[NSRCA-discussion] Lithium Ion batteries

Thu Nov 30 07:43:04 AKST 2006

Due to Cameron's experience a while back, I had avoided lithium batteries when they first came out. It's like being the first one to buy any new technology, you're taking a great risk. I'd rather use tried and proven stuff for equipment.

With that being said, I now use a 1600mah LiPoly pack from Batteries America. It weighs about 3 ounces with the 6v regulator, and has oodles of power. With an OS I could get 12-15 flights on P-07, with a DZ160 I can get about 8 comfortably. Vibration makes a huge difference in battery drain.

it's pretty cheap and I've been using them for about a year and a half now with zero problems. I do charge it in the plane, however my charging habits are a bit different...I always babysit my plane. I charge it on the wall in the shop where I have a fire extinguisher while I'm building or on the computer. When I'm on the road I charge it either on the ground, or in a motel room on the floor with me sitting right over it the whole time. Hundreds of charge cycles, zero issues.

I use a standard great planes Triton charger plugged into a JR charge switch.

It's light, it's cheap, and it works really well.

For whatever it's worth....

-Mike
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: DaveL322 at comcast.net 
  To: NSRCA Mailing List 
  Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 11:30 AM
  Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Lithium Ion batteries

  Vicente,

  For the 30 years I've been using rechargeably batteries in RC, I have had one nicad and one nimh vent and smoke - no fire, no explosion, but definitely very hot and smoldering.  Certainly hot enough to have caused a fire if in a different environment.  In both cases, I was close enough to smell the problem and remove the batteries from the plane without damage to anything other than the batteries (and maybe some charred/scorch marks).

  Point being, ANY battery can have a problem.  The higher the energy density and larger the amount of energy stored, the greater the potential problem.  And it would seem in RC applications, the more mature battery technologies are the safest for our typical use, but some would advocate never charging any battery unsupervised.

  Regards,

  Dave Lockhart

    -------------- Original message -------------- 
    From: vicenterc at comcast.net 

    Here are the safety instructions for TP batteries web site: 

    http://www.thunderpower-batteries.com/images/THPSafetyWarnings.pdf

    I could not find the safety instructions on the Duralite web site.  

    Here the safety instructions from Fromeco web site:

    http://www.fromeco.org/shop/ainstructions%20batteries.htm

    The problem I have is that I don't have time to baby sit while the battery are charging.  I try to do it with my small electric planes and I can not imagine babysitting all my planes while charging.  Probably this is the only issue I have in regard lithium batteries.  Do we really need to follow this instructions?  If not, the manufactures will need to take the risk and take those instructions out from the web sites.

    Vicente "Vince" Bortone

      -------------- Original message -------------- 
      From: "Pete Cosky" <pcosky at comcast.net> 

      I had bought a few NMP 2400 mAh packs from Central last year. I don't see them on their website now though.

      I am apprehensive to go Li-Poly due to the packaging and possibility of damage and fire. The Li-Ion is in a metal can that can shield it from physical damage. Using the wrong charger on the other hand would still be an issue. 

      The Li-Ion packs are lighter than a NiCad or Ni-Mh packs so you gain a weight savings and they need less maintenance than the aforementioned battery types. 

      I even made a pack to replace the Ni-Mh pack in my Multiplex EVO and it is holding up well.

      As always this is nothing more than the ramblings of a longhaired freak.....

      Robert & Casey Green <robcase1 at cox.net> wrote:
            Hey Guys, I am thiking about running lithium-ions batteries this year.  Besides duralite, is there anything else worth using.

            Thanks in advance.

            Robert
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