Best scooter batteries & battery changers according to redditors

The Andymark charger which you have linked is an Lead Acid type charger (car battery). Which is not be used with NiMH batteries which are the Tetrix batteries that you use. You should be looking for a multi bank NiMH smart (balance) charging station. Something like: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HB6VF5Y?psc=1 Would work very well. Keep in mind with no matter what you get, you will need to put your own Anderson PowerPoles on the ends of the charging cables.

I currently have a couple of RTF quads: Skytech M62R and WLToys V262. Both great "toys", real fun to fly and super durable, but I wanted to take the next step to a budget 250 mini quad.

The frame, controller, ESC's, motors, screws, cables and connectors come from a bundle from MassiveRC. I did ask to change the default ESC's that came in the regular bundle (6A) to 12A ones for an extra price.
The rest of the components are from Amazon or eBay.


Frame: Diatone FVP250 v3

Motors: Emax MT1806 2280KV

ESC: Emax BLHeli 12A

Controller: MassiveRC Acro Rev5 32-bit
$130 for the bundle

Battery Charger: iMax B6 $32

Radio: FlySky FS-i6 with i6 RX $62

Battery: Turnigy 1000mAh 3S $13 each

Total cost around $250 for the RTF package without the Mobius lens C and the VTX/VRX that I already had.
Shout-out to MassiveRC for an exceptional service, Ultra fast shipping and great shipping costs.

I still need a FPV monitor and maybe a dedicated FPV cam but I don't think I will be doing FPV soon anyway, need some practice first. One other upgrade is the RX, I may order the i10 at some point to use the telemetry capabilities of the FS-i6 radio.

This is going to be a very fun weekend for me! Hopefully will post some final pics sometime soon.

More pics

How? Lipos are cheaper than the nimhs get 3 for 21$ and a charger that does it all for 30-40$ (could go really cheap and get a lipo cell balance charger for 12$) and a cell checker for 2-3$. If interested I can get links. 28$ for the pos wall charger is a joke you can get an imax charger that does lipos, nimhs, nicds, and lead acid batteries for 30$ seriously. It also has a display, can discharge and cycle batteries why would you but that "smart charger". I have 26 different chargers. Just don't buy one of those when you could get something way better for the same price if not less.

Links

Charger needs power supply*

The power supply

Amazon power supply included

They range in price but you can get one for 30$ I am on mobile I can get links id you'd like. Hobby king has lipo batteries 5-7$ nimhs in airsoft especially big name stores are hella over priced. Simular chargers like the ones I linked go for 100+ on evike.

The ones I linked are also made by hobby grade rc companies rather than airsoft companies. I have seen some from evike flake out. I have had mine for 15-12 years

Don't do that, get a smart charger instead. I'll link the one I have in a little bit.


I have this one


and I am looking at getting this one


Both of these also have one extra really cool feature, you can power them with DC OR AC, this means, you could put a DC battery (i.e. car battery) on your cart, and recharge your robot batteries on the move.

Hey there you are, I was hoping you'd see my thread since I knew you had experience with other chargers. :)

I now have 4 ways of charging the hopper's batteries, and 3 of those methods involve constant current. The hopper charger is the only one that dances around all over the place.

3 other chargers I have (in no particular order)

1. Nitecore F1 - Charges at a constant 1 amp
   
2. XTAR MC1 - Charges at a constant .5 amp
   
3. Olight UC - Charges at a constant .75 amp
   
   I'm going to contact hopper labs and see if they'll provide some insight on this. Perhaps these batteries are designed for variable charging? I'm no expert on the matter, but constant amperage/voltage seems like a more normal method of charging batteries. Every lithium battery I've ever charged has been that way.

> LiFePO4 cells are, generally, 1/3rd the weight, 1/3rd the size, 2x the usable power and 3x the cost. Properly cared for, a Lithium pack will last 5-8 years, where a properly cared for Lead Acid pack will last 2-5 years.

I have not tried LiFePO4 batteries yet. However they have not escaped my notice.

There are a number of LiFePO4 batteries on the market today that are drop-in replacements for AGM lead-acid batteries. They're generally more expensive than the AGM, but they claim increased lifespan making them cost-efficient today. Seeing as the entire AGM market hasn't collapsed yet, I'm not so sure about that. It could be, like incandescent bulbs, AGM technology will stick around for a long while as the "low cost of entry" option.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H7I11P6/ $149.95 12.8 Volt 12ah

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CH4GYQG/ $31.95 12V 12Ah

Pretty compatible specs. But to replace a AGM in a fixed location where weight isn't an issue, the LiFePO4 would have to last around 3x as long (figuring in that there's a cost to test, remove, replace, and recycle the AGM batteries)

I can see where the LiFePO4 would make sense today on things like bikes and other extremely lightweight vehicles, but for vans? I don't think the extra weight is worth the extra cost. But wait, there's more...

The thing is, if you can mount the batteries solidly and vent them properly, if you're willing to test and top off the fluids, regular wet deep-cycle batteries blow the doors off of both AGM and LiFePO4.

http://www.atbatt.com/trojan-scs150-12v-deep-cycle-battery-superior-cycling-series.asp

This one has 100 Ah (8x + times the power of either the two above) for $135.84.

(all links chosen for comparison. no endorsement of brands or stores implied)

I don't really know how much money was saved or not saved. I bought

this motor for $240

and

this battery for $463

You might find better deals, I honestly didn't look that hard.

I know a lot of pre builts go for way more money and some might be right on par with what I spent but I also don't think it's ridiculous to spend higher prices, for a few reasons:

1. peace of mind that someone who knew what they were doing assembled everything
   
2. support from the manufacturer
   
3. my bike is not street legal, technically. While I'm on the road, I only go as fast as any legal ebike and I follow all the rules of the road. I haven't gotten any attention from police after 1000+ miles so I think this is fine but still at the end of the day it's not legal. This may be an issue if (when) I ever get in a car accident.
   
   As far as actually assembling the motor and battery it was pretty simple. I soldered my battery cables to the controller that came with the motor but everything else was plug and play. The toughest part will be mounting the battery somewhere on the bike, if you have a water bottle cage you can use the mounts from there.
   
   Finally, yes there are loads of us here on /r/ebikes that made our own creations! I found some help here when I had questions and found everyone to be friendly.

>The adapter in your pic isn't the ones local to here? Wonder if the specs are the same.

It's probably super similar.

Here's a "real" Lime charger - https://limebike.myshopify.com/products/lime-s-power-supply-4-pack-new-gen - based on it's size, it can't be that powerful. A 10 amp power supply is physically bigger than that.

https://www.amazon.com/EVECS-Bird-Scooter-Charger-FY-4202000/dp/B07K1KPYFP is another that is for Lime and says it's 2 amp, so I think 2 amp is about right

Take a look at this. tangsfire 36V Lithium Battery Charger Output 42V 2A for Electric Bike Batteries Pack DC5.5mm2.1mm11mm Connector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0779RQ4Z4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ayiBDb94RBYMV

I was originally going to try and find a more standard circular DC charge port but I heard those are not as good for high current. So I got the same 3 pin charge port as I originally had, except this one has a rubber charge port cover

Wingsmoto 3 Pin 2 Wire Connector Plug JACK Socket Battery Charger RAZOR IZIP E Scooter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017SJMRGU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_lvDBDb73QE21H

• There will be other suggestions of combat machines and cyma AKs, but there's no problem starting off with a JG m4, they're solid.
  
  
• 6mm proshop is an unfamiliar brand to me, and I wouldn't trust them. This Elite Force mid cap is a well respected mag that will work well for you. They sell individually for $7.50 or boxes of 10 for $63. How many is up to you, it depends on where you play, length of game, etc. I would suggest getting 3-4 mids to start out, then go from there. (You may decide later on that you want your next gun purchase to be a different model that doesn't take m4 mags, and you don't want to have tons of mags you can't use.)
  
  
• If your budget can handle it I would suggest getting into lipo bateries. Lipo Charger Safety Bag You will have to find out how much you like to shoot, because that will impact how quickly you use a battery, and thus how many batteries you need. 2 is good for a whole day of play for me personally.
  
  
• That's not a bad option, but going with something cheaper that's lighter weight and more modular would be better for you to figure out what you need. Chest rig: this is a solid chest rig that offers expansions for a backpack and bib you can buy separately to provide you more space. Pouches: throw on one of these and you're ready to go. From here you can decide which extra pouches you want. JPC: If you feel like you really want a plate carrier, the avengers repro is a good option to start out with. Banshee: If you really want to dive headfirst, the Banshee is a very high quality plate carrier that is a great option. (Note: I linked everything in black because that's the color you had chosen for your original vest, but unless you plan on strictly playing CQB a different color would be much more beneficial.)
  
  
• Don't even worry about secondaries, get a primary loadout you're really happy with, then decide if you need a sidearm.
  
  
• As long as goggles have the appropriate ANSI rating your eyes will be safe, those goggles don't have it. Another option would be the Revisions. They're really high quality.
  
  
• Rails serve a purpose. Yeah they look cool, but being able to customize your grip is useful. Peq boxes for batteries, laser/light Peq boxes, and flashlights are also useful in certain situations. Some people also like to attach their optics forward on the gun, utilizing the rail.
  
  
• A flashlight is useful in CQB for blinding people people as well as urban environments and night games for just seeing in general. It's a nice thing to have, but by no means a necessity. Mock suppressors only serve a purpose if you want to install a longer inner barrel without replacing your outer barrel.
  
  
• Unless you have upgraded your gun for really long ranges, a magnified sight is useless. A red dot is beneficial for target acquisition. To remove the triangle sight you have to pop out two pins on the bottom of the sight that keep it clamped around the outer barrel.
  
  
• Play honorably, don't be a dick, and don't let anyone demean you for being new or having less gear. In addition, I'm a shy person, and starting out it was really hard for me to go to the field because I didn't have any friends from school who wanted to go with me. Eventually I broke the ice with some people, and now I have a great group of guys to play with. This may not apply to you, but being social and get to know the people at your local field, it will greatly enhance your experience.
  
  
• I wouldn't even think about roles right now. Wait until your next gun purchase to decide if you want to be a heavy gunner or run n' gunner etc. Ideally you would be able to try out these different play styles by borrowing guns before you decide.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B071FR1N1G/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

No complaints on this one! Quick charges, no noise and the light it gives out isn't terrible, but I covered it with electrical tape anyways

Thanks For the info guys. It’s the protruding plastic on the screw posts that seem to be the culprit There is room they are not touching but the battery has some play when mounted in the cradle and the case has some broken locking tabs it’s probably just from bouncing around. I am going to trim some of the post off and sand it smooth. I will cover up the exposed metal with 1 layer of electric tape that should also help when I check it after my next ride to see if trimming the posts helped. I just ordered some Fish paper off amazon and I already have some Kapton tape so I will use that also. I am going to strap the battery around the down tube going foward to keep it from moving in the cradle.

I do plan on getting a new battery, but I want to ride the bike around for a few more weeks to make sure I am still enjoying it before I drop $700 on a new battery.

As for the charger I could plug it in the wall and meter off the dc jack and get one reading unplug it and plug it back into the wall and get a few volts lower. I ended up ordering this one for now.

https://www.amazon.com/Charger-Battery-motorcycle-Anderson-Connector/dp/B07S9FVFN4/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=51.8V+ebike+Charger+51.8V%2F50V%2F52V+Li-ion+Battery+Charger+58.8V&qid=1566928349&s=gateway&sr=8-6


I was really tempted to get the Cycle Satiator. it looks awesome but like the battery I want to ride what I have for now before I drop any more money.

Actually just did a search for gel cell batteries on Google. The battery mentioned is a retail replacement for a game camera, and I think we can probably do better from Newark, Mouser or DigiKey. FWIW, it was on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Game-Innovations-eDRENALINE-Rechargeable/dp/B0031AUPOC

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A6Q9Y0E seems to be the real deal. Shows the security code sticker in the pictures. If it shows up without the sticker, just return it on Amazon's dime.

I've bought 2 of these from seller DCDEAL (see other sellers on the right) when they shipped from the US. Both were genuine. Now they only ship from China, but it should still be the genuine article.

EDIT: Oops.. Missed the AC part of your part number. Still, though, look for the security sticker.

This one isn’t the prettiest, but it should get the job done.

DIYE Electric Skateboard Battery & Electronics Customizable & Scratch-Proof Battery Enclosure https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JG41Z2R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_u2f8CbT9NYMAW

I think that the battery you linked would not be ideal. Lead acid batteries do not like putting out a lot of power for extended periods of time. For $300 including a charger I think you can get a cheap LIPO battery.

I don't know if the link below is any good. It claims to put out 2x as much power as the battery you linked.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/221917940676?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true


You could build the battery you linked for less than $100 with parts from walmart.

4 x http://www.walmart.com/ip/UPG-85989-D5779-UPG-85989-D5779-Sealed-Lead-Acid-Batteries-12V-8-AH-.250-Tab-Terminals-UB1280F2/21618814

http://www.amazon.com/E-bike-Electric-Bicycle-Battery-Charger/dp/B0141C1IIA

Check the amperage of your charger, says it on the back. Buy the same amps, it needs to be a 42V charger.

tangsfire 36V Lithium Battery Charger Output 42V 2A for Electric Bike Batteries Pack DC5.5mm2.1mm11mm Connector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0779RQ4Z4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HVHsDbVTZCGYR

36V Ebike Battery Charger Output 42V 3A for DC5.5 x 2.1 x 11mm Connector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BS8NHWQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_KSHsDbZY85SC7

Here is the mobile version of your link

tl;dr: In my case I would ask myself one question. Would I pay $300 more to shave 40lb in my 7000lb van? No.

 



Too much wasted energy in conversions..

For example just to charge the batteries inside the Powerhouse, first the charge controller takes a piece of the pie, then the inverter takes another piece and finally the included inverter(what is used to charge it's batteries) in the Powerhouse takes another piece of the pie, and this is just to be able to charge the Powerhouse.

Now if you decide to use 120VAC socket from the Powerhouse, that takes another piece of the pie.



So in short you end up with a very inefficient set up. And AGM's are heavy but something comparable in terms of Ah to what you are suggesting weights 48lb vs 9lb of the anker, so it does make sense if you are hiking and you are presented with the choice of carrying 10lb vs 50lb, but in my 7000lb car van not so much, less so when you consider the price.

Got it. For any future interested parties - I am planning to go with this charger: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07317STLV/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A38LKZ9G0O06PW&psc=1


Here's the power supply I was using: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HXMY0TE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

As you requested. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HXMY0TE

It's on snagshout if you were interested in playing the random shipping game :)

This is 48v and 20Ah why is it only recommended for 500watt of less? http://www.amazon.com/Lithium-Polymer-Battery-Electric-Bicycle/dp/B019B56FM6/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1451245212&sr=8-10&keywords=48v+20ah

Here's a HC30w w/battery on Amazon sold by a good dealer. Add a Nitecore F1 to charge the battery.

On the topic of battery bank, you could save a few ounces by carrying two 18650 li-ion batteries (the same type likely inside your bank) at 3500mAh each, giving you 7000mAh total, then get one of these:

Nitecore F1 powerbank capable battery charger bundle for 16340/18650/RCR123A/14500 and more battery types with EdisonBright brand BBX3 Battery case https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GREIEWI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_namIAbR8NYGND