Two questions:
1) Why does HL deliver their tanks with the tracks tensioned overly tight? Is that a form of idiot-proofing them? I like how they provide additional track links so the buyer can add them himself for, what has been my experience in six out of six HL tanks I've bought so far, better running.
2) I recently bought a HL Sherman, which came with a Li-Ion battery. This is the first time I've ever used one of these batteries. Is there a specific way to care for them? Should I run it completely dry then completely charge it, or should I avoid running it completely dry?
Question about HL track tension and Li-Ion batteries
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Question about HL track tension and Li-Ion batteries
JagdPanther / Leopard 2A6 / StuG Ausf. G / KV-2 / M4A3A4 / MTLB / 2.5 ton truck 6x6
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Jay-Em
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Re: Question about HL track tension and Li-Ion batteries
Afa tight tracks, I cannot really add something useful.
About the batteries, I can.
Lipo, like li-ion will break down when fully discharged. Don’t do that. If the RX18 has the voltage cutoff correct, it will stop the tank when the cells reach 3.2v each in rest, and 3.0v per cell when under load.
My advise would be to invest in a simple LiPo charger, say an x-7 or a B6 AC. Those will charge the battery correctly, and switch off when the battery is full. Tbh, I do not trust the little charger that comes with the Heng Long tanks, and always use my hobby chargers. They aren’t really expensive, and charge anything from lead-acid, to Nicad, to lipo to li-ion.
Just don’t take risks with LiPo and/or Li-ion. They’re dangerous when incorrectly charged. The €60,- that a rwasonably good charger costs, is an investment You’ll enjoy for years.
About the batteries, I can.
Lipo, like li-ion will break down when fully discharged. Don’t do that. If the RX18 has the voltage cutoff correct, it will stop the tank when the cells reach 3.2v each in rest, and 3.0v per cell when under load.
My advise would be to invest in a simple LiPo charger, say an x-7 or a B6 AC. Those will charge the battery correctly, and switch off when the battery is full. Tbh, I do not trust the little charger that comes with the Heng Long tanks, and always use my hobby chargers. They aren’t really expensive, and charge anything from lead-acid, to Nicad, to lipo to li-ion.
Just don’t take risks with LiPo and/or Li-ion. They’re dangerous when incorrectly charged. The €60,- that a rwasonably good charger costs, is an investment You’ll enjoy for years.
Re: Question about HL track tension and Li-Ion batteries
You do need to check exactly what battery tech you have when choosing a charger.
Li-Poly run at 3.7v per cell, so a 2S pack gives you 7.4V
LiFe ( which is what I suspect hte Li-Ion packs are ) run at 3.3V per cell, so an equivalent pack is 6.6V.
An IMEX B6 will charge both types, but you have to manually set the charging voltage as it's default is for 3.7V per cell. It also has a specific storage charge facility, which will charge it up to around 60% of max, which is great for storage. NEVER store these packs fully charged...or fuilly discharged. Both will cause early battery death. Usually you will see the pack get puffy and squishy....which means they have had it. Badly abused LiPoly packs will go up in flames. Along with your tank..... so don;t leave your battery pack in the tank if you don't have to.
I have used a lot of these packs in RC cars, and have had to learn a few hard lessons.
I used a B6 for years, but ended up upgrading into a twin 200W charger, as the B6 is only 50W. Once you start charging bigger packs...it struggles.
Li-Poly run at 3.7v per cell, so a 2S pack gives you 7.4V
LiFe ( which is what I suspect hte Li-Ion packs are ) run at 3.3V per cell, so an equivalent pack is 6.6V.
An IMEX B6 will charge both types, but you have to manually set the charging voltage as it's default is for 3.7V per cell. It also has a specific storage charge facility, which will charge it up to around 60% of max, which is great for storage. NEVER store these packs fully charged...or fuilly discharged. Both will cause early battery death. Usually you will see the pack get puffy and squishy....which means they have had it. Badly abused LiPoly packs will go up in flames. Along with your tank..... so don;t leave your battery pack in the tank if you don't have to.
I have used a lot of these packs in RC cars, and have had to learn a few hard lessons.
I used a B6 for years, but ended up upgrading into a twin 200W charger, as the B6 is only 50W. Once you start charging bigger packs...it struggles.
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Jay-Em
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- Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:11 pm
- Location: The Chilly and Flat part of the Netherlands' North.
Re: Question about HL track tension and Li-Ion batteries
The cells that come with the current Heng Longs are Li-Ion, nòt Li-fe!!!! (While some stickers states Li-po” to make everything more muddled, technically correct, but also wrong)
Li-Fe are a complétely differend kind of battery. Different chemistry, they dó need a specific Li-Fe charger. However, they are very “idiotensicher” they don’t burst into flames when shorted, or strained too much, they just break down and become an expensive paperweight.
Tamiya specifically endorses Li-Fe, because they are relatively safe for kids to use. They would be perfect for tanks, given that speed is the least of our problems.
I’m not fond of them because of their lower voltage, lower c-value and bigger size. But that’s mainly because of my background in high-performance rc buggies and touringcars.
Li-ion and Li-po are close enough, afa charging voltage and sensitivity to deep-discharging, goes for charging and detecting a full charge to both be used with a good Li-Po charger. I’ve been charging my Li-ion’s with the mentioned chargers for quite some time, and have not noticed any heating-up, or performance degradation.
Important to note is that Li-ion batteries -by nature- are a little less volatile than Li-Po, the often-used A123 type cells come in standard battery housings. Metal outside, and a dry electrolyte inside ( ! ), and thusly are also less vulnerable, unlike the wet slush-bags Li-Po batteries actually are. Li-Ion’s are used in laptops becáuse they are powerful, but less troublesome than the much-more-vulnerable (but lighter! The reason electric flight isn’t using Li-Ion much) Li-Po’s, despite their base chemical composition being mostly the same.
Completely understandable that Heng Long went for the compact, but relatively safe, Li-Ion cells for their latest offerings, and not the compact, super powerful, but finicky Li-Po’s. Li-Fe would actually have been perfect, but they are more expensive, and need dedicated chargers, not the cheap off-the-shelf ones Henk Long prefers. And in a small market, every penny that can be saved by choosing a cheaper battery-solution, is a penny saved x thousands of items...
Li-Ion’s càn go up in flames when mistreated, but You really have to put sone serious effort in it. (Say, a laptop that continuously pulls way more power than the c-value of the battery can deliver, or put your expensive Tesla against a concrete barrier at full speed and puncture several cells at the same time. Thèn Li-ion wil burn quite nicely )
Li-Fe are a complétely differend kind of battery. Different chemistry, they dó need a specific Li-Fe charger. However, they are very “idiotensicher” they don’t burst into flames when shorted, or strained too much, they just break down and become an expensive paperweight.
Tamiya specifically endorses Li-Fe, because they are relatively safe for kids to use. They would be perfect for tanks, given that speed is the least of our problems.
I’m not fond of them because of their lower voltage, lower c-value and bigger size. But that’s mainly because of my background in high-performance rc buggies and touringcars.
Li-ion and Li-po are close enough, afa charging voltage and sensitivity to deep-discharging, goes for charging and detecting a full charge to both be used with a good Li-Po charger. I’ve been charging my Li-ion’s with the mentioned chargers for quite some time, and have not noticed any heating-up, or performance degradation.
Important to note is that Li-ion batteries -by nature- are a little less volatile than Li-Po, the often-used A123 type cells come in standard battery housings. Metal outside, and a dry electrolyte inside ( ! ), and thusly are also less vulnerable, unlike the wet slush-bags Li-Po batteries actually are. Li-Ion’s are used in laptops becáuse they are powerful, but less troublesome than the much-more-vulnerable (but lighter! The reason electric flight isn’t using Li-Ion much) Li-Po’s, despite their base chemical composition being mostly the same.
Completely understandable that Heng Long went for the compact, but relatively safe, Li-Ion cells for their latest offerings, and not the compact, super powerful, but finicky Li-Po’s. Li-Fe would actually have been perfect, but they are more expensive, and need dedicated chargers, not the cheap off-the-shelf ones Henk Long prefers. And in a small market, every penny that can be saved by choosing a cheaper battery-solution, is a penny saved x thousands of items...
Li-Ion’s càn go up in flames when mistreated, but You really have to put sone serious effort in it. (Say, a laptop that continuously pulls way more power than the c-value of the battery can deliver, or put your expensive Tesla against a concrete barrier at full speed and puncture several cells at the same time. Thèn Li-ion wil burn quite nicely )
