leccyflyer Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 Have just been reading the March 2024 issue of the magazine and there is a segment in Dave Goodenough's column regarding replacing an expired NiMh receiver pack with a lipo and voltage regulator or UBEC. The stated reason for this is due to the superior very low self discharge rate of the lipo pack, versus the substantial self discharge rate of the NiMh pack. At no point in the article does it make it clear that the lipo should be removed from the model when not in use and that it really should not be charged in the model either. Furthermore, for that to be relevant it would essentially require that the lipo pack is stored at the fully charged voltage, which is not best practice for the longevity of the pack. These factors make the low self discharge characteristics on the lipo pack largely irrelevant, as the pack should not be stored in the model fully charged in any case. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Z Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 Leccyflyer Very good point and it does seem unnecessary if the Nimh will do the right voltage. The capacities available now seem to be more than adequate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 Lots of opinions are quoted as facts nowadays, often with minimal/zero context. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zflyer Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 I think the LiFe are the better option. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Jenkins Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 1 hour ago, Zflyer said: I think the LiFe are the better option. +1 on LiFe. They can stay in situ for charging. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Lee Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 And according to Panasonic, makers of the Enerloop NiMh batteries: "We've improved the metal-hydride alloy lattice inside your eneloop battery so that it retains 70%* capacity even after 10 years in storage. The design also resists voltage drop during discharge and minimizes loss of capacity. Once charged, you can trust eneloop to work just like a dry battery, and its long storage life is great in emergencies. * Capacity based on testing method established by IEC 61951-2 (7.3.2) when stored at 20 °C (based on Panasonic's estimation) and compared with minimum capacity. Varies according to conditions of use." The Enerloop pack I use for setting up models on the bench was bought 14 years ago retains its capacity & gets charged maybe once a year. Whilst I use LiPo's or LiFe's in most of my models quality NiMh's tend to be my 'go to' for slope soarers and are still a viable option in many cases. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon barr Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 I swapped from NiMhs to lipos as receiver packs simply for practical reasons... It only takes less than an hour to charge, and I would be charging flight packs anyway, so can be out flying (power or glider) with just a couple of hours notice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Green Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 (edited) Many of mine use a single 18650 Lithium cell, direct without a booster. Same for transmitters but 2S. No need to remove and a charge lasts absolutely ages. The cells are bought as Lidl 'Parkside' drill packs, these are really good cells that I also use on my ebike: https://mode-zero.uk/viewtopic.php?p=5800 Edited February 16 by Phil Green 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 (edited) 2 hours ago, simon barr said: I swapped from NiMhs to lipos as receiver packs simply for practical reasons... It only takes less than an hour to charge, and I would be charging flight packs anyway, so can be out flying (power or glider) with just a couple of hours notice. Given that the low discharge Nimhs lose so little charge over time anyway, and can be fast charged in an hour from flat, I'm not certain I see a practical advantage of a lipo. Edited February 16 by Nigel R 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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