ZIPPY Flightmax 4000mAh 2S1P 25C Car Lipoly (ROAR APPROVED)

2 year plus update Link

I heard really good things about this pack and with them being the cheapest hardcase packs ($15.50) on hobby kings site I just had to give them a try and see what they were made of .
Well I started by checking the voltages when I got these in . One pack was at a little down with cell 1 at 3.84 and cell 2 at 3.85 . The second pack which by the warranty number was a bit newer was at 3.86 on both cells so in my opinion things looked pretty good from the start . I then solder on a couple of dean's style T-connectors and proceeded to charge the packs up . After handling the wiring harness a bit I decided I didn't want to use the stock harness for running in my car or for fast charging and made 2 more harnesses minus the balance plug as it could be damaged . After the packs got done Balance charging I decided to take them for a spin and yes virginia these packs do have some punch dare I say more than the Turnigy 30C 4000mah packs I tried hmm further testing is needed because despite feeling Zippy these packs did warm up a hair bit but that may be due to this being there first outing . After I get a few more cycles on these and the Turnigys I will be updating these post .

This pack has a Relative Amp 25C x 4A = 100rA 
$15.50 / 100rA = 0.155cE the lower the number the Cost Effective




Where to buy it
ZIPPY Flightmax 4000mAh 2S1P 25C Car Lipoly (ROAR APPROVED)


Manufacturer description:

 Zippy FLIGHTMAX batteries deliver full capacity & discharge as well as being the best value batteries in the hobby market today!

Spec.
Capacity: 4000mAh
Voltage: 2S1P / 2 Cell / 7.4v
Discharge: 25C Constant / 30C Burst
Weight: 235g (including wire, plug & shrink wrap)
Dimensions: 138x47x23mm
Balance Plug: JST-XH
Discharge plug: 4mm Bullet-connector to your own custom plug

UPDATE Latest stock has improved soldering and tab joins. Removing previous issues related to 'cold solder' breakages.

Now officialy approved by ROAR for race use!

PRODUCT ID: Z40002S-25

YKS 5000mah 20c lipo batteries my opinion

Well I bought a 5000Mah 20c 2s 7.4 v lipo battery pack from a company in Brooklyn New York .

06/10/13 - 09/01/14 RIP

Minimum Capacity:	5000mAh
Configuration:	2S1P / 7.4v / 2Cell
Constant Discharge:	20C
Peak Discharge (10sec):	30C
Pack Weight:	308g
Pack Size:	145mm x 52mm x 30mm
Balance Plug:	JST-XH
Discharge Plug:	NO
Quantity:	1

I had  good experiences with their smaller batteries as can be found in other parts of this blog but I find myself not being able to recommend this pack and many of their other higher capacity packs .

 This particular pack was the best deal as far as I could see but after getting it  I realized it wouldn't fit anything I owned its several mm wider than a shotgun style NIMH pack  and longer than a 6-cell pack but slightly shorter than a 7-cell pack . This made fitment virtually impossible in almost all my models but my ZD Racing 1/10th scale truck and really it was such a tight fit that It makes me uncomfortable . 

The other problem I had was that the power output in my opinion is low even for a 20c rating I found I could only get reasonable performance for around half the pack after the voltage dropped below 4.0 volts it could not provide the amperage needed for my mild brushless system that I was testing it with . The measured usable  capacity was normally around 3000 Mah .

This pack has a Relative Amp 20C x 5A = 100rA 

$12.99 / 100rA = 0.1299cE the lower the number the Cost Effective

Now looking at this graph it should give you a idea of why my battery didn't meet what most people would expect from the ratings  . To clarify if you don't see what this is showing is that the mah rating was determined at a 1C discharge or a 2.2 amp draw but when a 25C load  was introduced the usable capacity dropped off from 2250 ish to 2050 ish .

Its also Important to note that when a manufacturer uses this method that the gap between the  listed capacity and usable capacity gets bigger as the capacity get bigger . This is one of many reasons why most sellers and battery makers don't use the 1C discharge method to determine battery capacity.

The reason I find it hard to recommend (or even buy ) there other higher capacity and C rated batteries is that for the cost you could be buying a battery that is well known in the hobby community for good performance and value with a more appropriate battery rating  .

Other pack capacities available from YKS are:

7.4V 1600MAH 20C

7.4V 1800MAH 20C

2200mah 7.4v 30C

7.4V 3300MAH 30C 

4000mah 7.4V 20C

4000mah 7.4V 30C

7.4v 4500mAh 30C 

5000mAh 7.4V 20C  

7.4v 5800mAh 25C 

11.1V 1500mah 20C

11.1V 1600MAH 20C

1800mAh 20C 11.1v

11.1V 1800mah 40C

3000mah 3S 11.1v 20c

11.1V 3300MAH 30C

4000mah 3S 11.1v 20c

11.1V 5000MAH 20C 3S

11.1V 5000MAH 40C

5800mah 3S 11.1v 25C 

5800mah 3S 11.1v 30C

2650mah 4S 14.8v 30C

14.8V 5800MAH 30C 4S

3300mah 5S 18.5V 30c

5800mah 5S 18.5V 30c

22.2V 2650MAH 30C 6S

3300mah 6S 22.2v 30c

4000mah 6S 22.2v 20c

5000mah 6S 22.2v 25c

Turnigy 4000mAh 2S 30C hardcase pack

Well I picked up a pair of these out of the USA warehouse . All I an say is wow the value of these packs are great they have nice thick wires and can definitely dump the amps with very little voltage sag . Probably the most notable thing is that these packs live up to there rated capacity  But I don't plan to buy anymore of these after trying the Zippy 4000mah because the case an finish is much better in my opinion .

This pack has a Relative Amp 30C x 4A = 120rA 

$19.99 / 120rA = 0.166cE the lower the number the more Cost Effective

Where to pick up :http://www.hobbyking.com

Manufactures description :

 The new number one in performance and price!The new Turnigy Lipoly packs deliver full capacity at the said C rate.

You wont find a better deal in Lithium Polymer batteries anywhere!

Spec.
Minimum Capacity: 4000mAhConfiguration: 2S1P / 7.4v / 2CellConstant Discharge: 30CPeak Discharge (10sec): 40CPack Weight: 254gPack Size: 135 x 45 x 21mmCharge Plug: JST-XH Discharge plug: HXT4mm

Now officialy approved by ROAR for race use!

PRODUCT ID: T4000.2S.30HC

Protect your lipo's buy a lipo alarm

So you want to play with lipo's I highly recommend buying at least one lipo alarm .

I have found that a lot of cheaper brushless esc's have lower voltage cutoffs than I am uncomfortable with and this could cause damage to your new lipo .

They also allow you to use your lipo's with esc's that do not have a low voltage cutoff such as most brushed models .

They come in many varieties and from many sources .I find my self not recommending many of the high dollar brands due to them being the same as  the low dollar units found on Ebay , hobby king , and others.

So spend a little money and you may save a lot more money .

Valuehobby

HK ALARM

HK ALARM

Lipo Battery Power Level Tester & Alarm to Indicate Low Power A great and neat tool to have. Always keep your lipo charged, and when it is low power or running weak stop using it to recharge. Help prevent damage to your expensive LIPO battery and prolong it's battery life by never letting the voltage drop too low. Great support device for any LIPO pack.Purpose and Features Can be used for 3.7V (1S Pack), 7.4V (2S pack), or 11.1V (3S pack). Red LED will flash when cell is below 3.3V and an Alarm will sound when cell is below 3.0V indicating the Lipo Battery pack should be recharged. With 2.5mm pin spacing, it works with 95% of the lipos on the market.Specification Dimention37mm x 21mm x 10mm Weight0.2 oz (5 g)Caution Never charge lipo battery in a flammable surface ALWAYS monitor your battery when it is being charged. Use only lipoly battery charger to charge a lipoly battery.

Cheap Lipo Sacks

Now it might seem silly but dozens if not hundreds of people have bought lipo bags or sacks that's are over priced. yes I know it feels good to spend a little more when it comes to safety but most of these sacks are being bought by companies and being resold under there brand for extreme amounts of profit . For example:

This sack being sold by Tower Hobbies for $15.99 under the Golden Horizon brand .

Versues this sack sold by Value Hobby for $5.99

Or this one Normally available for $5.75

Li-Po GUARD 25x33cm Safety Battery Charging/Storing Bag Protect your family and home from the hazard of lipo charging. This lipo-safe bag is a fireproof bag, designed to stop and contain the fire caused by incorrectly or poorly functioning lipos, especially during charging. We urge all customers to always practice extreme caution when charging and never leave a charging battery unattended. This pack is the jumbo size. It is 25x33cm/10x13 The Lipo-Safe Guard Bag is made from a fiberglass woven fabric. Similar to fireproof suits worn by some firefighters.

Hobby King even has a sack for $2.73

Now do I think all lipo sacks are the same NO the cheapest ones like from Hobby king tend to use cheaper thread to sew the sack up and to attach the Velcro and in some batched the fiberglass material will splinter more and make your hand itchy. Does this mean I don't recommend them NO buying any lipo sack is better than not having one . I have found the one's from ValueHobby and Nitro RCX to be of better quality and generally a better deal . 

Got a new charger

Well I needed a new charger and after looking high and low I found something both cheap and full of features. The GT Power X-Charger C6 is a 50 watt charger capable of charging at up to 6.0 amps discharging at up to 1 amp and can balance discharge at up to 300 mah per cell. 

FOR FULL SPEC'S LOOK HERE  valuehobby

                                                

Now to be honest the manual is plenty thick and does a good job of covering what you need to know to operate the charger and explaining its features. It does have the common china translation problems with a word or 2 but most people should not have a problem understanding what its telling you . This charger does require a external power supply but they can be found pretty easy .Value hobby even sells this bundled with a power supply for those that do not wish to source there own . 

To me the menu is easy to use and should not confuse new owners especially if they read the manual. 

The only thing I wish was different was that value hobby had included a cable with a TRX adapter for people with Traxxas systems to speed up there setup time .

 To me this was the best $21 bucks I could have spent.

I would also like to say Value hobbies shipping charge of  $3.99 was a pleasant surprise as was the 3 day delivery .

The cheapest lipo's I have ever bought and what I think of them

Well I bought this 1/16th scale brushless car from ZD Racing and I needed some lipo's that would fit .

Being the cheap'o I am I searched the net high and low and came across some batteries on Ebay that fit the bill . They were being sold out of Brooklyn, New York and they where holding lot's of auction's on batteries . The name on the batteries was YKS and I couldn't find any opinions or anything about these batteries .I eventually decided they where cheap enough to for me to take a risk on buying them . So far I have bought 6 of these batteries and out of the 6 I have had to contact the seller and get a replacement on 2 of these batteries . Now for the price of these batteries I am not complaining one bit I bought these dirt cheap and if the inconvenience of getting a dud is unexceptionable don't buy these as with anything cheap there is a risk . But in my opinion the seller I bought these from was top notch . They sent me replacements with no hassle and I got them in around 3-5 business day's just like my initial order.

A link to the Ebay selller I have been Buying from

 Here is my early YouTube video I did.

If you need some thing to compare prices to here is a start.