G.T. Power Battery Checker from MotionRC

[chipset35]

Just received this and was wondering what are the red flags both Pre-Flight and Post-Flight and/or anytime I should be looking for when using this?
My two battery types I own are as follows:
Venom Fly 11.1V 2200mAh 30C 3S LiPo, UNI 2.0 (VNR25077)
Venom Power 3200mAh 3S 11.1V 30C LIPO , UNI 2.0 VNR25007

[rifleman_btx]

I as a rule keep my flights to run my packs down to 3.8volts per cell. That way its not overrunning the packs, and it keeps from having to deal with having to bring the packs back to storage voltage since most of the time i only get to fly once a week with my bigger planes. If i ever get to build my runway out here like ive been wanting that will definitely change things but still i like the 3.8 rule as it does seem to keep the packs healthier and longer. Its a practice ive adopted since i started using 6s packs.

[xviper]

Learning about battery voltage and using a checker is only the start. You need to garner knowledge about battery brands, C ratings, etc. As you are progressing into EDFs, you'll find the need for better quality of batteries and higher, more reliable C ratings. Even the best C rated battery has been shown to give around 1/2 of what it states on the battery. You may also find that Venom batteries are "OK" for low draw prop planes but they won't do that well for EDFs or high draw prop planes. In my early days of RC, I ran through a couple of Venom batteries and I'll never touch them again.

[chipset35]

Learning about battery voltage and using a checker is only the start. You need to garner knowledge about battery brands, C ratings, etc. As you are progressing into EDFs, you'll find the need for better quality of batteries and higher, more reliable C ratings. Even the best C rated battery has been shown to give around 1/2 of what it states on the battery. You may also find that Venom batteries are "OK" for low draw prop planes but they won't do that well for EDFs or high draw prop planes. In my early days of RC, I ran through a couple of Venom batteries and I'll never touch them again.

WOW, great info! Thanks!
And here I am thinking Venom was one of the best.
So the FMS T-45 Goshawk 70mm states it needs a LiPo Battery: 6S 3300 - 4000mAh 35C.
Recommendation on brands?

[T-CAT]

WOW, great info! Thanks!
And here I am thinking Venom was one of the best.
So the FMS T-45 Goshawk 70mm states it needs a LiPo Battery: 6S 3300 - 4000mAh 35C.
Recommendation on brands?

There is an amazing thread on RCgroups that will provide incredible information and testing performed by hobbyist on many well known LiPo brands. Read the very first post of the thread, as it’s updated when further testing has been conducted on new LiPo releases. It will amaze you how many LiPo’s are true 20-25C capable regardless of what’s on their label. Thankfully, some of the newer Graphene labeled LiPo’s have been doing incredible in testing, and for EDF jets their power capability and longevity are where they are especially shining (along with other demanding setups like drone racing, etc.). Another aspect of LiPo’s to keep in mind is to know what capacity and voltage LiPo you will need for a given aircraft, it’s power system, it’s size battery compartment, and it’s flight time. Two batteries of the same capacity and voltage in no way mean that they have the same specifications, and can provide very different dimensions, weight, power capability, cell matching, etc. Be sure to choose a good quality battery, but also one that meets your other needs and ensure the aircraft can achieve the proper CG with your chosen LiPo’s weight and placement.

There is much to learn in this area of the hobby and threads like the one linked are extremely helpful to determine what’s true and what’s marketing hype, as well as spend your money where it’s worthwhile. In this area of the hobby, marketing is hugeeeeeeee, so it’s best to be skeptical.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...st-Comparisons

[OV10]

There is an amazing thread on RCgroups that will provide incredible information and testing performed by hobbyist on many well known LiPo brands. Read the very first post of the thread, as it’s updated when further testing has been conducted on new LiPo releases. It will amaze you how many LiPo’s are true 20-25C capable regardless of what’s on their label. Thankfully, some of the newer Graphene labeled LiPo’s have been doing incredible in testing, and for EDF jets their power capability and longevity are where they are especially shining (along with other demanding setups like drone racing, etc.). Another aspect of LiPo’s to keep in mind is to know what capacity and voltage LiPo you will need for a given aircraft, it’s power system, it’s size battery compartment, and it’s flight time. Two batteries of the same capacity and voltage in no way mean that they have the same specifications, and can provide very different dimensions, weight, power capability, cell matching, etc. Be sure to choose a good quality battery, but also one that meets your other needs and ensure the aircraft can achieve the proper CG with your chosen LiPo’s weight and placement.

There is much to learn in this area of the hobby and threads like the one linked are extremely helpful to determine what’s true and what’s marketing hype, as well as spend your money where it’s worthwhile. In this area of the hobby, marketing is hugeeeeeeee, so it’s best to be skeptical.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...st-Comparisons

I haven't visited that page in sometime and it was a great to be reminded about how important a resource it is for both the novices entering the hobby and the experienced LiPo users.;)

[T-CAT]

I haven't visited that page in sometime and it was a great to be reminded about how important a resource it is for both the novices entering the hobby and the experienced LiPo users.;)

No kidding, right! The participants and testers in that thread have really done a great job providing information that helps us all in the hobby and really appreciate their effort. It will be interesting to see where it continues to go as electrics and battery technology advance. :Cool:

[fieldofdreamsflyer]

Those lipo testers are useless, I get so many people say when flying my battery is dead already but my checker saying I have 60% left . What those checkers dont have is a load mode. I always use a load meter to check my cells after every flight and I check each cell to see if there still good . Another way to check your lipos is in the plane with the lipo meter attached to the balance port as you run the motor up

[Gilatrout]

Infind the tester useful for telling me if I charged the battery or not. Other than that they don't do too much. Some can hint at problems by displaying deviation in the charge between cells.
cells, but yes, the best way to know if your battery is flyable or not is testing the internal resistance.

Using them to test LiFe batteries is beyond useless. Even though there is a LiFe mode on most of them, plug in a freshly charged battery into 3 testers and you'll get 3 wildly different readings.

[xviper]

WOW, great info! Thanks!
And here I am thinking Venom was one of the best.
So the FMS T-45 Goshawk 70mm states it needs a LiPo Battery: 6S 3300 - 4000mAh 35C.
Recommendation on brands?

Read that RC Groups thread when you have time. But for now, after nearly 150 planes of all types and sizes and going through many, many batteries (still have dozens of them in active use), I've developed a "liking" to several brands. Please note that this is my opinion and experience only. I've had batteries that won't go a dozen cycles before they lose their effectiveness. No matter what others have told me about getting the minimal C rating needed for a given application, I'll put my money on the highest C rating I can afford at the time. I've discovered that the higher the C rating, the better a battery performs and the longer they last (# of cycles). My "good" batteries have given me anything from over 200 cycles to over 400 hundred cycles. I've also learned that C ratings aren't what they're advertised to be. For a while, the best battery I found were the HobbyKing Graphines and through testing (results from online testers), a 60C Graphine was only putting out just over 30C. Some people will tell you that a 30C battery is enough based on their calculations BUT, if you buy a 30C battery, it may only be putting out 15C. I prefer possible overkill than over-stated. None of my high C rated batteries have ever gotten hot or puffy when used in the same planes that a lesser battery would come down very hot to touch or puffy.
My personal experience with battery brands ............................. Number one for me has been Gens Ace but I can't always afford them for every plane and I don't need that kind of quality in all of them anyway. Admiral batteries are very good for their price. I've still got some of those that are several years old and approaching 300 cycles and still perform well. I also have a lot of HobbyKing "Heavy Duty", which are a little cheaper and just as good as the HobbyKing Graphenes, which I have several of and am quite happy with them. Note that the Graphenes and "HD" ones from HobbyKing are (mah for mah) somewhat bigger and heavier than other brands and types of batteries. For example, a 3000mah Graphene or HD is equivalent in size and weight of a 3600 to 4000 mah of say, an Admiral. So buy them slightly smaller or the plane won't balance the same and if the plane has no extra room to move it around to balance, that could be a problem. Graphenes and HD, in the smaller mah, still fly with the same or better "punch" and if flown in the same manner, flight time is about the same as their bigger counterpart.
I'm no battery expert, just telling you what I've personally experienced over the years.
PS, I have a math degree and I can tell you that calculations and numbers, when applied to the "real" world, don't always ring true. Sometimes, math doesn't always account for ALL the variables and can be deceptive. Real world experince, IMO, will always trump the math. Yes, math can lie.

[chipset35]

Thank you everyone, I ended up going with Admiral from Motion RC.
:)

[OV10]

XV........how do you keep track/monitor the number of cycles each one of the LiPos has?
I thought of doing that years ago but never really figured a format that was non-laborious.

[xviper]

It's a rough estimate. I keep a current list of all my active planes and a list of all my active batteries by size and cells. I have a lot of planes that use the same batteries and I have multiple batteries of the same size. I fly at least 4 mornings (sometimes 6 or 7) in a week during the warm months and 2 to 3 times a week in the winter. The day before I go, I look at the list and put a mark beside each plane I plan to take the next day and take out the corresponding batteries that I'll need to fly those planes and charge them that evening. All my batteries are marked with the date that I received them so I know how old they are. I generally buy my batteries in pairs. At any time, I can look at my list of planes to see how many marks there are (by day) beside each one. I know which batteries are used in each plane.
Each time I go, I load the car up with between 4 to 5 planes (the total number is reduced if I take large planes) and I always take at least 2 batteries per plane, so I fly each one twice. I rotate my 40+ planes (so they all get some "love") as well as my duplicate batteries. Some planes are favorites and they see service more times than the others, but I know which batteries they take.
I'm not as anal as some may think by reading the above but I have a flying buddy who logs each flight he does. He marks down which plane is flown which day and how long each flight is and which battery is used for that flight. Oh, and I have a repair list as well. With so many planes, I don't always fix them immediately. I put the damaged ones away and note on my list what needs attention. When I'm bored or have the time, I take the plane down and do a little now and a little then. On my repair list at present, I have one plane that needs to be taken apart to salvage the bits, one plane that needs repair and one plane that's on the table for build (it's a long term project) and one more in the box that will get done "one day". I just like to keep track of stuff because my memory is good, just really, really short.

[OV10]

I'm like your buddy........keep a flying log of every flight I do. The date/day/time/plane/flight length and notes.
Steve(RCJD)/George(TIA) and Tony(TWTJ) all can attest to fact that I'm a sick man;)
I had thought of numbering my LiPo's and noting it's number ID in each log line entry but scrapped that idea knowing that come the end of the season that it would just be a horrendous task to account for all the sorties per battery.
It's bad enough that I count the total sorties AND flight times for the season :Dizzy:
My flight log for this year was piling up the stats and then Gone with the Wind or Up in Smoke:Loser: The second movie title more closely resembles how I felt about it :Smug:

[boomer108]

I do the same thing Charlie. It's and old habit from my flying days in the Air Force, we logged everything.

[fhhuber]

I kept a logbook for 4 years on the LiPos I had. This was while doing a LOT of flying (3 to 6 flights a week of a 5000 watt EDF + 2 to 3 flights each on 6 more models each trip to the field)

Once I got the information from that... I decided that logging the cycles wasn't worth the effort. When cared for reasonably well the packs died from age before they died from too many cycles. Now I mark the date I get the packs on them.

Typical is: 3 to 3.5 years they deliver at least 90% of rated current and capacity (flying EDFs that can drain a pack on appx 3 min of full throttle). Then another 2 to 3 years still useful in lower demand applications.

[rifleman_btx]

Ill keep using the floureon packs for my 6s systems. That way im not out a bunch when they go bad. 50 bucks at most. So far after heavy use in the 100+° days and over 6 months of use i wont complain as i havent seen any drop in performance at all. No sag or anything. They have been great for the money. They are rated at 45c

[chipset35]

You guys are a wealth of valuable information.
If not for you all, I do not think beginners would be able to cope.
I know I would not be able to.