# Goin Lipo...Need some help please



## TCCustoms (Jan 2, 2012)

hello, im doin the swap and goin to lipo finally and had a question...

While looking i notice that some packs are wired direct and some have the 4.0mm bullet connectors in the hard pack or wired direct with with the butt connectors to add your own.

What does everyone prefer and why??? I think the hardpack with the wiring harness being removable would be nice and could wire directly to esc and just plug into the battery pack and that means less connectors and so on but i see some are always sold out and kinda figured thats what most use but dunno..


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## 4ThePinkRacing (Apr 30, 2010)

the bullet connectors go bad faster then a deans end anyday .... 

i like hard wired with deans .. 
them lil wirebends on the bullets ware out so fast .. coz issues cuttin power . hot spot .. 
i ran a 3.5turn on a 5400 checkpoint and the bullet got so hot the case melted and it moved .. pack itself was fine ..


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## swingerguy340 (Jul 17, 2007)

What kind of vehicle is it going in?

If you're looking at Lipo's here is what I have found out-

There are 2 connectors coming from the batt- 1 is the main battery connection- the other smaller one is for balance charging the cells (in 2+cell batteries- 1 cell bat. don't have them)- basically the batt could be fully charged BUT the cells could have different voltages- so you need to "balance charge" it so the cells have the same voltage before using the battery

I like the Traxxas style high current connector most as it is fail safe/ impossible to cross the terminals

here is what I bought for my Slash:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/270880659696?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/280696214198?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/290642561577?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170740501650?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120770053276?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649


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## TCCustoms (Jan 2, 2012)

right...its the plugs that plug into the the battery and the main wires...why do some come hard wired, or have the bullet plugs on them...Here are links to a few batteries that show what i mean

HARD WIRED PACK

BULLET CONNECTOR PACK

I wanted to know the advantages and disadvantages of each or why they make both??


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## swingerguy340 (Jul 17, 2007)

TCCustoms said:


> right...its the plugs that plug into the the battery and the main wires...why do some come hard wired, or have the bullet plugs on them...Here are links to a few batteries that show what i mean
> 
> HARD WIRED PACK
> 
> ...


I imagine the different styles is for whether you have multiple vehicles using the same batteries (universal in a way) and run all the same connectors be it bullet, banana, Deans, Tamiya, Traxxas 

I'm not sure why they make all different kinds of connectors, I would do a Deans or Traxxas style connector if it were me- even on a non Traxxas vehicle


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## TCCustoms (Jan 2, 2012)

yes, will only be traxxas connectors due to the larger contact surface area even tho the deans unplug a helluva lot easier but i kinda of like the bullet connectors and could always leave it hooked to the esc and unplug the battery right at the battery or direct wire from esc to the plug for battery and no traxxas plug just the bullets for the battery


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## TOM MAR (Jul 24, 2008)

Besides bullits wearing quickly in comparison, the other big problem I have seen is you need to make the wires where you can not plug them in backwards. 
1 second & its game over for most esc's. 
I've seen it happen a half dozen times last year at only 12 races.
All my 1 cell batteries have bullits, I would not mind them if the mfg's would use 2 different size plugs to fix that problem. So I do much like you suggested & made a harness with a deans plug, Cause I Will plug it in backwards sooner or later.


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## ta_man (Apr 10, 2005)

Using packs with bullets can give you a cleaner wiring layout. That is the only advantage I can think of. Most bullets that come with the packs add resistance to the connection. The resistance generates heat in a place it cannot easily be dissipated (inside the battery pack). I also have seen the problems mentioned by others: bullets melting the battery pack, wire coming unsoldered from the bullet because of heat buildup, ESCs destroyed by pluging the bullets in backward.

Think about this: you don't see any 4S packs intended for 1/8th scales with bullets. And despite the higher voltage (actually because of it) E-8s draw less current than a lot of 1/10th scale cars.

My personal choice is to avoid packs with bullets if at all possible. In some cases it is not (my 1S packs for pan cars) and there I make a harness with a solid plug (like the ones sold by ProMatch) and never remove the bullets. I also carefully heat-shrink the joint where the wire is attached to the bullet so the pack cannot be shorted externally by something touching the bullets.


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## TCCustoms (Jan 2, 2012)

So do direct wired pack like I linkd up first and solder up a traxxas plug...

Kool, buying soon so wantd to kno and any other info would be great


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## TOM MAR (Jul 24, 2008)

Some other jnfo to check on would be.
Lipo safety- Storage, charging, NOT over discharging, NOT overcharging. 
These are worth searching on the forum search.:thumbsup:

If you are only changing from round cells, you might want to drop a few teeth off your pinion. As lipo cells do not drop in voltage anywhere near as much as nimh batteries & can cause overheating of wiring & electronics.


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