Increasing runtime

[Eric Tetz]

How can I get more runtime from my electric car? All this battery
charging/swapping is taking the fun out of it. I'd be willing to have half the
power if I could get twice the runtime -- is there some way to make that
tradeoff?

I just bought an electric rtr for my son (Evader ST). It was an impulse birthday
buy. Now I'm doing after-the-fact research on the Net and starting to think I
should have gone nitro. We just want to play, we don't want to sit around the
car waiting for batteries to recharge.

Thanks in advance,
Eric

[kenji]

In article <1096328424.579618@sj-nntpcache-3>,
"Eric Tetz" <erictetz@y-a-h-o-o.com> wrote:

> How can I get more runtime from my electric car? All this battery
> charging/swapping is taking the fun out of it. I'd be willing to have half
> the
> power if I could get twice the runtime -- is there some way to make that
> tradeoff?
>
> I just bought an electric rtr for my son (Evader ST). It was an impulse
> birthday
> buy. Now I'm doing after-the-fact research on the Net and starting to think I
> should have gone nitro. We just want to play, we don't want to sit around the
> car waiting for batteries to recharge.

Get GP3300 batteries (Gold Peak 3300mah batteries). Get a Dynamite Twin
Peak charger. Reedy is making a product (#690 , I think), that is about
30.00 (US), it's GP3300 batteries.

You would get three batteries. Charge them up, two at a time. As you run
the first one and it goes dead, let it cool five minutes, then place it
back on the charger. You'd run a really long time doing this.

Also...make sure the vehicle is set up properly. If the Evader has
bushings on the wheels swap them out with bearings. Is the pinion and
spur correct? Meaning are they too tight, there should be some play,
enough to rock the pinion on the spur just a little bit. If there's no
play you are gonna run your batteries down fast.

Does it have a stock motor ( 27 turn fixed endbell) in it? A stock motor
would give you long run times.

With a stock motor, and our bashing 3300 cells were getting over 15
minutes of run time per charge, per battery pack, with our stadium
trucks.

FWIW, if you are new to this, and you would have bought a Nitro, you'd
be spending WAY more time with engine problems. Nitro engines have to be
broken in correctly, tuned correctly, and maintained correctly. If not
it just won't run. I know gas guys, at the track, that get fed up with
nitro and go back to electric because of the ease of use. And these are
guys who know what they are doing with both nitro and electric. I've
never heard an experienced electric guy go to nitro because a nitro is
"easier" to run and maintain than electric.

[mike]

If you want to spend the maximum time driving, then you definitely don't
want to go nitro. Just buy a decent charger and a decent pool of batteries,
simple.


"Eric Tetz" <erictetz@y-a-h-o-o.com> wrote in message
news:1096328424.579618@sj-nntpcache-3...
> How can I get more runtime from my electric car? All this battery
> charging/swapping is taking the fun out of it. I'd be willing to have half
the
> power if I could get twice the runtime -- is there some way to make that
> tradeoff?
>
> I just bought an electric rtr for my son (Evader ST). It was an impulse
birthday
> buy. Now I'm doing after-the-fact research on the Net and starting to
think I
> should have gone nitro. We just want to play, we don't want to sit around
the
> car waiting for batteries to recharge.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Eric
>
>

[walker]

"Eric Tetz" <erictetz@y-a-h-o-o.com> wrote in message
news:1096328424.579618@sj-nntpcache-3...
> How can I get more runtime from my electric car? All this battery
> charging/swapping is taking the fun out of it. I'd be willing to have half
the
> power if I could get twice the runtime -- is there some way to make that
> tradeoff?
>
> I just bought an electric rtr for my son (Evader ST). It was an impulse
birthday
> buy. Now I'm doing after-the-fact research on the Net and starting to
think I
> should have gone nitro. We just want to play, we don't want to sit around
the
> car waiting for batteries to recharge.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Eric
>
>
I can see Eric reading these posts and doing the math and shaking his
head. When you buy these rigs, the guy in the shop doesn't tell you that you
should buy 3 or 4 batts and a 50 to 75 dollar charger in order to have fun
with your new car. They want to make that impulse sale which looks a whole
lot more attractive at $150 than it does at $300.

But now that it's done, go ahead and get set up and have FUN!!!!! When
you look at it a little more, the batteries and even more so the charger are
long-term investments. Properly taken care of, batteries last a long time
and if you find (as you probably will) that you like the hobby, it is really
a small investment for a lot of fun.


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[Dean]

On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 16:36:19 -0700, "Eric Tetz" <erictetz@y-a-h-o-o.com> wrote:

>How can I get more runtime from my electric car? All this battery
>charging/swapping is taking the fun out of it. I'd be willing to have half the
>power if I could get twice the runtime -- is there some way to make that
>tradeoff?
>
>I just bought an electric rtr for my son (Evader ST). It was an impulse birthday
>buy. Now I'm doing after-the-fact research on the Net and starting to think I
>should have gone nitro. We just want to play, we don't want to sit around the
>car waiting for batteries to recharge.

Run a smaller pinion gear. Get high capacity batteries (GP 3300's come to
mind). Run a 27 turn stock motor. With those three combos I could easily get
12 minutes per pack with a gp3300 pack. I get around 11 minutes with a race
quality stock motor and geared for the racetrack. That is pretty on-off
driving.

Multiple batteries is a must also.
---
Losi XXX KE <the racer>
Losi XX "CR" <the basher>
Associated RC10GT <the other basher>
http://ripperd.com
email: dean (at) the above domain

[Eric Tetz]

kenji wrote:
> Eric Tetz wrote:
> > How can I get more runtime from my electric car?
>
> Get GP3300 batteries (Gold Peak 3300mah batteries). Get a Dynamite Twin
> Peak charger. Reedy is making a product (#690 , I think), that is about
> 30.00 (US), it's GP3300 batteries.

Much thanks to all of you for your feedback and suggestions! I going to get get
that stuff tonight.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Well my opinion of nitro differs from a couple of you. I love nitro. I
ran electric on and off road for 15 years then I switched to nitro 4
years ago and havent nor will I go back to electric. Run times virtually
endless. Ive yet to encounter any horro story type of tuning day.That
sense of power you feel that just isnt there with electric. Ever go to a
race and watch nitro off road then the electric off-roaders run the next
heat you feel like thats it. You go fron a rock concert to watching a
mime. There seems like something is missing and thats why nitro has me
hooked The only thing I dont like about nitro is that I still have to
charge the tx/rx batteries and glow plug ignitor.
Nitro isnt all bad why else is there such an explosion in nitro sales
and its popularity; cause its so easy to use now and much more reliable
than ever. I feel nitro isnt any more difficult than electric to use
they just have different things to learn.
One thing not mentioned is trade off you make SPEED w/run-time wise.
A stock off road RTR nitro will be in the 35-50 mph range endless
runtime. A stock Electric 20-25mph 10-15 minutes run time. A "hot"
electric modified motor to get you near the low end nitro speeds will
cut run time DRASTICALLY.

Eric I say cut your teeth in electric then as soon as you can, umm say
next summer:) GO NITRO.
Till then have fun charging Ill be having fun bashing.

[kenji]

In article <2960-4159FD6D-472@storefull-3153.bay.webtv.net>,
QUAKEnSHAKE@webtv.net (QUAKEnSHAKE) wrote:

> Till then have fun charging Ill be having fun bashing.

There's the jist. Bashing wih electric vs. nitro is one thing. Racing
nitro vs. electric is another thing.

Check out and compare actual race lap times between electric and nitro
on the same track, same race day:

<http://www.chicagolandrc.com/results/onroad_040912/IndexFile.html>

...there's not that much difference.

[kenji]

In article <kenji-2E2764.20263828092004@news.ftupet.com>,
kenji <kenji@ripco.com> wrote:

> In article <2960-4159FD6D-472@storefull-3153.bay.webtv.net>,
> QUAKEnSHAKE@webtv.net (QUAKEnSHAKE) wrote:
>
> > Till then have fun charging Ill be having fun bashing.
>
> There's the jist. Bashing wih electric vs. nitro is one thing. Racing
> nitro vs. electric is another thing.
>
> Check out and compare actual race lap times between electric and nitro
> on the same track, same race day:
>
> <http://www.chicagolandrc.com/results/onroad_040912/IndexFile.html>
>
> ..there's not that much difference.

here's the same site with best laptimes for nitro and electric for the
day as one big list. Easier to discern the diffeences:

http://tinyurl.com/5mvhy

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

What are the stock times, if they run? I did say mod electric run close
to nitro. Look at how long the races are the Mod elec are 5min the
Nitro 30min.
Im a monster truck guy not many stock electric MTs (Emaxx maybe) can
hang with stock rtr nitro MTs.

Each one has its good and bad lets not discourages newcomers to either.
If after trying electric for a while you Eric think nitro is what you
might like then you should by no means hesitate to try it. Or find a
nitro buddy to go run with and see what they are like.

[kenji]

In article <8459-415AA560-28@storefull-3158.bay.webtv.net>, QUAKEnSHAKE
<QUAKEnSHAKE@webtv.net> wrote:

> Look at how long the races are the Mod elec are 5min the
> Nitro 30min.

For nitro races the racers have a 'pit guy" down on the track refueling
many times for that 30 minute race. From what I see the nitro guys are
getting about 12 minutes at most from a tank of fuel.

[Jonathan Hodgson]

On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 19:10:21 -0500, QUAKEnSHAKE wrote:

<snippage>
> Ever go to a
> race and watch nitro off road then the electric off-roaders run the next
> heat you feel like thats it. You go fron a rock concert to watching a
> mime. There seems like something is missing
<snip>

Noise. That's what's missing with electric - you get to hear yourself
think! :-)

Also, you get to race indoors over winter...

Happy racing, whatever you drive.
Jonny

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Eric if you would like to read more info about you Evader ST there is a
site here
http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/forums/search.php?searchid=98245
As you will see there are 3 seperate treads with over 3000 posts
relateto te Evader ST so it should be filled with useful and yes useless
information. Take a look.

[Frater Mus]

On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 at 23:36 GMT, <erictetz@y-a-h-o-o.com> wrote:

> How can I get more runtime from my electric car? All this battery
> charging/swapping is taking the fun out of it. I'd be willing to have half the
> power if I could get twice the runtime -- is there some way to make that
> tradeoff?

You can run a high-turn motor, gear it down, use decent bearings, keep
it cleaned/lubed, use a good peak charger, or just go brushless. :-)


>
> I just bought an electric rtr for my son (Evader ST). It was an impulse birthday
> buy. Now I'm doing after-the-fact research on the Net and starting to think I
> should have gone nitro. We just want to play, we don't want to sit around the
> car waiting for batteries to recharge.

Even nitros have to be refueled every 10-15mins or so. :-)


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