors competitive again. People will ask "what for?".

On the safety thing..................I worry about that too. Treated properly you can limit your risk but it's a matter of time before something goes awry. It's like gun control. A few idiots or an isolated incident will screw it up for all. Our government can't be trusted to think through a sane solution. They'll just react with what ever they think will get them elected again. Finger to the wind. I wonder with these LiPo batteries if their use is so wide spread that the government would have a hard time cramming the cat back in the bag.

What do the nitro guys do? Nitro is pretty danged volatile too. Do they ship that crap ground? I know they aren't storing it in a bomb shelter. I'm so ignorant where nitro is concerned.

[sjslhill]

Terry,

I know for certain that the longer something is used, the less we become aware that something can and will happen. I have been in a hurry in the past with NIMH and NICAD and plugged something into a dead short. I have seen chargers fail and not shutoff and melt down packs. I run traxxas trucks at the cabin and feel much better running them on NIMH instead of LiPoly, I have both.

As for Nitro, it's totally different to me. I have ran nitro and gas for the matter, your charging it or anything, you just add it to a tank. I always went to a hobby shop and bought my nitro. I never ran anything above 30%. I have no idea what those record guys do.