NiMh battery life

[jcole134]

I have to update my battery entry a bit, adding those bigger LiIons and some more things, including this:

As a rule of thumb, in a tamiya tank with stock 380 motor I get about an hour of running time for every 1.000mah, with random use of smoke machine.

http://www.tenergy.com/31044_4 So would attaching a Tamiya connector to this sort of battery be something recommended as it seems to have everything needed including decent capacity?

[Rad_Schuhart]

I have to update my battery entry a bit, adding those bigger LiIons and some more things, including this:

As a rule of thumb, in a tamiya tank with stock 380 motor I get about an hour of running time for every 1.000mah, with random use of smoke machine.

http://www.tenergy.com/31044_4 So would attaching a Tamiya connector to this sort of battery be something recommended as it seems to have everything needed including decent capacity?

Seems to be OK, but I cannot guarantee it.
Anyway, never use tamiya connectors, those are too old, designed in the 60s.
There are heaps of different connectors being among the most common the xt60, deans, bullet...

[jcole134]

I have to update my battery entry a bit, adding those bigger LiIons and some more things, including this:

As a rule of thumb, in a tamiya tank with stock 380 motor I get about an hour of running time for every 1.000mah, with random use of smoke machine.

http://www.tenergy.com/31044_4 So would attaching a Tamiya connector to this sort of battery be something recommended as it seems to have everything needed including decent capacity?

Seems to be OK, but I cannot guarantee it.
Anyway, never use tamiya connectors, those are too old, designed in the 60s.
There are heaps of different connectors being among the most common the xt60, deans, bullet...

Being new to RC anything I'll have to take your word for it. Especially considering tamiya is what both my Torro and Taigen tanks come with as standard.

[RenoirLV]

I like deans/T connectors. Tamiya ones are a bit wonky and a bit ... big.


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[ronnie42]

I like the newer version of the deans connectors with the 2 parts , no need for heat shrink if its a neat solder joint.

[Jarlath]

Honestly, Tamiya connectors are fine for Tanks. Why? Because the systems do not draw out more than 15A continuously.
The biggest issue on the Tamiya connectors is that they lose their "clamping" down onto the male pins which causes discontinuity/arcing.

Newer connectors are designed for much higher continuous current draws
Tamiya - 15A
Deans/Star/XT-60/EC3 - 60A
XT90 - you guessed it, 90A

Now your wiring itself may also not be up to the challenge of those levels of current draws.
Trying to use smaller dia (aka larger AWG) wiring for higher currents = heat generation and melted wires.

[Rad_Schuhart]

Honestly, Tamiya connectors are fine for Tanks. Why? Because the systems do not draw out more than 15A continuously.
The biggest issue on the Tamiya connectors is that they lose their "clamping" down onto the male pins which causes discontinuity/arcing.

Newer connectors are designed for much higher continuous current draws
Tamiya - 15A
Deans/Star/XT-60/EC3 - 60A
XT90 - you guessed it, 90A

Now your wiring itself may also not be up to the challenge of those levels of current draws.
Trying to use smaller dia (aka larger AWG) wiring for higher currents = heat generation and melted wires.

A mabuchi stalled motor draws 18A. If you add more things at the same time, like high volume, flash unit loading, leds, and if you added extra things like a smoke machine when using tamiya electronics, or just when using other electronics, then you get a fire.

I have seen it happening with my own eyes and fire started in the connector. Super realistic IR combat battle with real fire, lol.

So nope, those connectors are far from being fine. Most people wont have any problem, until it happens. Besides are bulky and ugly.

[jcole134]

Yeah, when it comes to electricity and resistance I know what your talking about. Right now with the Tanks being in there default configs with Taigen V3 components etc though it's not that big a deal BUT I will probably end up changing to Deans connectors when I upgrade the MFU etc to Clark TK60 or ELMod Fusion Pro MFU's (undecided so far) and upgrade the motors etc.
Outside of batteries the only other thing bothering me is that my IS-2 turret doesn't use a clutch which means I have broken the rotation sprockets twice lol but that's a different topic.

[Jarlath]

A mabuchi stalled motor draws 18A. If you add more things at the same time, like high volume, flash unit loading, leds, and if you added extra things like a smoke machine when using tamiya electronics, or just when using other electronics, then you get a fire.

I have seen it happening with my own eyes and fire started in the connector. Super realistic IR combat battle with real fire, lol.

So nope, those connectors are far from being fine. Most people wont have any problem, until it happens. Besides are bulky and ugly.

Yes they CAN draw that much. But unless you are sitting there and continuously running against that stalled current draw, it is intermittent which those connectors can handle it.
For the most part if you can recognize that your tank is stuck (Aka stalled drive motor) in a second or two, you limit the dwell time of the high draw current.
There is a reason that the HL/Taigen MFU's with Tamiya Connectors kill the MFU and not the connector. Because they cannot handle the same high current draw that the connector can.
If the connector caught fire then the actual contacts were not solid loose and likely arcing (the main draw back).

I have used and still use Tamiya connectors, but I replace them when they start being loose. I've also used EC3 & 4mm HXT plugs as well.
(I really like the EC3 for tanks and my RC Trucks)

[Jay-Em]

As a side note : One 2000 mah Nimh is not the other 2000mah NiMh.

The NiMh’s included in a lot of tanks from Heng Long, Taigen, Torro and whatnot, are usually of a dismal, bottom-of-the-barrel quality.
The ‘stock ‘ NiMh will, indeed seldomly run more than 12 to 15minutes.. if You’re lucky. They also lose capacity like mad when stored away or after a few cycles. They’re just utter rubbish, the lowest of the lowest. Only useful as running-in batteries for brushed motors.

However, I run some high-quality LRP and Associated 2000mah NiMh packs, and they last up to 25 minutes. Thing is, they drop voltage rather quick, so the LiPo/LiIon cutoff built-in in the recent Tank Controllers ( anyone with multiple sounds and on 2.4ghz) hàs a habit of cutting the fun short when using a lot of functions at the same time.

The LiIon 1800 mah cells that are nowadays ‘stock’ in at least Heng Long tanks, last up to half an hour, and will only trigger the voltage cutoff in the last 2 to 3 minutes. ( or when using a volt-up for a smoker, and some speedier motors for the turret and barrel allthewhile wrestling through grass.. )

In hefty all-metal tanks it -unsurprisingly- drops to 15 to 20 minutes. In those I prefer LiPo’s. A Shorty 4000mah 25c LiPo will last an hour or more in my 6.1 equipped, metal wheels and tracks 4.5kg T72’s. Admiral 3500 LiIons get something like 45 to 50 minutes before the cutoff ‘cuts’ the fun ‘off’ .. A little less when long-can 390-motors are involved. Those dó like their Amps.


Having said all that, a nice, weighty, big capacity 5000mah NiMh is great for getting some extra weight down below in the hull, which quite seriously improves track grip and will also run about an hour. Provided You went for quality cells. So, If You have the space for them, they’re quite useful still.