Dead shorting batery packs

[Sherminator]

i read in RC Car action that this increases voltage... ok but do you do it once and thats it or do you have to do it everytime?
do you really gain anything?
i use 3300 1.16+ with stock motors...so i dont really worry about runtime..
opinions??

[RC10racer89]

I wouldn't even worry about it if your just running stock. You should probably read the article again though. I think it explains your other questions. I'm just to lazy to go get my magazine myself and post what it says in response.

[highroller]

Let the problems vs benefit be a factor.
Dead shortening must be done correctly or you can ruin a perfectly good battery. Discharge the battery pack, then place on an equalizing tray, after about 20-30 min or cells have reached .05 to 0 volts apply the dead short. What this does is increase the voltage output, in some cases also lowers the internal resistance but the down side is runtime can decrease by as much as 40 seconds. Once you start this routine you should continue, if you are like some who use the same packs for stock and modified racing runtime may drop too much for modified. Dead shortening is mostly down in oval stock & 19 turn racing where runtime isn't an issue, for offroad stock the voltage output can be a bit undercontrollable if you race on a loamy track where traction tends to change.

Dead shorting should only be done on the 2nd generation and newer GP3300 cells. It it still up in the air on whether is truely any benefit with the newest short button cells.

[AlexV2024]

you gain alot of voltage and punch, and lose 10-40sec of runtime. its great for stock anything as long as there is traction. but cell life goes down too, to about 4 months.

high roller, im not too clear on which is the 2ed gen cells...is it any green/orange cell with a big button or what?

~Alex

[highroller]

The first generation came out around Aug 2002 very low runtime 390 to 405 - 410s were scarce, voltage avg about 1.15 will rare 1.17 and didn't meet ROAR dimensions, the second where in dimensions but again runtime wasn't that high 400 to 410 avg, voltage 1.17 to 1.19. The newest short button, top of cell is a bit smaller cell fall in the 420 to 435 with normally 1.17 to a few 1.18 voltage those started hitting around jan to march 2004 may have been as early as Dec 03.

One thing I wouldn't advice dead shorting is unmatched cells, runtime and voltage of cells is that close that to start so they tend to never charge or discharge as close in voltage as a good matched cell.