"Quick" change battery system
 

I started a post in the electric section but before I knew how to start a poll.

So here it is:

how many would be interested in a quick change system.
A system that would alow no body modifications, no removal of the body to change the battery...
A battery tray that could alow for any hieght of pack with the same length.
this system would work great on a truggy, but I haven't tried on a buggy yet:whistle:

Please include ideas as to why you voted one way or the other.
Thanks for your thoughts.

sounds good :)

no?
lol
of course it would be nice, but not needed

Ug. This has been talked about before and unfortunately it seems like it's going nowhere.

We desperately need a quick change system because even the slowest Nitro guy can "win" in a 20 or more minute race. We can stuff race ready trucks with packs to get us to 15 or 20 mins max but if you go beyond that, you either have to use enormous packs which are not race weight or you have a pit stop that is about 2 minutes long (for a dual pack truck).

I hope that OEM's decide to make a system where you solder your battery leads to some kind of sled which pops into a mount built into the vehicle.

As Electric 1/8th becomes more factory and less home-brew there is a chance for a system like this but somebody has to invest some time, money and a whole lot of risk in order for it to see the light of day.

I really think some more options need to be added to the pole in this thread! I don't NEED one but thats not to say I wouldn't take one. Is it worth the effort for me to develope one, no....Traxxas or Losi maybe. Honestly if I had to do a battery swap on my E-REVO I could do it in about a minute. The body doesn't need to be removed. I use a series adapter and as long as that is long enough you can easily fold up the side of the body and disconnect the battery, replace it, reconnect it, do the same on the other side and be gone! Remember that Nitros have to come in 3-4 times in a 30 minute main, while a battery change would only need to be done once! The actual pit for a nitro doesn't take long but the time coming in and exiting can add up.

edit - decided to say not worth it. BL will prolly get banned from racing against nitro as we continue to dominate!

The best time I made all year for a battery swap was 50 seconds, in my converted revo, I can do my E-Revo in 30sec.

This system is awsome very simple.
Yes very costly.
And very heavy.
Yes I have compleated a 30 min main without a battery change, and took second...only cuss neer the end the nearest nitro was gaining on me quickly in the last 4 laps, so I started driving a bit harder and had a bad landing and broke a front pivot ball. He was able to pass me on the second last lap, I was able to hold second. This was on a very large track..One other factor that needs to be mentioned is that the best MT driver around here had engine troubles and was unable to finish.

in a nitro vs. electric race the swap would be a plus.
But I wonder if these types of races will be going for much longer.

When it comes down to All electrics then the battery limits the length of the mains. then theres not much need for said system.
this is why I would like some input to see if it's worth going through the proplems of higher production.

Thas what I am thinking. Once ROAR and RCPro series make some rules for electric classes I have a feeling they will start being split off into their own classes with 15 minute mains being the limit so there wouldint be a need for a fast change battery. If that was the case why didnt they come up with it years ago for the 1/10 electrics?

If you really want a system, I'll build one. I can build a set-up that would allow 10 seconds changes per pack. What vehicle are you wanting it done with?

For Buggies and Truggies, you could just build a little plastic box that can hold the lipo and have a quickly unsnappable lid that would hinge towards the center. Just drive in, lift the side of the body, unsnap the battery cover, unhook the battery, slide in the new battery and plug it in and you're off.

I'd be fine with a quick removal system, but since I'm a basher it isn't essential.

I have the system...just a very costly system at this time.
ya about 8-10 seconds sounds about right.:yes:
PM sent.

this is the closest to the system in question sort of the pluging in the new pack.

There is some confidence. Build it and I'll be you have major MFGs knocking on your door.

Personally I'm switching trucks next year from my dual pack truggy to a single pack truggy. So I'd want to see a system which can take a single 4s pack of about 5000Mah. Since most truggies and buggies use this type of power and almost all have similar layouts, designing one system may work (or with minor tweaks work) in almost all the standard conversions.

I've been thinking of trying something with these. http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-MILWAUKEE-LI...1%7C240%3A1318 I use the tool kit all the time and they seem to do real good.My idea is to take 1 of the tools,cut the end off,and hard mount it to the chassis.Then run my wires out of that.They are only 3000 mah so I'm not sure if 2 would get through a 20 min main,but it would be a simple locking quick change.You could use the 28v and use a LT 10s esc,which should make it no problem.Also since you wouldn't have to alter the battery it would carry it's 2000 cycle warranty.

Why could you just have a mandatory pit stop or 2 at say 15-20 min. intervals, repack your rides and the restart . If transponders are used, this could be done. It would also even the field on restarts and possibly make for more competitive racing.

Because that's just not how it's done. We are the minority at the track as a result we have to play by their rules for the time being and for 1/8th electric to really be viable we have to be able to race for 30 mins with a pit taking 10-20 seconds at most.

I beleive that is would have been the case a year or two ago,but the longer we wait for this system the more likely we will have a E-only class.
The design in question IS for single packs of same width/length but the height is open to what ever you choose for packs,be it 4s,5s,6s...or 3000mha up to the skies the limmit,or I should say the body.


this is not the way races are held,a pit stratagy is part of racing, and would only come into play in an enduro setting

I agree! This is it ,do we forsee another season with the nitro's? As more mfg's come out with 1/8 E vehicles theres a better chance that we WILL have an E only class. Most I've seen use a two battery system, and I beleive it's because WHEN a sactioning body DOES set out rules, one will be hard cases only. At this time we only have 3s hard cases.
I think the swap would need to be down to not more than 10 seconds, even against the nitro's. currently here we have to " stop on the rail 5 seconds" for every stop the nitro's make. There is no exceptions for battery change...
EX: you only need to do one 10sec swap and two 5sec,in a 30 min main. this is not alowed
Our rules state 4stops@5sec= to the nitros 4@3 sec fuel stops.
I'm thinking this will be changed to 5 stops as bolth the E-guy's here finnished in the top 5 most of the time....so it's obvious that the 4@5sec stops are not fair:rofl:

It is very confusing to me why we don't have a system like this in production all ready....I've seen some small mirricals made here on this fourm, this leads me to think that most of these convertions are sitting on shelfs,or out in the back yard playing on private tracks.

I understand that it is done this way, but, in not so near future this could be done. For now, the concern would be unplugging the batt. and something happening...not rebinding or something.

At the events I go to, RC-Monster Bash aside, there is so much Nitro Snobbery. Yes, Losi has their production electric and so does Caster and that is wonderful for the hobby but I don't see an E only 1/8th class for next year. At least not here in the North East. Even despite my trucks dominance in the truggy and MT classes at my local track this year, we have ZERO other electric truggies and maybe 3 other E-Revos. Maybe now that Castle has their stuff worked out (hopefully) the path to E-1/8th will be easier but I'm not exactly seeing people change over in droves.

FYI - Losi does have 4s hardcase LiPo's - http://www.losi.com/Products/Feature...rodId=LOSB9864 and that is great, we need more MFGs to make them as well. A standardization on size would be nice too.

the tracks i run at dont make me pit but once and thats for my battery swap in the long mains which takes me 25 seconds (this is equal to the 5 pitstops that the nitros make) so its as fair as it can be and i dont have anyone to change my batteries for me either, i have my gf THROW my car to me on the stand and i swap pack and as my putting the body back on she grabs it from my feet and throws it on the track as i stand up, works pretty good...... i also had a couple buttons sewn on the tips of my velcro straps to keep them from pullng back through the loop (MAJOR time saver) now if my body would come on and off faster id say i could do the stops in under 15 seconds flat.

cool Í didn't see that pack.
I finished normaly in the top 5 all year.( if I didn't break) I took home first place honours for the seasons club pionts, and third over all in the R/C Pro series. I think I have converted two or three guy's over to Electric.
25 sec swap that's very good. our members aren't too bad. theres a few who respect my decision to run Electric but most won't help much either.
Never thought of the button idea... That's a very good idea.:yes:
I did see a quick pin systen on another fourum I will try and find it and link it

If I built them, it would cost around $75 per system. The only issue is either you would have to ship the chassis to me or do some chassis mods yourself. A buggy, truggy and stadium truck would be the easiest design, the dual battery trucks would be a bit more complicated and run about $100 a system.

The price is reasonable but I don't know you. Do you have any examples of your work? Prototypes? How do we know it will work?

If you think you can make one, I'd highly suggest making a few prototypes and trying to sell them as kits to other folks running the same chassis.

Me personally, I'm getting a Z01-T when it comes out, which I'm now being told has been delayed till Jan so I won't be looking for a solution for some time but for $75, not to have to loose to the nitro guys in a 20-30 min main would be well worth it for me.

I'll build one as a prototype on my Losi XXT chassis. It has the same battery compartment and the very popular XXXT and most of the other truggies, STs and buggies use pretty much the same system.

I'm no engineer but I see this as removing part of the structure of the chassi...
right in the center where it takes most of the abuse.:neutral:

Actually it takes little to no abuse in the center(think of transmission holes on 4wd vehicles, they never fail at the tranny). Most all chassis failures are at the bulks where the front and rear of the vehicle attatch. But that won't matter in the design I'm using. It should be ready middle of next week. The chassis will remain just as rigid as factory and should have a lower COG if I build it right. I knocked all the hard stuff out tonight, all that is left is finding the proper hardware for the job.

I guess if you brace from the front and rear bulkheads to the Center diff mount it would be ok. but without this brace I would think that the chassi will bend right at the CD, where most of the weight is located. I say this cuse even in the stock nitro form they use chassi stiffening braces right neer the center of the chassi.
The E-maxx is a totaly different design and uses a chanel type chassi with the skidplate to chassi brace, to help stiffen the over all chassi.

Notice the brace behind the fule tank, and I think there is one under the radio tray too.
http://www.jamminproducts.com/CRimages/cr6lg.jpg

Opps. I stand corrected,I didn't realize the Losi XXT has a channle typ chassi.
Yes I believe your idea is neer perfect for this aplication.

I was thinking of a truggy type flat chassi.