Chase battery choice

[PeteStewardson]

OK so Glen the designer just posted this on HF

The bounding box for the lipo to fit is
40mm x 46.7mm x Unlimited* (120mm)

*To fit unlimited length requires tail servo to be mounted in the upper front location option and in order to achieve correct CG the front esc tray may need to be removed also.

Length is dependent on how tall the lipo is. The esc tray on the front angles back so the taller the pack the less room it has, but in general 120mm between the tray and rear tail servo mount,(a must for mounting mini servos) I prefer my tail servo in the other location, this leaves clearance for unlimited length, but CG may put the lipo into the front of the frame. The heli performs fine without the front tray. So anyone wanting to do some weird and wonderful things will have some flexibility.

So now we know what lipo sizes are possible.

Now for choosing which to go for

[cupracing]

Thinking turnigy 1800s

[PeteStewardson]

Yeah me too. Quite heavy though. Based on the TT360 I'm thinking weight around 250g would work well.

[cupracing]

Yeah me too. Quite heavy though. Based on the TT360 I'm thinking weight around 250g would work well.

ok Pete cheers, maybe Gensace 1400 is a better choice then

[PeteStewardson]

Just as a comparison

Turnigy 1800mah - 113 x 34 x 39mm - 298g
Nano tech 1550mah - 120 x 34 x 27mm - 247g
Gensace 1400mah - 109 x 34 x 35 - 255g
Opti Power 1400mah - 105 x 33 x 35 - 276g
Haiyin 1300mah - 109 x 35 x 29mm - 215g

[3DBish]

Opti's it'll be for mine

[PeteStewardson]

Yeah I guess most people will say go for Optis, but all mine have puffed ( all but one actually and that one is going strong ) and I've wasted huge amounts of money on them.

[SaneAdam]

Yeah I guess most people will say go for Optis, but all mine have puffed ( all but one actually and that one is going strong ) and I've wasted huge amounts of money on them.

Were they from the original batches? There was a chemistry problem with the early packs that resulted in puffing even after very little use.

You were supposed to send them all back for replacement at the time (if they are the early ones) I got £700 worth replaced. Just took a plastic bag in full of 5000 packs. Swapped them all no questions asked.

They must be the original packs unless you have not looked after them well enough. Opti packs do not puff now when used correctly. I am not accusing you of anything by the way…. just feel bad for you if you have a load of useless packs you could have had replaced

[PeteStewardson]

I had some very early packs, they were swapped out but then I still had replacement 6s 2700mah packs that puffed. I sold on the replacement 5000mah packs so no idea how they faired.

I'm easy on packs as I just hover and fly about, no hard 3d or anything and always keep them above 20% on use. I had Hyperion packs that lasted hundreds of cycles but I didn't get that from the Optis. Having said that one of the replacements is fine, so maybe mine were replaced before it was noticed there was an issue with chemistry?

[SaneAdam]

I had some very early packs, they were swapped out but then I still had replacement 6s 2700mah packs that puffed. I sold on the replacement 5000mah packs so no idea how they faired.

I'm easy on packs as I just hover and fly about, no hard 3d or anything and always keep them above 20% on use. I had Hyperion packs that lasted hundreds of cycles but I didn't get that from the Optis. Having said that one of the replacements is fine, so maybe mine were replaced before it was noticed there was an issue with chemistry?

It was the very early ones that had all the issues. I suppose it could be possible that a few older ones stayed in circulation, or the general failure rate could account for a few duff packs here and there. My experience with Optipower has been very good when it comes to listening to and dealing with any problems.

Also, it is only my own experience i speak from in relation to the puffing and such. I have been a tad over zealous at times even with the replacement packs and they still showed no sign of puffing or significant power drops.

I am not an Opti fan boy either. They are just what circumstance led to me using due to being able to get them slightly less than retail plus the very good customer service. But the fact that i am still using them says something i think. I keep meaning to give Gens Ace a go too having heard some very positive things about them.

[PeteStewardson]

It's just having had 4 5000mah packs puff and 7 2700mah ones puff I've been put off investing in any more. Especially when I've been buying Haiyins at half the price and are lasting better than my experience with Optis.

Maybe I'll try a couple of 1400mah for the chase and see how they go. Since the choices in lipos for that heli are quite slim.

[DaveG]

I am not an Opti fan boy either. They are just what circumstance led to me using due to being able to get them slightly less than retail plus the very good customer service. But the fact that i am still using them says something i think. I keep meaning to give Gens Ace a go too having heard some very positive things about them.

I'm not a fan boy but i get them slightly less than retail.... Hmmmmmmmmmmm... Are you sure your not a fan boy???


Had nothing but problems with Optipower packs, the original 20/30/35C variants are pathetic, i get better performance and longevity out of turnigy blues and they are cheaper. Had puffed packs go back to opti and they come back with no fauly found even though they look like a football.

Only Optipower packs worth getting are the Ultra's, i had that much trouble with the original ones that the shop repalced them with ultras and they have been fine.

If i want cheap packs i buy turnigy blues, if i want decent packs i buy GensAce now.

[SaneAdam]

It's just having had 4 5000mah packs puff and 7 2700mah ones puff I've been put off investing in any more. Especially when I've been buying Haiyins at half the price and are lasting better than my experience with Optis.

Maybe I'll try a couple of 1400mah for the chase and see how they go. Since the choices in lipos for that heli are quite slim.

Im not surprised! I would be looking elsewhere too with those sorts of issues….

I am almost certain that if you do buy some that puff or have any issues you will be able to get them replaced… and if the replacements puff they would replace the replacements. Although at that point i would be looking at the charging set up and checking everything is working correctly. But obviously you are having success with other packs being used and charged in the same way.

From what you describe relating to the way you fly and your previous experience with Haiyins why not continue with those if you are happy…. although as I'm typing this I'm suddenly presuming Haiyins don't do the size you require? What about the Turnigy blue's that many speak highly of? I would think they may be in a similar price bracket as the Haiyins.

At least Optipower can give you some customer service…. but you do have to make them aware of the problems you are having for them to be able to help.

[SaneAdam]

I'm not a fan boy but i get them slightly less than retail.... Hmmmmmmmmmmm... Are you sure your not a fan boy???


Had nothing but problems with Optipower packs, the original 20/30/35C variants are pathetic, i get better performance and longevity out of turnigy blues and they are cheaper. Had puffed packs go back to opti and they come back with no fauly found even though they look like a football.

Only Optipower packs worth getting are the Ultra's, i had that much trouble with the original ones that the shop repalced them with ultras and they have been fine.

If i want cheap packs i buy turnigy blues, if i want decent packs i buy GensAce now.

It is actually the Ultra's that i now use. Although i still have a few of the replacements for the original ones that are still performing very well after a lot of use

Plus… as i said, i am NOT a fan boy. My close friend works in the hobby and can get them cheaper… so it just makes sense for me to use them. I also have some Overlander packs that i rate very highly based on my own experiences. If your definition of a fan boy is someone that would use a brand of packs…. have good results… then openly recommend them to someone based on those results…. then i guess i am a fan boy lol.

My definition of a fan boy is someone that militantly promotes and defends one brand and one brand alone pouring scorn of any other brand that dare to even exist. Usually without any first hand experience of the other brands they consider so inferior and useless. At no point have i done that. I can only comment on what i have used over the years with great success

Plus Dave… you did not quote me accurately… you changed the wording and therefore context of what i was saying to suit what you thought i was trying to say. I did not say "I'm not a fanboy but i get them slightly less than retail…"

I said...

"I am not an Opti fan boy either. They are just what circumstance led to me using due to being able to get them slightly less than retail plus the very good customer service"

The bloke that introduced me to flying used Opti. I have always bought all my stuff through him. So thats what he got for me when he told me i needed some batteries. I have trusted him in the past to kit me out with what i needed until i had enough experience to do that myself…. But, as a hangover from that…. i still use Opti. So…. those are the circumstances i referred to in the text you quoted that led to my prolonged use of these packs

[PeteStewardson]

Info on battery space available

Frames are 40mm wide.