Things have changed a bit since I was first bashing around with remote controlled cars – the battery technology has probably been the biggest shift.
Using just 3.7V but in a Lipo (Lithium Polymer) battery is the big stand out change for me.
With change comes in some cases, a bit of complexity – and danger.
Though the old fashioned NiCad and NiMh batteries weren’t without their dangers / faults!
Lipo’s present a whole another level of risk (or so we’re educated) and therefore “Lipo Sacks” have become the norm – and so they should. In my mind, any battery should be charged in this way – it elevates the respect that people have for what are dangerous bits of kit, even if their chemistry isn’t quite as volatile as a Lipo when in failure mode.
Anyway – I bought a Lipo sack.
The one I bought was a ‘Voltz’
It’s held up really well under regular use – threads haven’t pulled apart, and I’ve not seen the cracking and “breakdown” of the internal insulating / protection material that I see on some of the more “well worn” ones I see in the pits at club meetings.
It’s a “flat” version – the Medium size was more than big enough for charging a 1S lipo at a time with my eTronix Powerpal 3.0
My only thought is that I’d have been better buying a Lipo sack that wasn’t naturally “flat” and instead had a “box like structure” – it might be easier from a “cable management” perspective.
I have to essentially have the Lipo “standing up” on it’s side in the bag, allowing the terminals to be aligned with the cables coming in from the side.
It actually works really well like that – it’s not a problem charging at home.
In the instances I’ve charged at the club meeting, it has meant my pit area is encroached upon by the larger footprint – and therefore if I was planning on doing more charging track side, I’d buy myself a smaller footprint Lipo bag – that had a “volume” profile to it (essentially those shaped like a “box” with space inside – as opposed to mine which is shaped like a flat envelope you need to put stuff inside of.
I could also solve the problem by getting hold of a different charging lead that turns the battery terminals through 90 degrees – this would have the same beneficial impact of reducing footprint and sensitivity to the lipo sack being nudged or moved during charging.
More on my Lipo charge lead reviews coming in the future!
Overall, I’d buy another
I would buy another Voltz Lipo sack. It’s been great value, it’s been robust to date (6 months use so far, twice weekly charging and discharging 4-5 Lipos at a time).
But I may look into a different “format” or “shape” of sack when I come due to buying another – that being said, I don’t anticipate that being any time soon, as this one looks like it’s going to last me!