LiPo vs NiMh for 1/16 Revo

[AngelG619]

Hello! I currently have a 1/16 Erevo vxl brushless, and I’m currently not invested into either LiPo or NiMh, as I currently only run my merv on the one NiMh battery that came with the car. I was planning on just buying a series connector and another NiMh battery (2925X) to get that bit of extra performance, but from what I’ve been reading on the forums, most people are running their merv on either 2S or 3S LiPo. This made me question going on with my original idea, and I’m beginning to consider investing in LiPo. What do you think? How much better is LiPo than NiMh, and what batteries are best? I appreciate any suggestions, thanks.

[Extremercing]

I like running 2s in parallel. If I had to guess I have about 30-40 minutes of high speed driving.

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[halygon]

I run nothing but 3s traxxas batteries, although I do have the 2s traxxas batteries as a backup (bought them before the 3s). One thing to note is that while you can run lipo batteries in parallel (not series), Traxxas doesn't support it and their Parallel Y connectors prevent it. A single 2s lipo battery is roughly equivalent to a single nimh battery voltage. Lipo has the advantage of increased discharge rates, which give more punch than NiMH.

2s Lipo
- Similar in voltage to NiMH (7.4v vs 7.2v)
- More "punch" than NiMH
- No Traxxas support for parallel setups (you can modify the Traxxas connector or buy a different brand y connect if you want to do it anyways)
- Longer run times than NiMH as Lipos are more efficient
- Requires LiPo care (Balanced Charging, Storage Charging, LiPo Safe bags, etc)

3s Lipo (Same as 2s LiPo except):
- a little less voltage than two NiMH in series (11.1v vs 14.4) but less weight
- Causes ESC & Motor to heat up faster (fans required)

[McCreary]

Hello! I currently have a 1/16 Erevo vxl brushless, and I’m currently not invested into either LiPo or NiMh, as I currently only run my merv on the one NiMh battery that came with the car. I was planning on just buying a series connector and another NiMh battery (2925X) to get that bit of extra performance, but from what I’ve been reading on the forums, most people are running their merv on either 2S or 3S LiPo. This made me question going on with my original idea, and I’m beginning to consider investing in LiPo. What do you think? How much better is LiPo than NiMh, and what batteries are best? I appreciate any suggestions, thanks.

Like halygon stated, a LiPo will give you more punch, and provide full power during the runtime. Whereas NiMh lose power during the run. Personally, I never ran the NiMh battery that came with my MERV. I ordered a 2s LiPo along with my purchase of the car. It'll do standing front flips and backflips on a 2s Lipo, and you'll definitely need a wheelie bar. You'll also need to shim the differentials or else you'll strip them. Especially the rear diff. They provide plenty of power for bashing. 3s turns them into a little rocket, but your maintenance costs will go up as well. I just use a passive heat sink, and I've had no issues with overheating.
Currently I'm using a pair of Gens Ace 2s LiPo, and a pair of Gens Ace 3s LiPo. LiPo also require more attention when charging and storing. You'll want to get a fireproof bag to keep them in when you're not using them, and while they're charging. They're well worth a few minor inconveniences.

[Extremercing]

I run nothing but 3s traxxas batteries, although I do have the 2s traxxas batteries as a backup (bought them before the 3s). One thing to note is that while you can run lipo batteries in parallel (not series), Traxxas doesn't support it and their Parallel Y connectors prevent it. A single 2s lipo battery is roughly equivalent to a single nimh battery voltage. Lipo has the advantage of increased discharge rates, which give more punch than NiMH.

2s Lipo
- Similar in voltage to NiMH (7.4v vs 7.2v)
- More "punch" than NiMH
- No Traxxas support for parallel setups (you can modify the Traxxas connector or buy a different brand y connect if you want to do it anyways)
- Longer run times than NiMH as Lipos are more efficient
- Requires LiPo care (Balanced Charging, Storage Charging, LiPo Safe bags, etc)

3s Lipo (Same as 2s LiPo except):
- a little less voltage than two NiMH in series (11.1v vs 14.4) but less weight
- Causes ESC & Motor to heat up faster (fans required)

I use the nimh Y splitter... whoops. Didn't notice that it wasn't for lipos. Nothing has happened to the car or harness though.

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[halygon]

I use the nimh Y splitter... whoops. Didn't notice that it wasn't for lipos. Nothing has happened to the car or harness though.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Apparently the older adapters didn’t have the limiting tab on it like the new ones do - you probably have an older one. I spoke with the guy at the Traxxas retail store and they said they were told it’s because not all batteries are equal and it’s possible for you to plug in two types of batteries or one that’s damaged, which allows it to draw from one battery more than the other and in LiPo world, a battery too low of voltage is disaster waiting.

[Nighti]

Running 2S Lipo on my MERV. It gives me enough punch without overloading electronics and mechanics.

[EclipseMantis]

People have already given pros/cons, and I'm just going to say that LiPos are unbelievably better.

Apparently the older adapters didn’t have the limiting tab on it like the new ones do - you probably have an older one. I spoke with the guy at the Traxxas retail store and they said they were told it’s because not all batteries are equal and it’s possible for you to plug in two types of batteries or one that’s damaged, which allows it to draw from one battery more than the other and in LiPo world, a battery too low of voltage is disaster waiting.

I know that if you have a bit of common sense that it doesn't matter, but I wonder why Traxxas is fine with people using 2 lipos on a E-Revo but not a Merv.

[AngelG619]

Thanks for all the great answers. It really helps for someone who is new to stuff like LiPo. I guess I'll be looking into the Traxxas 2S LiPo battery and the charger they sell (Hopefully I find a good discount, as they're not exactly cheap). You mentioned I should get a fireproof bag for the battery, is there anything else I need to purchase or need to be aware of?

Edit: I went on the Traxxas website and was looking at the batteries, but I couldn't figure out which one was the 2S one. They sell one (blue) that has a higher capacity but lower voltage, and another (red) that has a lower capacity but higher voltage. Which one is the 2S?

[grizzly03]

A 2s Lipo battery is the 7.4v 2-cell
A 3s Lipo battery is the 11.1v 3-cell

[halygon]

Thanks for all the great answers. It really helps for someone who is new to stuff like LiPo. I guess I'll be looking into the Traxxas 2S LiPo battery and the charger they sell (Hopefully I find a good discount, as they're not exactly cheap). You mentioned I should get a fireproof bag for the battery, is there anything else I need to purchase or need to be aware of?

Edit: I went on the Traxxas website and was looking at the batteries, but I couldn't figure out which one was the 2S one. They sell one (blue) that has a higher capacity but lower voltage, and another (red) that has a lower capacity but higher voltage. Which one is the 2S?

With Traxxas batteries, blue is 2s and red is 3s.

[McCreary]

You mentioned I should get a fireproof bag for the battery, is there anything else I need to purchase or need to be aware of?

You'll most likely need to shim the differentials if you're going with LiPo. I have 2 shims in the rear diff, and one shim in the front diff. I used Team Associated #21141 shims. Here's a YouTube video that shows you how to do it. https://youtu.be/Gnq6PQ2nDpg