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Ni-Mh batteries and Ni-CD charger?
- Thread starter darkmark1967
- Start date
I got mine from Here they are available fron the US or German warehouses but at $40 instead of $24.99, all plus postage, in my case $12
Got this from there News page
Accucel 6 50W now only $19.99! 2/7/2010
We have dropped the price of our Accucel 6 Charger yet again! You can now pick up the worlds favourite charger for only $19.99 ($24.99 with $5.00 instant store credit). You don't need to do anything after purchase we will instantly credit your account with $5.00!
The Accucel-6 has become synonymous with quality and accuracy in charging and cycling your expensive lipo batteries. There is no better cost/quality ratio charger on the market today than the TURNIGY
Got this from there News page
Accucel 6 50W now only $19.99! 2/7/2010
We have dropped the price of our Accucel 6 Charger yet again! You can now pick up the worlds favourite charger for only $19.99 ($24.99 with $5.00 instant store credit). You don't need to do anything after purchase we will instantly credit your account with $5.00!
The Accucel-6 has become synonymous with quality and accuracy in charging and cycling your expensive lipo batteries. There is no better cost/quality ratio charger on the market today than the TURNIGY
Critterhunter
New member
Wow, even at $100 this charger would still be a better value than most on the market with all it's features. A few notes about it that I learned...
The fan can be noisy when first turned on. I find that if I blow air into it the noise goes away within the first few seconds. Some guys oil the bearings or replace the fan but I don't plan to do that unless mine goes south on me.
The only major complaint I've had about this charger is that the solder connections are a bit junky for the numerous connection wires that come with it. If your charger says "Connection Break" then chances are you've got a bad solder point. I had that problem with the power connector. I simply cut the plastic on the bad plug and pealed it back to resolder it.
When charging batteries with this or any other charger that allows you to set the capacity limit as a safety feature, do not set it right at the capacity the pack is labeled for. Most packed will hold more capacity than what it says from the factory. Set it about 500 to 800ma higher than say the 1000ma GT pack, otherwise it will shut off at 1000 and you are cheating yourself out of the pack's ability to hold more than it's raited at. So long as you've set the m/v threshold setting properly the charger will shut off like it should when the pack is fully charged. I keep the capacity limit turned off on mine. The only time I'd set that is when you can't watch the charger and are worried about your m/v setting, but even then it's worthless unless you know exactly how discharged the pack is and what is going to be put back into it.
Same deal with the timer limit. That's another safety feature. I keep mine turned off for that as well but again I charge my packs in the middle of a cement floor in my garge where I don't have to keep a constant eye on it. I still try to check it 4 or 5 times through the charge, though, just to make sure nothing is wrong.
The USB/Temp feature so far as I know does not work to hitch the charger up to a USB port so you can graph batteries on your computer. It lacks the USB internals and was meant for more expensive designs. I think the temp probe does work though but you have to buy that separate for it.
You might read in threads where guys are using the hidden menu feature to calibrate the voltage of the charger used to monitor batteries. Do NOT do this unless you have lab calibrated equipment! Most people say this charger is very accurate and chances are any cheap volt meter will differ in readings from what the charger says.
The safety input voltage feature allows the charger to shut off should say your car battery drops to a certain voltage to avoid leaving you stranded in need of a jump start. It's very useful to the RC community because we usualy run the charger under the hood of our car charging packs while flying. I didn't use this feature until one day when I was alone in the field and my car wouldn't start. After a full day of charging packs the old car battery was nearly dead. I think I have mine set at 11.5V now. If it hits that the car should still have enough power to start.
The menu system can be a little confusing at first. Again, I'd highly suggest going to RCgroups or Hobby City's forum and reading the threads on this charger. You'll find very good info from others about it. The manual lacks detail and is confusing in some areas.
If you haven't already check out this other thread where more details can be found on this charger and other battery info...
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1116497,page=1
The fan can be noisy when first turned on. I find that if I blow air into it the noise goes away within the first few seconds. Some guys oil the bearings or replace the fan but I don't plan to do that unless mine goes south on me.
The only major complaint I've had about this charger is that the solder connections are a bit junky for the numerous connection wires that come with it. If your charger says "Connection Break" then chances are you've got a bad solder point. I had that problem with the power connector. I simply cut the plastic on the bad plug and pealed it back to resolder it.
When charging batteries with this or any other charger that allows you to set the capacity limit as a safety feature, do not set it right at the capacity the pack is labeled for. Most packed will hold more capacity than what it says from the factory. Set it about 500 to 800ma higher than say the 1000ma GT pack, otherwise it will shut off at 1000 and you are cheating yourself out of the pack's ability to hold more than it's raited at. So long as you've set the m/v threshold setting properly the charger will shut off like it should when the pack is fully charged. I keep the capacity limit turned off on mine. The only time I'd set that is when you can't watch the charger and are worried about your m/v setting, but even then it's worthless unless you know exactly how discharged the pack is and what is going to be put back into it.
Same deal with the timer limit. That's another safety feature. I keep mine turned off for that as well but again I charge my packs in the middle of a cement floor in my garge where I don't have to keep a constant eye on it. I still try to check it 4 or 5 times through the charge, though, just to make sure nothing is wrong.
The USB/Temp feature so far as I know does not work to hitch the charger up to a USB port so you can graph batteries on your computer. It lacks the USB internals and was meant for more expensive designs. I think the temp probe does work though but you have to buy that separate for it.
You might read in threads where guys are using the hidden menu feature to calibrate the voltage of the charger used to monitor batteries. Do NOT do this unless you have lab calibrated equipment! Most people say this charger is very accurate and chances are any cheap volt meter will differ in readings from what the charger says.
The safety input voltage feature allows the charger to shut off should say your car battery drops to a certain voltage to avoid leaving you stranded in need of a jump start. It's very useful to the RC community because we usualy run the charger under the hood of our car charging packs while flying. I didn't use this feature until one day when I was alone in the field and my car wouldn't start. After a full day of charging packs the old car battery was nearly dead. I think I have mine set at 11.5V now. If it hits that the car should still have enough power to start.
The menu system can be a little confusing at first. Again, I'd highly suggest going to RCgroups or Hobby City's forum and reading the threads on this charger. You'll find very good info from others about it. The manual lacks detail and is confusing in some areas.
If you haven't already check out this other thread where more details can be found on this charger and other battery info...
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1116497,page=1
plugger said:
Yes your right, the back order doesn't usually take long to clear though.(they do have a bit of a backlog atmo as they have been closed for the chineese new year)
I just ordered 2 of these for the Sovereign XS2a pro among other things, if they work its a great cheap mod at less than $8 each, should work on the GT too but i no longer have one to try.
@Critterhunter your last post will be very helpfull to the people new to this charger, was to me(i keep meaning to fix the fan
)One thing i have found, if i try to charge the minelab etrac or standard Excalibur battery at a 1C charge (1.6amp and 1.3amp respectivly) the charger cuts out as full in a very short time without putting in a full carge, i think it has something to do with the thermister that is in these batteries, even through the contacts on the Etrac it still cuts out, with the xs2 batteries i can get round it by using the contacts rather than the charge port so bypassing the thermister(i think)but not on the etrac one. On the replacement Excalibur batteries i put in an old pack and the alkaline pack i can charge no problem at 1C and higher if i wish as the thermister is not present.
1C = 1x capacity= mah/100 = amps charge rate
ie Etrac is 1600mah/100 = 1.6amp
Excalibur2 1300mah/100 =1.3amp
XS2a Pro 700mah/100 = 0.7amp
Critterhunter
New member
Kered, are you sure the thermistor in the pack is popping due to heat? If it is then the charger should say "CONNECTION BREAK", letting you know the battery is no longer connected. If the charger is just saying charge complete then perhaps the connection opening (which is causing the voltage to drop to zero) is tricking the charger into thinking the charge is complete due to a "voltage drop". On the other hand, you could just be setting the m/v setting too low with that high of a charge rate. Try adding 2 digits to it and see what happens. Let me know what you find out.
I don't mind the fan making noise. It smooths out after a few seconds or when I blow some air into it. I hear there is a sticker over the bearing where you need to oil it. Some guys are putting new fans in. I like a little noise to remind me the charger is charging a pack myself. Note: Fan only comes on when the charger is charging a pack.
Those lipos are not only going to give you longer run times, but they are going to drop the weight of the unit because the stock rechargable pack weighs 10 ounces. In fact, you should be lighter with a 3 cell lipo in the 1000 to 2000ma range than even 8AA regular batteries in the regular holder. I've already got it worked out how I want the lipo to install into the stock 8AA holder. You'll still be able to install the normal 8AAs when you want to and remove the lipo. Let me know how you like running that pack. As far as run times go, remember that even if the pack is only 1450ma (versus 1000ma for the stock rechargable pack) I bet you'll get twice the run time. Why? The lipo holds it's voltage to the very end much better than ANY battery on the market. What that means is the 1000ma pack (or even regular store batteries for that matter) will be on a constant downward swing with the voltage as they drain. Lipos tend to keep this voltage very high until the very end, so that should equal more run time alone before it drops below what the regulator wants to see as it's input voltage. Like I said, I bet even 8AA nimhs of say 2500ma or so will run longer than 8 regular store shelf batteries due to the higher capacity of the nimhs or nicads.
Do yourself a favor and cycle that lipo at a low and slow (maybe 5 hour) charge rate and a less time discharge rate. Do this 3 to 5 times. It will give the lipo more life in numbers of cycles. Remember, never below 9V total. Drain it easy but be careful. A slow discharge can allow one or two cells to dip below 3V. If that happens you can charge the lipo a few seconds in nimh or nicad mode at a very low (like 100ma) charge rate just to bump the cell voltage back to above 3. Most lipo chargers won't let you charge a pack that has a cell below 3V, so that's why you need to do it via a nimh charge for a few seconds. Don't ever do a slow discharge without being near it to watch the cell voltage to make sure it's not dipping below 3V. I don't think this charge can monitor and shut off each cell seperately when doing a discharge like it can turn each off at they reach peak 4.2V when charging, if you know what I mean.
Also, you might want to take a battery just about 10.5volts and use it on your Sovereign until the low battery alarm starts up. Now take the pack and check it on a volt meter. Is it still above 9V? If it is then you can rely on the low voltage alarm for your lipos. Otherwise you need to make sure you re-charge them well before you hit 9V to avoid damaging them. In fact, take the battery off the Sovereign when not in use to make sure it isn't accidently left on draining the battery dead. I've seen too many guys in RC do this and destroy a lipo. That's one of the major problems with getting a plane stuck in a tree. If you don't get it down within a day or two the battery is probably dead due to the RX drawing power. Much too easy to bump your ON switch on your Sovereign and not realize it. Always safer anyways to store them in a metal box or in the middle of a cement floor or something to avoid any risks. I do the same with nimhs/nicads.
I don't mind the fan making noise. It smooths out after a few seconds or when I blow some air into it. I hear there is a sticker over the bearing where you need to oil it. Some guys are putting new fans in. I like a little noise to remind me the charger is charging a pack myself. Note: Fan only comes on when the charger is charging a pack.
Those lipos are not only going to give you longer run times, but they are going to drop the weight of the unit because the stock rechargable pack weighs 10 ounces. In fact, you should be lighter with a 3 cell lipo in the 1000 to 2000ma range than even 8AA regular batteries in the regular holder. I've already got it worked out how I want the lipo to install into the stock 8AA holder. You'll still be able to install the normal 8AAs when you want to and remove the lipo. Let me know how you like running that pack. As far as run times go, remember that even if the pack is only 1450ma (versus 1000ma for the stock rechargable pack) I bet you'll get twice the run time. Why? The lipo holds it's voltage to the very end much better than ANY battery on the market. What that means is the 1000ma pack (or even regular store batteries for that matter) will be on a constant downward swing with the voltage as they drain. Lipos tend to keep this voltage very high until the very end, so that should equal more run time alone before it drops below what the regulator wants to see as it's input voltage. Like I said, I bet even 8AA nimhs of say 2500ma or so will run longer than 8 regular store shelf batteries due to the higher capacity of the nimhs or nicads.
Do yourself a favor and cycle that lipo at a low and slow (maybe 5 hour) charge rate and a less time discharge rate. Do this 3 to 5 times. It will give the lipo more life in numbers of cycles. Remember, never below 9V total. Drain it easy but be careful. A slow discharge can allow one or two cells to dip below 3V. If that happens you can charge the lipo a few seconds in nimh or nicad mode at a very low (like 100ma) charge rate just to bump the cell voltage back to above 3. Most lipo chargers won't let you charge a pack that has a cell below 3V, so that's why you need to do it via a nimh charge for a few seconds. Don't ever do a slow discharge without being near it to watch the cell voltage to make sure it's not dipping below 3V. I don't think this charge can monitor and shut off each cell seperately when doing a discharge like it can turn each off at they reach peak 4.2V when charging, if you know what I mean.
Also, you might want to take a battery just about 10.5volts and use it on your Sovereign until the low battery alarm starts up. Now take the pack and check it on a volt meter. Is it still above 9V? If it is then you can rely on the low voltage alarm for your lipos. Otherwise you need to make sure you re-charge them well before you hit 9V to avoid damaging them. In fact, take the battery off the Sovereign when not in use to make sure it isn't accidently left on draining the battery dead. I've seen too many guys in RC do this and destroy a lipo. That's one of the major problems with getting a plane stuck in a tree. If you don't get it down within a day or two the battery is probably dead due to the RX drawing power. Much too easy to bump your ON switch on your Sovereign and not realize it. Always safer anyways to store them in a metal box or in the middle of a cement floor or something to avoid any risks. I do the same with nimhs/nicads.
I think it must be the thermister poping because on the Etrac alkaline pod i have 8x 2800mah and i can charge them 1C no problems, same on the Excalibur pack that i rebuilt(no thermistor) leads are ok as when i was recovering the old nicads on the XS i could charge at 5amp without the conection break alarm.
The XS battery setup isn't the same as the GT/Elite, the pack slots in and is held in place by a sliding door against spring contacts, when i get the lipos i'll do some photos and also consult you on the charge rate before i start just in case
The XS battery setup isn't the same as the GT/Elite, the pack slots in and is held in place by a sliding door against spring contacts, when i get the lipos i'll do some photos and also consult you on the charge rate before i start just in case
Critterhunter
New member
For anybody who's been following this thread and the other also check out this little offshoot with more nimh/nicad info. It's a short thread but with useful info...
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1166280
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1166280
Critterhunter
New member
A little more info that I posted elsewhere...
To try to recover a bad pack: Drain the pack dead using a car light bulb or something. Blast charge it at say 2 to 5 amps for like 5 minutes then take it off. You are trying to break down crystals that form which cause resistance. Very risky! Watch it. Wear goggles and gloves when getting near it. Blast it at something in the 2 to 5 amp range but not very long, or just charge it at a rate that will take about one hour from dead to fully charged (but I don't think this will do as good of job of recovering a bad pack as blasting really high for a few minutes). Again, keep and eye on it! Then fully charge it in say a rate of about an hour's time or slightly less. After that drain it dead again and then re-charge it using a nice slow mellow charge rate that will take about 10 to 14 hours to fully charge. Once done you can slow drain/charge it another 2 or 3 times if you feel it still isn't holding enough capacity. That's what having a good charger like the Turnigy ($25) allows you to do- cycle it and also show capacity to see if you are making progress. By draining a pack completely dead and then slow charging it you are also insuring that none of the cells are in a different state of charge than others, as well as "excercising" the muscles of the pack allowing it to hold higher capacity.
Don't waste your money on these chargers that only hold certain battery types. You are limiting your versatility greatly doing that. Buy the Turnigy from Hobby City and pick up holders at Radio Shack for whatever size cells you are charging. They're cheap. Like I've told others, this charger will do things other "brand" name chargers do that cost $100 to $150. You can't beat the value and all the features this charger has. It also includes future battery types that are just emerging on the market. Keep your eye on A123 cells.
Nicads don't suffer memory problems these days like they used to. While it's "older" technology they are constantly tweaking the chemistry of them just like Nimhs. Nicads and nimhs are pretty much neck and neck in ability these days, but nicads will cost you less. Nimhs I think tend to be a little lighter for the same size cell. Nicads just be blast charged more often than nimhs and not suffer as much, though nimhs are getting very good at that as well. It's pretty much a wash these days between them. I say find the highest capacity at the cheapest price you can in either, but I'd still lean towards the nimhs if you can. Nicads also tend to hold their charge on the shelf longer. That's why a lot of cordless tools use them, but again nimhs are getting very good at this as well.
To try to recover a bad pack: Drain the pack dead using a car light bulb or something. Blast charge it at say 2 to 5 amps for like 5 minutes then take it off. You are trying to break down crystals that form which cause resistance. Very risky! Watch it. Wear goggles and gloves when getting near it. Blast it at something in the 2 to 5 amp range but not very long, or just charge it at a rate that will take about one hour from dead to fully charged (but I don't think this will do as good of job of recovering a bad pack as blasting really high for a few minutes). Again, keep and eye on it! Then fully charge it in say a rate of about an hour's time or slightly less. After that drain it dead again and then re-charge it using a nice slow mellow charge rate that will take about 10 to 14 hours to fully charge. Once done you can slow drain/charge it another 2 or 3 times if you feel it still isn't holding enough capacity. That's what having a good charger like the Turnigy ($25) allows you to do- cycle it and also show capacity to see if you are making progress. By draining a pack completely dead and then slow charging it you are also insuring that none of the cells are in a different state of charge than others, as well as "excercising" the muscles of the pack allowing it to hold higher capacity.
Don't waste your money on these chargers that only hold certain battery types. You are limiting your versatility greatly doing that. Buy the Turnigy from Hobby City and pick up holders at Radio Shack for whatever size cells you are charging. They're cheap. Like I've told others, this charger will do things other "brand" name chargers do that cost $100 to $150. You can't beat the value and all the features this charger has. It also includes future battery types that are just emerging on the market. Keep your eye on A123 cells.
Nicads don't suffer memory problems these days like they used to. While it's "older" technology they are constantly tweaking the chemistry of them just like Nimhs. Nicads and nimhs are pretty much neck and neck in ability these days, but nicads will cost you less. Nimhs I think tend to be a little lighter for the same size cell. Nicads just be blast charged more often than nimhs and not suffer as much, though nimhs are getting very good at that as well. It's pretty much a wash these days between them. I say find the highest capacity at the cheapest price you can in either, but I'd still lean towards the nimhs if you can. Nicads also tend to hold their charge on the shelf longer. That's why a lot of cordless tools use them, but again nimhs are getting very good at this as well.
Only one thing to add, when draining don't just do it till the light goes out, leave it on for 24 hours to make sure its completely dead as the bulb will go out at arround 5-6v and its not completely flat, then put it on the charger as quick as possible, you can check with a volt meter but do it without the bulb. Worked fine for me
Critterhunter
New member
Kered, that's the one thing I forgot to mention. Once the 12 volt car bulb goes out the pack isn't really dead, it's just that the voltage is too low to cause enough heat (glow) of the bulb's resistor element. If you check the pack with the bulb still hitched up it should say zero volts but as soon as you unplug it the pack voltage will spring back up a bit. What you are trying to do is drain all the cells completely dead so that they will be back in balance when charged. One cell might be in a much higher state of charge than the others but it can't get the bulb to glow. By leaving it hooked up for a few hours after going dead you'll insure all the cells are completely dead in the pack. It's not good to let it sit this way too long, though. Polarity can reverse or other damage may occur if it sat for say weeks like this. Charge it within a day or so and you should be good.
Even after sitting for hours dead once you remove the pack from the bulb it probably will spring back up in voltage a little. That's OK, so long as it sat on a dead bulb for a few hours or so. Very hard to drain all the residue voltage out of a pack. That's called "surface charge"- A voltage that quickly goes away when put under any kind of load.
Even after sitting for hours dead once you remove the pack from the bulb it probably will spring back up in voltage a little. That's OK, so long as it sat on a dead bulb for a few hours or so. Very hard to drain all the residue voltage out of a pack. That's called "surface charge"- A voltage that quickly goes away when put under any kind of load.
Critterhunter
New member
Here's another blob of info I posted elsewhere. Trying to keep it all in one place as a one stop resource center for b*llcr%p. 
You won't get as long of life out of quick charging batteries. 15 minutes is VERY hard on a cell even if it's designed to charge that fast. A fast charge should only be pushing 1C (about an hour), but most of the time a battery should be charged at a nice slow healthy rate that will take about 10 to 14 hours. Also, you'll find a cell gives longer run times when slow charged than if it's fast charged. It's like pouring water into a bucket fast versus slow. Some is spilled when doing it fast. Yes, the bucket is just as full when done but for some reason it really isn't holding as much water. Think of it as trapped air bubbles from disturbing the water in such a fast way. I've found in my tests with plane nimhs or nicads that a slow charged pack will give longer flight times for whatever reason.
You won't get as long of life out of quick charging batteries. 15 minutes is VERY hard on a cell even if it's designed to charge that fast. A fast charge should only be pushing 1C (about an hour), but most of the time a battery should be charged at a nice slow healthy rate that will take about 10 to 14 hours. Also, you'll find a cell gives longer run times when slow charged than if it's fast charged. It's like pouring water into a bucket fast versus slow. Some is spilled when doing it fast. Yes, the bucket is just as full when done but for some reason it really isn't holding as much water. Think of it as trapped air bubbles from disturbing the water in such a fast way. I've found in my tests with plane nimhs or nicads that a slow charged pack will give longer flight times for whatever reason.
Critterhunter
New member
Yet another piece of junk to throw on the information heap that I had posted elsewhere...
In a pinch you can blast charge a pack in say 20 or 30 minutes or less but that should be the rare occasion. A 1 hour or less charge rate is fine here and there too, but don't make it routine. At least keep a fan on the pack to keep it as cool as possible when charging. Some guys even lay them on top of one of those plastic coolor freeze packs while charging (make sure it isn't sweating causing a short!). A hot pack destroys it's life span.
Kered, you might try the above when fast charging your packs that are popping the thermister.
Also Once Again A Reminder: I'm talking nimhs/nicads here. Lipos should NEVER be charged more than 1C (1 hour or less charge time depending of how dead the pack is). 1C charge rate means a 2000ma lipo should never be charged more than 2 amps. Some newer lipos are said to handle higher than 1C charge rates but they are very new and not very common. Unlike nimhs/nicads, a 1C charge rate for a lipo is considered a "healthy" fine long life charging method that is not shortening the pack life. A healthy/long life charge rate for nimhs/nicads would be something in the 10 to 14 hour range, maybe 4 or 5 hours would be as well. Anything less than 2 hours is probably shortening the nimh/nicad's cycle life over time, but just fine here and there.
Also, while covering battery handling info on lipos- Once again, NEVER drain a 3 cell serial (most common) pack below 9V, or 3 volts per cell, and never charge more than 4.2 volts per cell (which most lipo chargers take care of automaticly). If the lipo has a cell that drops below 3V most chargers will refuse to charge it. You can refer to prior info I posted on how to TRY to recover a lipo that has gone below proper voltage, but this is VERY RISKY and could cause a fire or explosion. Use at your own risk!
Lipos that aren't used for a long time should be "put to sleep" by charging or discharging it to a certain resting voltage (number escapes me at the moment). Most good chargers like the Turnigy Accucel 6 have a "sleep" or "storage" function to do that for you. Once you have it to the proper voltage then stick it in a metal box and put in the refrigerator. Some put the packs inside ziplocks first to avoid any moisture causing a short but I don't. So long as the refrigerator doesn't sweat or the packs weren't real hot due to it being summer they shouldn't sweat, or at least take them out an hour later and wipe them dry to get rid of the condensed moisture from cooling. You don't have to store lipos this way but it prolongs their life. I think I read that a fully charged lipo sitting on the shelf loses 16 to 24% of it's holding capacity after a year or two, which means less run time when charged again. Even when I don't put them to a storage voltage and plan to use them in a few days I still throw them in the refrigerator. Both the storage voltage and the cooler storage temp help prolong life, so at least try to do one of the two when not used for a while. Remember, lipos don't loose charge as they sit, so don't worry about the voltage dropping on the shelf below 9V. The only time I'd worry about that is if the pack was already drained to just above 9V from use and then put in the refrigerator. The colder temps might cause the voltage to sag a bit below 9V. A storage charge or above should prevent that chance. (say 10V or more).
In a pinch you can blast charge a pack in say 20 or 30 minutes or less but that should be the rare occasion. A 1 hour or less charge rate is fine here and there too, but don't make it routine. At least keep a fan on the pack to keep it as cool as possible when charging. Some guys even lay them on top of one of those plastic coolor freeze packs while charging (make sure it isn't sweating causing a short!). A hot pack destroys it's life span.
Kered, you might try the above when fast charging your packs that are popping the thermister.
Also Once Again A Reminder: I'm talking nimhs/nicads here. Lipos should NEVER be charged more than 1C (1 hour or less charge time depending of how dead the pack is). 1C charge rate means a 2000ma lipo should never be charged more than 2 amps. Some newer lipos are said to handle higher than 1C charge rates but they are very new and not very common. Unlike nimhs/nicads, a 1C charge rate for a lipo is considered a "healthy" fine long life charging method that is not shortening the pack life. A healthy/long life charge rate for nimhs/nicads would be something in the 10 to 14 hour range, maybe 4 or 5 hours would be as well. Anything less than 2 hours is probably shortening the nimh/nicad's cycle life over time, but just fine here and there.
Also, while covering battery handling info on lipos- Once again, NEVER drain a 3 cell serial (most common) pack below 9V, or 3 volts per cell, and never charge more than 4.2 volts per cell (which most lipo chargers take care of automaticly). If the lipo has a cell that drops below 3V most chargers will refuse to charge it. You can refer to prior info I posted on how to TRY to recover a lipo that has gone below proper voltage, but this is VERY RISKY and could cause a fire or explosion. Use at your own risk!
Lipos that aren't used for a long time should be "put to sleep" by charging or discharging it to a certain resting voltage (number escapes me at the moment). Most good chargers like the Turnigy Accucel 6 have a "sleep" or "storage" function to do that for you. Once you have it to the proper voltage then stick it in a metal box and put in the refrigerator. Some put the packs inside ziplocks first to avoid any moisture causing a short but I don't. So long as the refrigerator doesn't sweat or the packs weren't real hot due to it being summer they shouldn't sweat, or at least take them out an hour later and wipe them dry to get rid of the condensed moisture from cooling. You don't have to store lipos this way but it prolongs their life. I think I read that a fully charged lipo sitting on the shelf loses 16 to 24% of it's holding capacity after a year or two, which means less run time when charged again. Even when I don't put them to a storage voltage and plan to use them in a few days I still throw them in the refrigerator. Both the storage voltage and the cooler storage temp help prolong life, so at least try to do one of the two when not used for a while. Remember, lipos don't loose charge as they sit, so don't worry about the voltage dropping on the shelf below 9V. The only time I'd worry about that is if the pack was already drained to just above 9V from use and then put in the refrigerator. The colder temps might cause the voltage to sag a bit below 9V. A storage charge or above should prevent that chance. (say 10V or more).
Critterhunter
New member
Still more info. Follow the links it has as well to a maze of other info I posted. I'm a bit lost in this maze now so some of these links might lead you right back to this thread, but others will be dead ends into other good info. Only way to tell is by clicking on them in each thread. Sorry...
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1178409
Only way to tell is by clicking on them in each thread. Sorry...http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1178409