batteries

FDS

Elite member
Also it’s fine to leave batteries fully charged for a couple of days if plans change, just not good to do so for longer.
Always use the Storage function if your charger has it, it charges or discharges automatically to a good storage level.
 

basslord1124

Master member
Question about battery voltage, I just bought an imax b6 to try and get the most out of my batteries. I also have an 850 mAh 11.1 volt 3 cell battery. So i charged it today with the intent of going flying but that didn't happen. SO decided to discharge it to storage voltage. i set it to discharge and it went down to like 9 volts before i shut it off. Did a search and it says recommended storage voltage is 3.85 volts per cell for a 3 cell battery. how can that be discharged if it's only 3.7 per cell to begin with. that would make it overcharged. If i set the charger at 1A discharge it only gives me the option of 9 volts for a 3 cell. what am i doing wrong?

Yeah Lipos pretty much will always have a charge (unless they are left plugged in and get fully drained). Their charge is usually maintained from 3.7V per cell up to 4.2V per cell (fully charged). I'm surprised your charger let it run it down to 9V...did you do a discharge or set it to storage? I think as long as the cell voltage doesn't dip below 3V per cell the battery "may" be ok. I really don't know why it would give that option of 9V for a 3 cell. Wrong battery type selection maybe?
 

FastCrash45

Elite member
Yeah Lipos pretty much will always have a charge (unless they are left plugged in and get fully drained). Their charge is usually maintained from 3.7V per cell up to 4.2V per cell (fully charged). I'm surprised your charger let it run it down to 9V...did you do a discharge or set it to storage? I think as long as the cell voltage doesn't dip below 3V per cell the battery "may" be ok. I really don't know why it would give that option of 9V for a 3 cell. Wrong battery type selection maybe?
No it's not wrong battery type. I have the detrum which is the same as the b6 and it discharges to 9v on a 3 cell also. The storage function gets the batteries to about 3.8 per cell but the old instructions I was given had an addendum about the discharge which stated it MUST be watched so it discharges to 3.7 per cell and then stopped. The 9v on a 3 cell is the cut off in case you were away and didn't stop it. It's it's own emergency cutoff to save your cells. They will still work but the batteries should be watched for getting puffy. Run it on the storage function for discharging. It's a watch me closely in discharge mode. Storage will drain a full pack down to proper levels then turn off. Discharge must be watched.
 

basslord1124

Master member
No it's not wrong battery type. I have the detrum which is the same as the b6 and it discharges to 9v on a 3 cell also. The storage function gets the batteries to about 3.8 per cell but the old instructions I was given had an addendum about the discharge which stated it MUST be watched so it discharges to 3.7 per cell and then stopped. The 9v on a 3 cell is the cut off in case you were away and didn't stop it. It's it's own emergency cutoff to save your cells. They will still work but the batteries should be watched for getting puffy. Run it on the storage function for discharging. It's a watch me closely in discharge mode. Storage will drain a full pack down to proper levels then turn off. Discharge must be watched.

Ah gotcha. Thanks for clarifying. ;)
 

Spacefarer

Active member
I don't know if it's the way i set mine up that my batteries do this but they can be stored at full charge as i have had them for a year (with appropriate safety bags) and they haven't gone down in quality at all.
 

Merv

Site Moderator
Staff member
I don't know if it's the way i set mine up that my batteries do this but they can be stored at full charge as i have had them for a year (with appropriate safety bags) and they haven't gone down in quality at all.
Experts have told me that keeping a Lipo at full charge for more than a week or so is bad for them. I keep mine at storage until I want fly but if I need to postpone for a few days, no big deal. I would not postpone for a month. I've been getting 3 years from my batteries.
 

FastCrash45

Elite member
I don't know if it's the way i set mine up that my batteries do this but they can be stored at full charge as i have had them for a year (with appropriate safety bags) and they haven't gone down in quality at all.
Mine will too except for an esky battery. I left that fully charged, 12 years ago lol, now it don't like to do much. It does work though but can't stand charging more than a 1/4 amp. For a cheap battery I guess it's a quality unit. Really hard to believe it works at all. I use it to check motor rotation. Scared to put it in anything in the air😎