Lipo Storage Amp Draw Question

[alexchen86]

For storing lipos if I don't plan on running the pack for a month or so what Amp should I be discharging at in the Lipo Storage mode?

I use a Hyperion EOS0606i and a Hitec X1 charger.

In the past I've just been discharging at 1A...is this bad for the battery? Maybe I should be discharging at .3 or .4?

[benoj]

if discharging a lipo at 1A was bad for it, we couldnt even run them in anything. the 1A setting is fine, changing to a lower rate will just make it take longer

[rcscaler]

thanks for bringing up this question,

By the way,
I also use EOS0606i charger, but how can I know what many voltage still in the Lipo battery?

mostly, I run my scaler once per month only, so I didn't discharge my Lipo battery before I charge it.
Well, do I need to discharge the Lipo Battery before I charge them? this is my BIG question

[Rig Rocker]

Originally Posted by rcscaler

thanks for bringing up this question,

By the way,
I also use EOS0606i charger, but how can I know what many voltage still in the Lipo battery?

mostly, I run my scaler once per month only, so I didn't discharge my Lipo battery before I charge it.
Well, do I need to discharge the Lipo Battery before I charge them? this is my BIG question

On your EOS0606i use your arrow button to go right in the menu to balance. Any pack you plug into balance port will show you exactly what voltage each cell is holding.

And no you don't need to discharge before charging like a nimh or nicad. That is one of the advantages of lipo and life technology

[alexchen86]

My backup charger is the new Hitec X1 AC/DC and it has a Lipo Storage function as well...what concerns me is I can control the A but there is no input on capacity.

How do I know the charger will leave whatever lipo I'm discharging for storage at half capacity?

Or does it detect it automatically....

[Charlie-III]

Originally Posted by alexchen86

My backup charger is the new Hitec X1 AC/DC and it has a Lipo Storage function as well...what concerns me is I can control the A but there is no input on capacity.

How do I know the charger will leave whatever lipo I'm discharging for storage at half capacity?

Or does it detect it automatically....

Chargers have no clue on the capacity of a pack unless it does a few discharge/charge cycles to "guess".
While some may frown, I always charge up all my LiPO packs when done for the day. If I leave them for a few hours, days, weeks or months they start storage at fully charged.
Haven't killed a pack yet (between me or my son.)

[cbr6fs]

Your charger doesn't care about the packs size as it's not important (except for some chargers overcharge safety cut-off).

You should always try and store your packs at around 3.7/cell.

The reason being that the second a LiPo is first charged at the factory it starts degrading, nothing you can do about this it's just the chemistry inside working it's magic and getting less efficient the more it's used.

Storing at a lower voltage will increase the life of your LiPo's, the higher the voltage they are stored the quicker they will deteriorate.

Many folks new to LiPo's do not do this and foolishly think they're having no effect on the LiPo.
The fact is though the LiPo is deteriorating it's just it hasn't yet got to a stage where they have noticed it.

As a cell deteriorates effectively what we see is the cells C rating or ability to provide power diminish.
On some crawlers we are no where near pushing even poor cells to the limits, so it may be a year before we see the effect of this deterioration.

Other crawlers that pull a fair few watts out of the cells will see the effect a LOT sooner.

The packs will start putting out more heat (due to less efficiency) and eventually swell as the current draw is more than they can now cope with.


On things like 3D planes, large off-road trucks like say ERevo's Savages etc i've seen mistreated cells "go off" in a few short months.

Good news for most of us though is because we're using small packs they tend to be very cheap.

To be honest i do not always discharge my crawler packs because they're only a few $ so it's not hardship to order a few every year.

For my other RC's though i make 100% sure that if i'm not using a pack within 24 hours it's discharged to 3.7v/cell.


Another advantage with having discharged cells rather than fully charged is, it's a lot less energy in the cell if an accident does happen.

I've seen a fair few LiPo's flame up over the years, but even intentionally damaged ones at 3.7v/cell only smoked without flames.

[un4givn85]

Originally Posted by Charlie-III

While some may frown, I always charge up all my LiPO packs when done for the day. If I leave them for a few hours, days, weeks or months they start storage at fully charged.
Haven't killed a pack yet (between me or my son.)

i too do this
and they havent even puffed on me yet
im not going to mess anything up am i

[rcscaler]

lol...I know more about Lipo now.
well, I just killed a Lipo last weekend, when I plug my 3S Lipo to the EOS0606i charger, and it show some words "the voltage is too low....."
then I cannot charge this Lipo anymore. I tried four times, but still cannot be charged

Well, I only run my scale rigs once per month(scale comp), so sometimes I don't use all the 3S Lipo after I fully charged those 3s Lipo.
I just leave there after I back home from scale comp everytime, then I will charge them again when I have to go to next scale comp.
So, in my case, did I do a wrong way to take care my 3s Lipo?
also, how can I know I discharge my lipo until 3.7V per cell ??

[Charlie-III]

Try charging your packs on a NiMH setting for a minute, then try again on a correct LiPO setting while balance charging. You "may" be able to bring them back.

[rcscaler]

alright...I will try it, hope I can bring it back because that 3s Lipo is only two months old....

by the way,
how can I know I discharge my lipo until 3.7V per cell ?? Do I need to check the status from charger while charging?

Originally Posted by Charlie-III

Try charging your packs on a NiMH setting for a minute, then try again on a correct LiPO setting while balance charging. You "may" be able to bring them back.

[Tomy]

Originally Posted by rcscaler

alright...I will try it, hope I can bring it back because that 3s Lipo is only two months old....

by the way,
how can I know I discharge my lipo until 3.7V per cell ?? Do I need to check the status from charger while charging?

Use the arrow buttons on your charger to navigate to 'Lipo storage' mode. Now your charger will either charge or discharge your battery till it has the correct voltrage for storing.

[alexchen86]

Originally Posted by cbr6fs

Your charger doesn't care about the packs size as it's not important (except for some chargers overcharge safety cut-off).

You should always try and store your packs at around 3.7/cell.

The reason being that the second a LiPo is first charged at the factory it starts degrading, nothing you can do about this it's just the chemistry inside working it's magic and getting less efficient the more it's used.

Storing at a lower voltage will increase the life of your LiPo's, the higher the voltage they are stored the quicker they will deteriorate.

Many folks new to LiPo's do not do this and foolishly think they're having no effect on the LiPo.
The fact is though the LiPo is deteriorating it's just it hasn't yet got to a stage where they have noticed it.

As a cell deteriorates effectively what we see is the cells C rating or ability to provide power diminish.
On some crawlers we are no where near pushing even poor cells to the limits, so it may be a year before we see the effect of this deterioration.

Other crawlers that pull a fair few watts out of the cells will see the effect a LOT sooner.

The packs will start putting out more heat (due to less efficiency) and eventually swell as the current draw is more than they can now cope with.


On things like 3D planes, large off-road trucks like say ERevo's Savages etc i've seen mistreated cells "go off" in a few short months.

Good news for most of us though is because we're using small packs they tend to be very cheap.

To be honest i do not always discharge my crawler packs because they're only a few $ so it's not hardship to order a few every year.

For my other RC's though i make 100% sure that if i'm not using a pack within 24 hours it's discharged to 3.7v/cell.


Another advantage with having discharged cells rather than fully charged is, it's a lot less energy in the cell if an accident does happen.

I've seen a fair few LiPo's flame up over the years, but even intentionally damaged ones at 3.7v/cell only smoked without flames.

Thanks for that write up! Yes my Hitec X1 lipo storage function will bring whatever lipo down to 3.7V/cell. I was just confused why my Hyperion would ask for how many Mah before storing the lipo and the Hitec does not.

[C*H*U*D]

Originally Posted by Charlie-III

Try charging your packs on a NiMH setting for a minute, then try again on a correct LiPO setting while balance charging. You "may" be able to bring them back.

You can't do this with the EOS0606i (which is what he says he has). It will detect the battery as the wrong type.

[alexchen86]

I've done that on my EOS0606i just don't plug in the balance tap. Boost it for about a minute and check cell voltages before balance charging.

You can also lipo charge without the balance tap in on that charger.

[C*H*U*D]

I'll have to try it again. Maybe I had my balance tap plugged in when I tried it.

[Charlie-III]

Originally Posted by C*H*U*D

I'll have to try it again. Maybe I had my balance tap plugged in when I tried it.

Let us know, since NiMH/NiCD don't have balance ports, don't use your LiPO port when trying to boost up a suspect LiPO that won't balance charge.