Charging Lipos

[David Holland 2]

Morning, Gents.

 

I have read that charging LiPos to slightly less than 4.2v per cell is good for their longevity. One of my chargers will allow a user set max voltage but my two older B6 type chargers don't have that adjustment. They do, however, have a LiLo setting which charges up to 4.1v per cell. Can I use this to charge LiPos? Looking at the B6 charger manual, all the other parameters are the same.

 

TIA,

 

David

[Philip Lewis 3]

Yes, it will still balance charge the LiPo but to the slightly lower voltage.

[Simon Chaddock]

My own understanding of LiPo longevity has more to do with how you discharge them than charging to a full 4.2V per cell which is itself a recognised safe figured.

Recommended charging is a 1C operation but discharging in a plane is likely to be 10 times this rate and can be quite a bit more. Such a discharge In terms of the heat generated and stress to the chemical process is much more likely to effect the life of a LiPo.   

[Cuban8]

I really wouldn't worry. Lipos are going to deteriorate with use anyway and do have a finite life, but that doesn't mean that I advocate being careless with charging.

Set to the standard figures i.e 4.2V/cell - charge at no more than 1.5C - be conservative with the current drawn from them and don't push your luck by running them too low.

Loads of variation as to how people cope with lipos and in my opinion a lot of folks go way over the top...........charts, ledgers, spread sheets of use etc etc - life's too short TBH

Follow the basic advice and don't get too hung up on the fine detail.

 

[Eric Robson]

A new member came to the field yesterday with a fuselage and asked what size battery it needed, looking in the battery box was written 4s 4000 I  explained what that meant and said it may fly on 3s as it was not very large or heavy. Today he turned up and said he tried a 3s and it seemed powerful enough, he then said he ran it for 10mins before the battery died. I told him he had probably killed it and explained about not running it flat and how to handle lipos. The problems of buying something you know nothing about.

[leccyflyer]

 

[PatMc]

38 minutes ago, Eric Robson said:

A new member came to the field yesterday with a fuselage and asked what size battery it needed, looking in the battery box was written 4s 4000 I  explained what that meant and said it may fly on 3s as it was not very large or heavy. Today he turned up and said he tried a 3s and it seemed powerful enough, he then said he ran it for 10mins before the battery died. I told him he had probably killed it and explained about not running it flat and how to handle lipos. The problems of buying something you know nothing about.

He may have actually only run it down to LVC (Low Volt Cut) level, in which case it will probaly recharge OK but will have lost one of it's 9 lifes. 😉 

[Eric Robson]

Let's hope so Pat, he didn't have a battery tester but was going to order one straight away.