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Understanding Lipo Batteries a bit better

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  • Understanding Lipo Batteries a bit better

    Here is a link to a great article on Lipo Batteries and it helps clear up some of the background as to why and how things are done. https://rogershobbycenter.com/lipoguide/ Also check out our Knowledge Blog for more info regarding what Charger do I need. https://www.motionrc.com/blogs/motio...ates-explained Great stuff as I have no intention of committing the formulas to memory as I have limited capacity up there now but I can go back to these links when I need some info. Happy reading!

  • #2
    Wayne,
    Thanx for putting these out there. I do feel the need to add some insight about one of the articles to bring a balanced perspective to light.
    I just finished reading the "Rogers" lipoguide and it is a good beginners/novice reference for practical and safe usage knowledge.
    However, some of the info is a little antiquated as well as opinionated rather than being fact based.
    The authors remarks regarding connectors is pretty much laced with subjective views versus fact, thus lacking any info regarding voltage and amperage capability and insertion force to name a few.
    Deans alias "T" connectors are not the 'king of connectors'. They are the cheapest to mass produce but lack the mechanical connection integrity at the wire/solder joint/connector spade at higher amperage demands.
    The EC3 has the mechanical advantage over the Deans in that the wire is captive in a solder filled cup. These two comparisons is just a quick example I use to validate my assertion.
    And my other and last concern is with the authors take on Parallel Charging. I don't want to get into lecturing an electrical engineering class(and I could..... was a microwave design engineer in my early years) but the author apparently has no background with this topic and speaks vaguely of "well known experts" from the battery industry that consider this to be very/highly dangerous and shouldn't be attempted even by experienced users. And he further eroded his credibility when saying that using batteries in parallel is as problematic as charging.(Note: all my aircraft that use two batteries.....they are run in parallel to the ESC's which are also paralleled in the case of a twin/multi engine) There are far more articles in support of parallel charging that even espouse the electrical theory for support of the practice than there are of fear mongering articles. It's safe if the rules are followed as they should be when using LiPo's.
    Here is one of my favorite articles that puts parallel charging into perspective in layman terms.
    Parallel LiPo Charging allows you to charge multiple battery packs together to save lots of time. It's safe provided you understand the basic concepts.


    Best regards,
    Warbird Charlie
    HSD Skyraider FlightLine OV-10 FMS 1400: P-40B, P-51, F4U, F6F, T-28, P-40E, Pitts, 1700 F4U & F7F, FOX glider Freewing A-6, T-33, P-51 Dynam ME-262, Waco TF Giant P-47; ESM F7F-3 LX PBJ-1 EFL CZ T-28, C-150, 1500 P-51 & FW-190

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    • #3
      OV10 all great points and myself not being an Electrical Engineer concur with you. I prefer the EC3 and EC5 Connectors over a T Style all day long and I will soon be switching over to all XT Type connectors. Experience plays a big part in this and as for Parallel Charging I would recommend one with little to no experience to seek guidance and use caution when attempting this however when done correctly is a safe alternative to having 12 Chargers. The Best part is it hopefully will generate some discussion so Hobbyists like yourself can offer up your hard earned experience to others who may have been a bit cloudy on the subjects discussed. Just like we know most batteries will accept more than a 1C Charge Rate however we still recommend it for safety and longevity of the Battery but yes we understand folks use higher rates daily with no issue. Bottom line folks BE SAFE!!!

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      • #4
        Wayne,
        The XT style is a good connector but a pain in the 'arse' to solder because of the solder cup being a recessed molded in contact of the connector shell which can be damaged easily from the solder heat.
        If your gonna be switching connector styles, seriously look into the Anderson Powerpole's. I have been converting my whole fleet over for a couple reasons.
        First and foremost is the ridiculously easy amount of insertion/extraction force required.
        Lastly, NO soldering skills required........$40 crimp tool required and crimps are a well established(MIL spec'd) proven connection for high amperage loads
        Here's the connectors I use. Don't be thrown by the amp rating, that is a 120V rating. There are a lot of 10S Pattern pilots using these to carry the high amp loads.
        https://powerwerx.com/anderson-power...mp-unassembled Using these for 12-14 gauge wire which is noted on the product page
        https://powerwerx.com/anderson-power...mp-unassembled Using these for 10 gauge wire
        https://powerwerx.com/tricrimp-power...-crimping-tool And the crimp tool

        Best regards,
        Warbird Charlie
        HSD Skyraider FlightLine OV-10 FMS 1400: P-40B, P-51, F4U, F6F, T-28, P-40E, Pitts, 1700 F4U & F7F, FOX glider Freewing A-6, T-33, P-51 Dynam ME-262, Waco TF Giant P-47; ESM F7F-3 LX PBJ-1 EFL CZ T-28, C-150, 1500 P-51 & FW-190

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        • #5
          Just a tip - when soldering XT connectors, I insert a mating connector; just in case the plastic softens, the contacts stay in alignment better. Also, the fatter the tip in the iron, the less time it spends on the solder.

          APP are great connectors, and I have lots of equipment that uses them. My only issue is that I mostly fly fairly small models, and getting the APPs in and connected can be next to impossible. For bigger models, especially 5' spans and above, APP can be a better solution.

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          • #6
            Yea I love the power pull connectors I have used those exclusively. I like how I can determine the way they mate together on my own and how easy they are to pull apart. I have used them since 98 great connectors I choose the solder style over the crimp I am too cheap to buy the crimping tool.

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            • #7
              Crimping has less resistance though I believe

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Wayne@MotionRC View Post
                Crimping has less resistance though I believe
                Yes, it does; also, the connection is more resistant to vibration (if made correctly). The F4 was designed and built with soldered contacts, but, as production went on, many were upgraded to crimped; the F15 was almost exclusively crimped contacts.

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