Li-ion & Nimh

[Mike Hester]

I would consider that the most honest summary I have seen to date on this subject.

Still, he left out a few things. Like the safe circuitry being extremely fragile and failing and the result=fire. It can happen, and it HAS happened. More than a few occasions.

But unless it affects someone personally, they won't "get it". How many times do you drive down the street, see a wreck, and just go "too bad" and cruise away speeding, without your seatbelt etc anyway? Conversely, if you've ever been in a serious wreck, you know that for a long time after, every time someone pulls up to stop at an adjacent street, you flinch. It's real to you then.

Same thing with these batteries. They are new, they are cool, but are they worth the risk? Why SURE they are, until you're house burns to the ground. Or worse....

Now let's look at what benefit they really give you. Let's take, oh, lemme see....Duralite Plus is a good example for this analogy. For a typical pattern application, the pack to use is the 1900 mah pack. With regulator, it weighs between 4.5-5 ounces. How many flights do you get before recharge? 10 maybe? 

Now let's look at good ole archaic nicads. I have an SR 1100 pack in my plane. Weighs about 4 ounces (LIGHTER than the Duralites). I can get about 8-10 flights out of it, depending on what I'm doing. After that I'm baked anyway. Now this plane has 6 digital servos. And I have a 1600 pack here that weighs about 4 ounces as well.

So let me see. They are more expensive, they are heavier, and they are a REAL hazard at burning you to the ground. Hmmm.....I fail to see the advantage. Is it because they are the latest and the greatest? 

Someone enlighten me.

-Mike

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dave Smith 
  To: discussion at nsrca.org 
  Sent: Friday, December 13, 2002 1:56 PM
  Subject: Li-ion & Nimh


  You may find this a very interesting piece on batteries,from Larry Sribnick at SR.

  Regards.  

  http://www.srbatteries.com/whyno.htm
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