Thank you sir. Great explanation. I’m getting back into RC’s and needed a lesson on the latest battery information.

Great video. Thank you for the lesson 👍

Great vid. I had to Educate one of my neighbors he had no clue how to take care of lipo batteries. The conversation we had was perfect timing too he had two battery's starting to puff up. Thank's for Sharing AJ 👊👍💯✌

This is a well informed video…. Thank you. Why doesn’t anyone talk more about charging in the heat? These Texas summers are a lot like that guys trunk.

Yep, just another brick in my foundation on knowledge!!! I backed off buying cars till my real charger gets here after this video. For the safe storage of my growing collection of batteries. Great video and keep them coming!!

Bringing back memories wow had the same truck too and a rustler I still have it with a mechanical ESC lol .. I hatted the trickle charger. Wow. Great video. Again. I have the same military grade container

I make sure to have the battery go into storage mode at the 12 hour mark when fully charged. Then I bring them out of storage charge every month and balance charge them to full, then cycle them down to a safe level (usually 3.33V/cell) and then balance charge them to full again. The batteries I have you can set the time at which auto storage discharge happens. Default is 3 days or 72 hours but I usually set it at 12 hours. I figure if I'm not using a battery that I fully charged within 12 hours then it should go into storage mode at that time to help counteract degradation. Edit 02/02/2024: So I've learned that running high quality lipos below 3.5 volts/cell is a no go if you want a long life and high cycle rating. I ended up purchasing SMC lipos and am trying to move away from Spektrum smart batteries. Having the separate balance connector allows me to run lipo alarms which I highly recommend. I plan on running a 6S setup with dual independent lipo alarms set for 3.6 volts/cell. Always learning new things with batteries and will continue to tweak my process over time.

Once saw a car catch fire from unattended charging using the car battery for 12v. Please use fireproof bags when charging and keep an eye on it...don't walk away.

Excellent video! Thank you.

Great content as usual glad you kept it simple for newbies. This is so very important which needs telling and you have nailed it.

Brilliant content ,i mentioned that I’m confused with all the numbers on lipos and an insight into what it all means in a couple of videos back ..so helpful .👍👍

A great video, thank you. Having had a 35 year break from the RC hobby, I am used to the older batteries. When I got my new Arrma Senton, I had to learn pretty quickly about how to use the new battery types. I could have done with this video then, but it is still good to go through it again with you. Thanks for taking the time to make & share this video.

I'm new to the hobby and I enjoy watching your videos and they're very informative

Thank you Thank you

Amazing content - I just discovered your channel, and your channel is my favorite for RC. Great stuff.

Thanks for another educational video!👍👍

I enjoyed the video… thank you for the lesson

Good informational video for Everyone in the Hobby Not just beginners. Awesome video

As usually you got great info ❤ keep it up

Really glad I found your channel. I'm a fly guy, not a truck guy. But things change. My work recently had a huge new facility built. And without even realizing it, they also built one of the greatest r/c racing and bashing parks you could ever hope for. You have to see it to believe it. Long story short, when I saw this place I knew I had to get my first rc 4x4 truck. The brand new 15 foot wide pavement has a 1200 foot downhill straightaway that levels off and dumps into a large circular turnaround curve. so I wanted something fast. And the dirt road connected labyrinth of granite lined recessed resevoirs and sloping banked hills needed something that can rip off road. And I'm a noob to trucks, so I wanted something capable and RTR but didn't want to spend crazy money on something huge as my first one. The ARRMA Vorteks checked all the right boxes so last week that's what I got, along with a pair of G2 batteries, the S155 Spektrum smart charger and a set of Duratrax Bandito MT tires. Absolutely love it ! Using the recommended Spektrum G2 3S 5000mah 50C Smart batteries. Can I use the 100C with it too, what's the difference? Your videos are a huge help, thank you!

Yes it was helpful with the batteries thank you for that I really appreciate it. 👍👍

Awesome video AJ! Because of you reminding me, even a guy with experience with Rc batteries starting in 1984, I’ve got lazy and have batteries fully charged. I’m putting all my batteries right now in storage mode I don’t use right now that are fully charged. Thank you AJ! Even experienced people get to comfortable and forget about safety. Thank you!👍💯👊👏🏆

Good explanation! I learned something.

Great video! Thanks for the information on RC batteries. I learned some things I didn't know. I'm new to the channel and enjoying your content. Keep up the good work!

Excellent tutorial.. Everyone should watch and learn from this video. Lipo battery safety and maintenance should be taken very seriously.

Thank You So Much for this Video. I asked about batteries with my experience RC Compadres and they are still talking over my head. Your video was easy to view, listen and understand. Thank You AJ for this video. I learned a lot. I liked and subscribe to your channel. Your Video is AMAZING!!!!

Quick tip. Have a fire extinguisher with you at all times. Make sure its a A B C rated one. Stay safe yall

This is how I explain the ratings on a lipo battery. 1) The Mah is the size of the fuel tank, the higher the mah, the bigger the fuel tank. 2) C rating is the size of the carburetor. The higher the c rating, bigger the carburetor, the more fuel it can dump. 3) S rating is the number of cells. Edit: I've had the powerhobby batteries( between 6-8 of them, 4s 9000mah 100c) and everyone of them puffed and they are expensive batteries. I've never had one last longer than a month or so. I've also learned not to rely on the esc to stop before the lipo's get ruined. The esc only reads total voltage, not each cell and one cell might drop lower than the others. So when my rc starts slowing down, it's time to stop or change batteries.

Wow didn't know how dangerously could be

Perfect video! Thanks. But whats about driving in sand? Small stones come in the Lipo-Packs. Do you close the entry by the cabels with silicon or something?

How could I store my batteries safely in an apartment? I don't have a detached garage. What would you recommend? Just discovered your channel and I'm finding it incredibly informative, by the way. You're chronically under-rated as far as R/C KZfaqrs go!

Awesome video love the channel and all the in depth info on Arrma cars. Just a FYI for everyone following the kraton 6s in the manual says to only run 4s batteries at minimum or 6s batteries. It cannot run a single 3s.

Everything in this video is exactly why my first Senton 3S mod was switching over to makita power tool batteries and a 6S ESC/motor combo. The upside: power tool batteries are designed for high-torque settings with strong burst and long term power draw; construction-site settings like drops, pinches, heat, even coffee to some degree, etc. The built in battery management, LVC, temp and various sensors all in a compact, hard-shell case provides stability, Above all as compared to Li-Pos, fire safety. It seems if you look at a LiPO wrong, it will burst into flames. Power tool batteries do smoke, but must be so rare which could be why you never hear about it. Weight is another factor. So far, S for S and mAh for mAh, the Makita Li-ions come in at low-to-mid range weight vs. Li_POs from the samplings I took by looking at the stats as listed on the amazon shopping website. If a battery didn't have a weight, I didn't count it in the tally. In some cases it was 6200mAh vs. 6000mAh, but close enough. Lastly, I'm already heavily invested in the infrastructure and component batteries themselves. They are ubiquitous around the house and even used in the car with USB chargers for emergencies. A big downside: In my case, 18v equates to 5S which is a dead 6S according to the Arrma BLX185 ESC. That said, my research suggests Hobby King has a brushless 5S ESC I can swap over to at some point. Another work around in my case is that the Makita 14.4v (=4S) is the same form factor as the 18v, so same charger and adapters. While the ESC is 6S, I'm running 4S which gives the bonus of only running at 66% capacity: which cuts down on heat and stress, that means overhead to work with. While I'll never have any power combination other than 4S, 5S, 8S or 10S and must choose my brushless ESCs around this factor, I essentially need never worry about charging a battery. Slap them on the charger, leave the house without worry. Also, no need to set storage charges or drain them or worry on long term storage with a full charge. And if I go with the rpeious notion of overhead, then running 5S on 8S or 8S on a 10S ESC or any other combo of less power on higher overhead means less stress, heat and longer life. I'm still new to the hobby, but the few hours of run time so far is yielding what seem to be excellent results, up to 45 mins on 4S/6Ah in medium pack sand on a 15T pinion with negligible heat anywhere in the guts. Switching up to a 20T to see what that does this week/end on a flatter surface hopefully, perhaps some tennis courts or similar.

Agree , years ago they'd sell the lipo chargers without balancers and if didn't have alot money it was something you bought later which is crazy . I have hoove batteries lasted very long well over 100 cycles , probably be best t o dispose or make sure follow all safety cautions , than exactly like your experience the Hardcases aren't necessarily better at all . I didn't factor in heat but you right I'd never had hard c as last as long as soft cases . Last set hard batt I bought the balance lead shorted against the case , I only had few runs . Meanwhile some batteries lasted so long the the leads and balance leads get very weathered .

Very informative, thanks from ‘over the pond’-London. I remember those 6 cell Nimh batteries melting and losing charge capacity when I was a kid, these days we’re spoiled for capacity/performance and ‘Bang’ for buck ⚠️**Take caution for the potential to actually go ‘Bang’ though 🔥😅👍

AJ, thanks for the great video. I always balance charge and storage charge my lipos and keep them in an ammo box. You say don't store them in the house. Is it ok to keep them in a tool shed where temperatures can vary between 100 degrees and 10 below? Is that safe for lipos?

I used to mess around with RC cars back in the 80s. I remember using 7.2v NiCd. I remember going to my hobby store and buying a 'quick' charger for those batteries. It had a mechanical timer and would charge my batteries fully (as best I can remember) in 15 minutes. I just recently bought a Typhon 550 mega, and the charger that came with it would charge the battery in like 6 hours. I bought a nicer all in 1 type charger, and it still seem s to take at least 2 hours to charge a battery. The Typhon battery is NiMH, but still, what has changed? Was I risking my life charging in 15 minutes back in the day? Can I charge my NiMH faster than what seems to be the limit now? A lot has changed since my introduction to RC so long ago.

Hi AJ, you post excellent, informative videos. I would like to pick your brain if i may. I have a Arrma Granite 3s BLX. I bought used and are starting to perform necessary maintenance to it. It has the SLT3 Transmitter and SR315 Receiver. The truck runs great but only has a 75 foot diameter control range before it shuts down. I can get running again as I walk towards it. The antenna seems to be ok. Before I purchase a new receiver I was wondering if it could be something in the ESC like a range fail safe and if there was a way to trouble shoot or reprogram. Thanks.......

Great video! I would like to add that I do not use single 6s batteries but rather 2x 3s. The batteries are quite expensive and if a cell is damaged, I only have to replace 3 cells instead of all 6. Also in case of a fire, only 3 cells would burn out and that would minimize the overall risk. I have one question: you are not supposed to store fully charged lipos, however I usually don't have time on race day to charge all 8x3s batteries. Is it a problem to charge the batteries the night before and then use them 12 hours later? Thanks & greetings!

Yet another example that size matters. 🔋

Hi there! Thank you for your video on batteries. This is a very important topic for sure. I have a question. In your video it says keep the batteries in the garage however you also say to keep them in a temperature control environment so they don’t get too hot. Well my garage gets hot. So if I have it in the fire bag in a military box with the drilled hole on top and in my house so it’s not getting hot, that should work right?

Okay. But what do you do when it's cold here in MI with a detached, cold garage with cars inside it? Batteries don't like to be stored in the cold, and I only have the fire safe lipo zip containers. I charge, storage charge, and keep everything RC upstairs. Not everyone has, or can have the perfect setup, so what should I do to be safe with what I have to work with?

Please clarify..if a battery is sitting on storage charge, 33%, and stored away (not changing) it can still spontaneosly balloon on its own and catch fire?

Great video. my 3s pack went below by .5v so when i went to charge up my charger gives me an error saying wrong cell count. is there anyway i can get it to charge correctly? is a brand new pack that i charged to max before i put in my arrma.

Can you charge outside in NY winter/summer temps? Also, can these be stored outside in varying temps throughout the year in an ammo can or similar? What do you recommend?

How many times can you recharge Lipo batteries? I use the spectrum smart batteries and that something I’ve always wondered. I have 2 3s batteries that I’ve charged and used 100 times.

Great video! Have you ever punctured a soft case battery when running your cars? Rocks are always flying up under the body and sometimes getting into the battery tray. Without any protection it's easier to puncture. Do you have any mods for the battery try to protect the soft pack ls more? Maybe putting foam on the bottom of the tray and the top or a piece of plastic or carbon fiber on the top under the velcro straps for more protection. What do you think? I'm surprised companies like arrma that make "bashing" vehicles, putting so much emphasis on durability don't make battery trays that are more protected, even m2c snd basher queen hasn't made anything. Surprising given that if that battery bursts on impact, you could loose the whole car and/or cause a fire. Manufactures could certainly do a better job.

I store them in a 50 cal ammo box and charge them in a battery bag. But probably will start charging them outside.

How do you know how many amps max you can charge a lipo at?

Thanks AJ. What I don’t get is, if the mah is the fuel tank why does it cut off when the cells hit say 3.4v So you can have a 5,000mah and a 9,000mah on a 3s they both charge to 3 x 3.7 = 11.1v and cut off at 3 x 3.4v. So where does the mah effect ?

I would like to know what your thoughts are on Gens Ace Batteries

Does it beep or shut off when it’s done?

Hello! I know you mostly deal with high capacity RC batteries...but I have a question regarding a proprietary GPS drone battery that's beginning to swell...how do you safely discharge such a battery? I have heard of a warm salt water bath? Any info would be appreciated.

Hi AJ! Enjoyed your content very much! I am new to the game. And I bought a Mojave V2 online yesterday. Could you please recommend me some good battery brands ? I am currently in Japan so there is not too many choices. The ovonic 3s 5000mah costs almost 20000 yen (about 150 dollars)1pics😢 Is the HRB brand any good? Should I go for 50C battery or 100C battery? It will be very helpful if you could answer my question. Thank you!

So if I have a 5200mah with a 2c charge rate then I can charge at 10amps???

“S” stands for series. The number itself explains how many cells the battery has, no? Like in general lipo Rc battery terms, 3s tells me it the battery is 3 cells, wired in a series….3s. or am I wrong

Great how to for newbie I store mine at 59 percent

Where to store if you live in an apartment and no garage/storage area?

Lost my house due to a lipo RC battery. Make sure to always store them correctly

There is a BIG problem with this tutorial. Most of it is great, and he is a great guy with great vids, I doubt he did this on purpose - but you should NEVER run a tiny 3300mAH capacity LiPo in a 6S (6-Cell) vehicle. The thing about C Ratings is... They are fake. There is no standard of testing or verifying "C" discharge rating in the industry, as a result: manufacturers can say whatever they want, the FACT is that no Modern LiPo made today in the year 2023 is capable of more than a TRUE 50C discharge rate, that is a FACT. The problem is a tiny 3300mAH pack from a cheaper brand probably has a TRUE C discharge rate of about 20C at most, more like 15C. That tiny battery does NOT have the output required to handle a modern 6-Cell Brushless System. You will overload that battery and end up with a fire on your hands. 5000mAH is the BARE MINIMUM for modern 6S Brushless systems, 6000-6500mAH is the ideal balance between weight and runtime.

.556 NATO make em' burn lol

That's incorrect on the heat dissipation, the soft packs are more susceptible to damage then the hardcase. If you bash generally you want to use hard case. Of course depending on your ambient temps it can all change.

This is why we will never buy an EV.😂😂😂 (thermal runaway)