Utilizing LiPo Batteries for FPV Drones: Newbie’s Information with Prime Product Suggestions

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LiPo batteries are an unimaginable energy supply for FPV drones, offering a considerable quantity of power storage and supply capabilities. Nonetheless, if not dealt with accurately, they will pose security dangers. This information will cowl the fundamentals of LiPo batteries for FPV drones, together with protected charging practices and correct storage strategies when not in use.

Disclaimer: The knowledge on this web page is meant as normal recommendation. Guaranteeing battery security is your accountability, and you must use the knowledge offered at your personal threat.

Battery Suggestions

When selecting LiPo batteries, all the time go for respected manufacturers to make sure efficiency and high quality. Select the smaller packs if you’d like a lighter, extra agile drone; select the bigger packs in case you prioritize flight time over dealing with. Observe {that a} bigger pack can ship extra present at the price of barely higher weight, so there’s a commerce off to be made.

5″ Freestyle and Racing Drones

The most typical LiPo batteries used on 5″ FPV drones for freestyle and racing are 4S and 6S voltage. To know the variations between 4S and 6S, go to: https://oscarliang.com/6s-mini-quad-racing-drone/. Go together with 6S in case you are on the fence, it’s just about the business customary in 2024. Typical battery capability for 4S is round 1300mAh  to 1600mAh, and for 6S that’s round 1000mah to 1300mah.

For 3″ FPV Drones

For micro drone batteries suggestions (Tiny whoops, 2″, 3″, 3.5″), try this put up: https://oscarliang.com/whoop-toothpick-lipo-battery/.

Are LiPo Batteries Secure?

When dealt with accurately, LiPo batteries are completely protected. Nonetheless, LiPo batteries could catch hearth attributable to improper dealing with or bodily harm. Guaranteeing security includes cautious therapy and vigilance in dealing with your batteries.

Understanding LiPo Battery Fundamentals

Lithium polymer batteries, or LiPo batteries, boast an distinctive power-to-weight ratio, making them a super alternative for FPV drones.

To pick out the suitable LiPo battery, it’s essential to discover ways to interpret its specs and grow to be conversant in important terminology, which will likely be defined within the following sections.

LiPo Battery Voltage

LiPo batteries encompass particular person cells, every with a nominal voltage of three.7V, which is indicated on the battery label.

A LiPo battery is designed to function safely inside a selected voltage vary, usually between 3.0V and 4.2V. Overcharging a LiPo battery above 4.2V is harmful and will result in a hearth. Discharging beneath 3V could end in irreversible efficiency degradation or battery harm. This minimal voltage can be known as the cut-off voltage. It’s usually advisable to cease discharging when the battery reaches 3.5V per cell to increase its lifespan.

Cell Rely

LiPo batteries could have a number of cells. The ‘S’ ranking on a battery refers to t±±he variety of cells it has. So, a 6S battery has six cells, a 4S battery has 4, and so forth. As a result of every cell has a nominal voltage of three.7V, a 4S battery has a nominal voltage of 4 x 3.7V = 14.8V, whereas a 6S battery has a nominal voltage of 6 x 3.7V = 22.2V.

Battery voltage immediately impacts motor velocity, so utilizing a better cell-count battery can enhance your drone’s energy (assuming the drone helps the upper voltage). Nonetheless, including extra cells additionally makes the battery heavier and dearer.

Within the passion, we usually check with batteries by their cell rely or “S” designation:

• 1S = 1 cell = 3.7V
• 2S = 2 cells = 7.4V
• 3S = 3 cells = 11.1V
• 4S = 4 cells = 14.8V
• 5S = 5 cells = 18.5V
• 6S = 6 cells = 22.2V

For instance, we name a 14.8V battery a “4-cell” or simply “4S” battery.

Attention-grabbing information:

• Connecting two similar batteries in sequence doubles the voltage however doesn’t change capability (e.g., two 2S 1000mAh batteries in sequence grow to be a 4S 1000mAh battery). Connecting them in parallel doubles capability whereas sustaining the identical voltage (e.g., a 2S 2000mAh pack).
• LiPos may use a “P” designation for voltage, with “P” indicating the variety of cells in parallel. 2S1P means “2 cells in sequence and 1 cell in parallel.” If a battery doesn’t have a “P,” it’s assumed to be “1P,” so 2S1P and 2S are the identical.
• 3S2P means “3 cells in sequence and a pair of cells in parallel.” This battery has a complete of 6 cells, with 2 parallel teams of cells, every containing 3 cells in sequence.

Capability

The capability of a LiPo battery, measured in mAh (milliampere-hour), signifies how a lot present you’ll be able to draw from the battery constantly for an hour till it’s empty. Observe that 1000mAh equals 1Ah.

For instance, with a 1300mAh LiPo (or 1.3Ah), it will take an hour to be fully discharged in case you draw a continuing 1.3A present from it. If the present draw doubles to 2.6A, the period can be halved (1.3/2.6=0.5). When you draw 39A of present continuous, the pack would final solely 2 minutes (1.3/39=1/30 of an hour).

Rising your battery capability may provide longer flight time, however the tradeoff is a heavier, bigger battery. Weight considerably impacts an plane’s flight time, so it’s important to decide on a battery with an optimum steadiness between capability and weight for max effectivity.

Increased capability batteries may additionally present increased discharge currents, as defined within the subsequent part.

C Ranking

C Ranking is an indicator of the utmost present you’ll be able to safely draw from a LiPo battery with out inflicting harm. In principle, this may be calculated by:

Most Present Draw = Capability x C-Ranking

Drawing extra present than specified by the C-rating shouldn’t be advisable, because the battery can overheat, enhance inner resistance over time, shorten battery lifespan, and even trigger thermal runaway (catching hearth) in excessive instances.

Batteries with increased C-ratings are usually heavier and bigger even on the similar capability. For instance, these two 4S 650mAh batteries proven within the picture have totally different weight and sizes attributable to differing C-ratings.

 A better C-rating battery affords higher efficiency, particularly for power-hungry drones, however it’s not all the time the only option. On a low-power cruiser, further energy from a better C-rating battery is likely to be pointless, whereas the added weight may very well be counterproductive and end in much less flight time. It’s all about utilizing the correct device for the job.

Though C-rating may very well be a great tool, it has grow to be principally a advertising device in recent times, so take it with a grain of salt. Manufacturers may inflate C-rating numbers, making it meaningless for comparability between manufacturers. Nonetheless, it could nonetheless be useful for selecting a battery from the identical model, assuming they comply with the identical customary. So long as you choose batteries from our suggestions, C-rating shouldn’t be a significant concern.

Inside Resistance

All electrical parts have resistance, together with batteries. The resistance inside a battery is named inner resistance (IR), which signifies how a lot the battery resists present stream. Inside resistance can be utilized to measure LiPo battery efficiency. Decrease IR means the battery can ship energy to your FPV drone extra successfully.

Monitoring IR over time can be helpful for figuring out when to retire a LiPo battery. LiPo cells’ IR will increase slowly with time and utilization, an inevitable and irreversible course of. The next unhealthy practices can speed up battery growing older:

• Over-discharging and over-charging
• Pushing the battery too arduous by discharging at a better present than it’s rated for, for an prolonged interval
• Overheating

The most important issue affecting a battery’s most discharge price is its inner resistance. Excessive IR results in extra noticeable voltage drop as you enhance throttle, a phenomenon referred to as “voltage sag”. As voltage decreases, motors lose RPM, and the drone feels much less highly effective and responsive.

Some batteries are designed for low-current functions (e.g., 8C or 10C ranking for powering a radio), which inherently have increased IR. 18650 Li-ion batteries even have increased IR than typical LiPo batteries, which is regular.

For extra info on when to retire a battery and measure inner resistance, try our devoted article on the subject: https://oscarliang.com/when-retire-lipo-battery/

Discharge Connector

All LiPo batteries include two units of wires/connectors: the discharge connector (primary lead) and steadiness connector (steadiness lead). Nonetheless, 1S batteries solely have a discharge connector since balancing shouldn’t be required for 1 cell.

The discharge lead usually consists of two thicker purple and black wires used to energy the FPV drone.

One other set of smaller wires connects to a white connector; that is the steadiness lead. The variety of wires relies on the battery’s cell rely.

The most typical discharge connector is the XT60, primarily utilized in 5″ FPV drones or bigger. For smaller drones, the XT30, a smaller model of the XT60, is commonly used. They’ve comparable shapes however differ in sizes and present rankings.

Different battery connectors generally utilized in FPV drones and tools embrace:

For extra info on electrical wires and connectors, check with our in-depth article on the subject: https://oscarliang.com/wires-connectors/

Stability Connector

LiPo batteries with a couple of cell will all the time have a steadiness lead, which is for monitoring and balancing cell voltages. The official identify of the steadiness connector is JST-XH.

You will have to attach the steadiness result in the charger when charging. This permits the charger to verify and steadiness the voltage of every cell throughout charging. Importantly, all the time plug within the steadiness lead earlier than charging!

The variety of wires in a steadiness lead begins at 3 for a 2S LiPo, and that quantity will increase by 1 for each increment in cell rely:

• 2S – 3 wires
• 3S – 4 wires
• 4S – 5 wires
• 5S – 6 wires
• 6S – 7 wires

It’s not unusual on your steadiness result in be broken by spinning propellers throughout flight. To discover ways to restore a damaged steadiness lead, check with our detailed tutorial: https://oscarliang.com/fix-balance-plug-lipo-replace/

If the steadiness lead is lengthy, think about using a rubber band to strap it down, it could additionally reduces the vibrations brought on by the dangling cable.

Maintaining Battery Balanced

It’s necessary to verify the cells in a battery are inside comparable vary earlier than utilizing it, in any other case you’ll be able to threat over-discharging the cells with decrease voltage. Additionally if a battery pack constantly grow to be unbalanced, the cells in all probability have totally different inner resistance and needs to be inspected extra carefully.

Simply plug within the steadiness lead right into a voltage checker and it’ll show the voltage of all cells. Get a voltage checker right here: https://oscarliang.com/fpv-tools/#LiPo-Voltage-Checker

Battery Sorts

LiPo

LiPo stands for lithium polymer, it’s the usual battery chemistry used for racing and freestyle FPV drones. LiPo has a completely charged voltage of 4.2 V and storage cost voltage of round 3.85V.

LiHV

LiHV is a particular kind of LiPo battery, with HV standing for “excessive voltage.” They’re extra energy-dense than conventional LiPo batteries and may be charged as much as 4.35V per cell (versus the usual 4.20V). Nonetheless, there are combined evaluations concerning the longevity of LiHV batteries, as they may expertise a lower in efficiency ahead of common LiPos. In our put up, we in contrast a LiHV battery with a LiPo when it comes to efficiency. Regardless of these considerations, LiHV batteries have grow to be a preferred alternative for 1S Tiny Whoops as a result of the impression of the upper voltage is important.

Li-Ion

Li-Ion stands for Lithium ion, usually have a a lot increased capability in comparison with LiPo of the identical weight. Due to its increased capability per weight, Li-Ion batteries are nice for lengthy vary flying. Nonetheless it has a lot decrease discharging efficiency, making it not appropriate for aggressive flying. Study extra about Li-Ion batteries and suggestions right here: https://oscarliang.com/li-ion-battery-long-range/

Selecting the Proper LiPo Battery

When you comply with my LiPo battery suggestions, you’ll be able to keep away from worrying about calculations I’m going to indicate you beneath. Additionally be certain to avoid “no-name” batteries, and keep on with respected manufacturers comparable to:

• GNB (Gaoneng)
• CNHL (China Passion Line)
• Lumenier (GetFPV)
• RDQ
• Tattu R-Line
• Dogcom

Right here’s I’ll present you the way to decide on a super battery on your drone.

How Many Packs Ought to Inexperienced persons Purchase?

You may definitely purchase as many battery packs as you need, however I feel 4 packs is an effective quantity in case you are simply beginning to fly FPV. Assuming every flight lasts round 5 to 10 minutes (making an allowance for the time you stroll to choose up your crashed quad, preflight preparation, and quick breaks between flights), you’ll have as much as 40 minutes of flying time with simply 4 packs. In case you have a method to cost your batteries within the area, you’ll be able to lengthen your flying time considerably. Study extra about area charging right here: https://oscarliang.com/field-charging/

Weight

As a rule of thumb, the battery ought to weigh roughly half the load of the freestyle or racing drone (excluding the GoPro). When you comply with my battery suggestions, the efficiency needs to be adequate, and also you gained’t want to contemplate the rest. For lengthy vary and cinematic FPV drones, a bigger battery could also be used to maximise flight time, the place responsiveness and energy isn’t the priorities, the battery may be as heavy because the drone itself or extra.

In case your drone has a unique measurement or weight class, you’ll be able to comply with the extra guidelines beneath.

Figuring out Drone Present Draw

After deciding on motor and propeller sizes, you must be capable of discover thrust knowledge on your motor, in addition to the present draw for supported propeller sizes. For instance, with this motor and 5040×3 props, it attracts as much as 36.74A at 100% throttle.

The overall most present draw for a quadcopter with 4 motors can be 36.74 x 4 = 146.96A at 100% throttle. If you wish to play it protected, you should use this quantity to discover a battery with a excessive sufficient C-rating. Nonetheless, I normally cut back it by 30-40% for 2 causes: firstly, we hardly ever fly at 100% throttle for various seconds (I personally principally fly at round 40-60% throttle); and secondly, motors draw considerably fewer amps in actual life than in static thrust exams attributable to transferring air.

Though different parts additionally draw present, their impression is insignificant in comparison with the motors, so you’ll be able to normally disregard them.

Selecting optimum battery capability

I’ve a desk right here that will help you resolve what battery measurement you want for explicit setup: https://oscarliang.com/table-prop-motor-lipo-weight/

Now you could work out the appropriate battery capability, which relies on the scale of your quadcopter, and C ranking required. Right here is the final guideline I personally comply with for a freestyle/racing drone:

For 4S LiPo:

7 inch: 1500mah - 2200mah 5 inch: 1300mah - 1800mah 4 inch: 850mah - 1300mmah 3 inch: 650mah -1000mah

For 6S LiPo:

7 inch: 1200mah - 1500mah 5 inch: 900mah - 1300mah 4 inch: 550mah - 900mmah 3 inch: 400mah - 650mah

From there, we are able to calculate the C ranking requirement utilizing this components:

C Ranking = Present Draw / Capability

Easy methods to Cost LiPo

Choosing A LiPo Charger

To cost LiPo batteries, you’ll want a charger particularly designed for them attributable to their strict charging necessities. You may discover ways to select a high-quality LiPo charger on this purchaser’s information: https://oscarliang.com/choose-lipo-battery-charger-power-supply/

The next info applies in case you select a charger from my suggestions.

Connecting a LiPo to a Charger

Charging LiPo batteries with most fashionable chargers is kind of easy. Sometimes, you simply have to plug within the XT60 and steadiness connectors, set a couple of parameters, and also you’re good to go.

Charger Modes

• Stability Cost: Whereas charging the battery, the charger screens the voltage of every cell and retains them balanced. That is the most secure and most advisable technique of charging your LiPo battery.
• Storage Cost: The charger brings every cell to storage voltage (which is between 3.80V and three.85V, relying on the charger).
• Discharge: The charger makes an attempt to empty the LiPo battery (this course of may be extraordinarily sluggish, relying on the discharging energy of the charger).

The Significance of Stability Charging

At all times plug within the steadiness lead earlier than charging.

Every cell in a battery has slight variations, and after a flight, you may discover that the cell voltages differ. Charging a battery with imbalanced cell voltages with out utilizing the steadiness lead may result in some cells ending up beneath 4.2V and others exceeding 4.2V, which is harmful.

Most fashionable LiPo chargers have steadiness charging as the one charging mode. In case you have an affordable or outdated charger that permits charging with out the steadiness lead, discard it instantly and put money into a correct charger. Charging with out the steadiness lead is unsafe!

Charging Velocity: How Quick Ought to You Cost?

Charging LiPo batteries at 1C or decrease is advisable, because it places the least pressure on the battery. This implies setting the cost present to 1 occasions the battery’s capability. For instance, for a 1500mAh LiPo, charging at 1C means setting the cost present to 1.5A (1C x 1500mA), and for a 900mAh battery, that’s 0.9A, and so forth.

Enjoyable Truth: Charging at 1C will take roughly one hour to totally cost the battery from empty.

Many batteries now help sooner charging, comparable to at 3C and even 5C. Make sure you perceive your LiPo’s specs earlier than charging at increased charges. If doubtful, simply cost at 1C, as charging your battery at increased C charges will increase the danger of LiPo overheating or inflicting a hearth.

Select a Secure Charging Location

It’s essential to cost your batteries in an space freed from flammable gadgets and supplies. In case you are charging indoors, attempt to do it close to a window or door so that you could shortly throw the battery out in case of a fireplace.

I personally retailer and cost my batteries in an ammo field (obtainable on Amazon). Don’t rely solely on “LiPo Luggage”; they could decelerate a LiPo hearth, however they gained’t fully comprise it. At all times preserve a hearth extinguisher close by when charging batteries.

By no means Go away Charging LiPo Batteries Unattended

Don’t go away the room whereas charging your batteries. Many LiPo-related fires happen as a result of folks go away the charging course of unattended. You must all the time supervise LiPo batteries throughout charging. Frequently verify their temperature; they need to stay cool. If a battery turns into heat or begins to swell, cease charging and examine. It may very well be a defective LiPo that must be retired, an overcharging challenge, or just charging too shortly.

Different Security Guidelines

Incorrect dealing with of LiPo batteries can probably trigger fires. Please familiarize your self with these security guidelines earlier than dealing with or charging batteries:

• Decide up LiPo batteries by the physique, not the wires, which may be pulled off from fragile solder joints.
• Permit batteries to chill down fully after a flight earlier than charging them.
• By no means use or cost a broken or swollen battery.
• Confirm the variety of cells and battery kind are set accurately in your charger earlier than charging.
• Keep away from overcharging. Whereas good chargers can usually deal with this for you, it’s smart to verify cell voltages recurrently.
• Preserve batteries out of direct daylight.
• At all times take away the battery from the machine it’s powering and place it in a protected space earlier than charging.
• By no means quick the outputs of a battery at any time.

Parallel charging

Parallel charging is probably not the most secure technique for charging LiPo batteries, however it affords a fast method to cost a number of batteries concurrently. I’ve a complete tutorial that explains safely carry out parallel charging: https://oscarliang.com/parallel-charging-multiple-lipo/

Charging 1S LiPo batteries

Charging small 1S batteries could be a bit totally different than charging bigger packs. One possibility is to cost a number of 1S batteries utilizing a parallel board, which basically combines them as one massive 1S battery. Nonetheless, the best technique for charging 1S batteries is to make use of a devoted 1S battery charger or serial cost board. Take a look at my suggestions for 1S battery chargers right here: https://oscarliang.com/best-tiny-whoop/#Finest-Tiny-Whoop-Chargers

Easy methods to Use LiPo Batteries Safely

How lengthy you’ll be able to go away LiPo batteries totally charged?

It’s alright to cost your batteries the day earlier than your flights. Nonetheless, personally, if I don’t fly the following couple of days, I all the time return my batteries to storage voltage (e.g. 3.8V per cell).

Keep away from leaving them totally charged or empty for prolonged intervals. Batteries not at their storage voltage will degrade sooner over time. Usually, most individuals discover it acceptable to depart batteries totally charged or discharged for a couple of days. Nonetheless, in case you don’t plan to fly for greater than a few weeks, it’s greatest to place your batteries at storage cost. Most fashionable chargers can do that simply, however discharging may be sluggish. You may wish to think about getting a devoted discharger in case you do that continuously: https://oscarliang.com/discharge-lipo-batteries/

Working Temperature

FPV drone LiPo batteries carry out optimally between 30°C and 60°C. Chilly climate negatively impacts LiPo battery efficiency, leading to worse voltage sag and lowered flight time. Preserve your batteries heat earlier than a flight (e.g., by putting them in your pocket). Listed below are some extra tips about fly FPV in chilly climate: https://oscarliang.com/fly-fpv-winter/

LiPo batteries additionally undergo in extreme warmth, as they will swell and even catch hearth. Be certain that to not go away them underneath direct daylight in the summertime!

When to Land

You must land your drone when your battery voltage reaches 3.5V to three.6V.

Though you’ll be able to proceed flying with decrease voltages, doing so places further pressure on the battery and will shorten its lifespan. All cells in a battery are totally different, and through a burst of throttle, the battery will sag with some cells sagging greater than others. This may end up in cells going beneath the protected restrict and inflicting harm. Touchdown at round 3.5V reduces the danger of this occurring.

One more reason to land early is that voltage drops considerably sooner beneath 3.5V. Persevering with to fly may end in over-discharging your battery earlier than you’ll be able to land safely. Over-discharging may cause everlasting harm and shorten battery life.

Easy methods to Retailer LiPo Batteries

As talked about earlier, in case you don’t plan to make use of a LiPo battery for an prolonged interval (longer than a couple of weeks, for instance), you must:

1. Storage cost it to three.8-3.85V
2. Retailer it in a fireproof place (in LiPo luggage, ammo field, and so on.)
3. Retailer it at room temperature – excessively chilly or sizzling situations can impression battery lifespan and security

When a LiPo cell is round 3.8V-3.85V, it has roughly 40% to 50% cost remaining. That is probably the most secure state for a LiPo battery, which is why new batteries from retailers usually arrive half charged.

LiPo Secure Luggage

LiPo luggage are made of fabric, typically with a metallic compound woven into them, and usually have both a zipper or Velcro fastener. They supply light-weight, cheap storage for battery transportation. Whereas LiPo luggage could decelerate a battery hearth, they don’t seem to be efficient at stopping or containing one. For long-term storage, a steel ammo field is advisable. Nonetheless, LiPo luggage are comparatively reasonably priced and nonetheless higher than nothing.

Get your LiPo luggage from:

Ammo Field

Earlier than utilizing an ammo field to retailer your LiPo batteries, take away the rubber seal on the lid (simply pry it off with a screwdriver). If attainable, drill a few small holes to permit air to flee within the occasion of a fireplace (or make sure the field shouldn’t be tightly shut) to forestall stress buildup inside an hermetic steel container.

Get your Ammo Field from:

Bat-Secure LiPo Field

The Bat-Secure field safely accommodates battery fires, vents sizzling gases, filters flame and soot, whereas guaranteeing straightforward battery charging and transportation. It’s just like the upgraded model of the Ammo field. See my full evaluate right here: https://oscarliang.com/bat-safe-lipo-battery-charging-box/

You’ll find the Bat-Secure Field right here:

What to do with over-discharged LiPo

Utterly discharging a LiPo battery may end up in oxidation of the cells over time, inflicting a everlasting discount in efficiency. Nonetheless, if detected shortly sufficient, you’ll be able to normally save the battery with out vital harm to its efficiency.

Chargers could not acknowledge an over-discharged battery attributable to low cell voltage. In such instances, it’s advisable to discard the battery. There are methods to rescue an over-discharged LiPo, however proceed at your personal threat.

Touring with LiPo Batteries

Many airways and airports permit LiPo batteries in passengers’ carry-on baggage. Preserve the next factors in thoughts:

1. At all times verify together with your airline about touring with LiPo batteries
2. Don’t carry LiPo batteries in your checked baggage
3. Place your batteries in storage cost
4. Tape or cowl the connectors and retailer them in a LiPo protected bag
5. By no means journey with broken batteries

For extra info, see my information on “Easy methods to journey with mini quad and LiPo batteries”: https://oscarliang.com/travel-fpv-drone-lipo-plane/

What to Do if a LiPo Battery Catches Hearth

1. Don’t panic; if attainable, unplug all connections first
2. Use a hearth extinguisher
3. If that’s not an possibility, sand can successfully put out a LiPo hearth; cowl the burning LiPo with sand
4. Keep away from inhaling smoke and look ahead to the fireplace to exit and the battery to chill
5. Do NOT use water

LiPo Disposal

When to Retire a LiPo Battery

LiPo batteries have a restricted cycle life, with every cost and discharge counting as one cycle. A well-maintained LiPo battery for RC fashions may probably final over 300 cycles. Nonetheless, for a lot of customers, damaging the battery bodily earlier than reaching that time is a standard incidence.

There isn’t a selected rule for when to get rid of a battery, however LiPo batteries can lose their “punch” and capability as inner resistance builds up over time. Inside resistance is an effective indication of battery well being. You must positively get rid of a battery if it turns into dented from a crash or if it’s swollen like a balloon.

Study extra about when to retire or get rid of a LiPo battery on this article: https://oscarliang.com/when-retire-lipo-battery/

Easy methods to Get rid of LiPo Batteries

Previous and broken LiPo batteries needs to be disposed of correctly. Study concerning the alternative ways of disposing LiPo batteries on this article: https://oscarliang.com/dispose-lipo-battery-safely/. By no means to puncture LiPo batteries, as doing so may cause a hearth.

FAQ

Listed below are some frequent questions from hobbyists.

Q: Are swollen (puffed) LiPo batteries harmful? A: Sure, swollen LiPo batteries will not be protected to make use of or retailer.

Q: What causes LiPo batteries to grow to be swollen? A: LiPo batteries swell when fuel will get trapped contained in the cells. This could happen naturally, however bodily abuse (comparable to harm, overheating, or over-discharging) may cause the battery to generate extra fuel.

Q: Can I repair a puffed LiPo battery? A: No, you’ll be able to’t. As soon as a LiPo battery turns into swollen, it’s irreversible. Get rid of it correctly as quickly as attainable.

Q: How can I keep away from swollen batteries? A: To keep away from swollen batteries:

• Don’t over-discharge – use a voltage alarm or monitoring system
• Don’t overheat – keep away from leaving batteries underneath the solar or near warmth sources, and don’t overload the battery
• By no means overcharge – arrange your charger correctly and monitor it whereas charging
• Retailer your LiPo batteries correctly, as talked about earlier on this article

Q: Do new batteries should be damaged in? A: Break-in procedures for brand new batteries are a controversial matter within the FPV group. Some consider that new batteries ought to undergo a sequence of sluggish cost and discharge cycles earlier than being totally utilized. Others, like myself, have tried this technique and located no noticeable distinction. For extra dialogue on the subject, see this discussion board thread.

Technical Phrases

• Reduce-off voltage – the voltage at which a battery is taken into account discharged fully; For LiPo it’s 3.0V
• Cycle life – 1 cycle is while you cost and discharge a battery. The cycle life is the overall variety of cycles the battery will final
• State of cost – the power stage of a battery from 0% to 100%.
• Burst C-Ranking – the utmost discharge price over a brief time frame (usually inside 10 seconds)

Conclusion

Congratulations, you made it!

Hopefully, you’ve realized one thing about LiPo batteries and use them safely. Nonetheless, this information doesn’t cowl all the pieces you could know. When you’re unsure about something, proceed researching to make sure you’re dealing with your LiPo batteries as safely as attainable. Completely satisfied flying.

Edit Historical past

• 2017 – Article created.
• 2018 – Added product suggestions.
• 2019 – Up to date Rationalization of Cell Rely and IR, added data on “ cost”.
• 2023 – Up to date information.
• Could 2024 – Up to date information and product suggestions.