Newbie Q: LiPo Charging/Discharging

[Teirdome]

Hey FT!

I've found myself playing the charge/discharge dance with my batteries recently. I'll charge a battery the night before on a forecast of low winds hoping I can fly after work. Without fail, I'll get home to 10+mph winds with gusts. Instead of discharging my batteries by flying, I'm often hooking them back up to discharge them so I don't store them fully charged for a second night.

What are your secret strategies for charging and discharging your batteries when you may not get to fly?

I've been discharging to 3.85V per cell. What voltage would you recommend for storage for a few nights?

 

[Montiey]

3.85 is the absolute best voltage to store them at.

My nice little charger (hitec X1) has a storage feature, which does just that.
Storing batterys full kills them, but storing them empty will cause explosions and fire..

I try not to leave lips charged for any longer than necessary, but it won't kill them to leave them through the night.


Best of luck

 

[stay-fun]

I discharge them to storage when I know I won't be flying them for a couple of days. A few days charged is ok. There are many people that just keep them charged and the batteries are not killed instantly, but they'll degrade faster.

There's also the issue: if you charge them 5 times a week and you don't get to fly them, you're putting quite some cycles on them! I wonder what would be worse: 5 cycles or keep them charged for a week...
Anyway, I think it's all marginal. Generally I care for my batteries, but there's no point in getting paranoid about it.

 

[Klinger RC]

3.85 per cell is great for storage. Honestly, leaving your batterys charged overnight won't hurt them. I usually charge the night before I fly and if the wind is to strong I wait until the next day. Leaving them charged for a day or two shouldn't hurt them.

 

[Teirdome]

Thanks everyone!

Really good point about each charge wearing down the life of the battery. I think I'll just take it easier on the overnights, and maybe sneak home from work a little early on those evenings it looks like I'll be able to get out.

 

[quorneng]

Remember the storage charge voltage is just that - storage - measured in weeks and months - not days.
You are having to judge using up the cycle life of the battery (300 to 500?) against any degradation resulting from full charge storage.
Difficult to quantify so the best way is to 'charge before you fly' and then put in a storage charge asap after the flight.

It pays to get good at understanding the local weather forecast!

 

[demon_1954]

Hey FT!

I've found myself playing the charge/discharge dance with my batteries recently. I'll charge a battery the night before on a forecast of low winds hoping I can fly after work. Without fail, I'll get home to 10+mph winds with gusts. Instead of discharging my batteries by flying, I'm often hooking them back up to discharge them so I don't store them fully charged for a second night.

What are your secret strategies for charging and discharging your batteries when you may not get to fly?

I've been discharging to 3.85V per cell. What voltage would you recommend for storage for a few nights?

I'm thinking you need to read this;

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

Battery University is an online resource with information on almost all types of rechargeable batteries and related systems/information.

Hope this helps

 

[RAM]

I'm thinking you need to read this;

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

Battery University is an online resource with information on almost all types of rechargeable batteries and related systems/information.

Hope this helps

thx for the link