thobin
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2009
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I have been putting the final touches on all my AV bays switching all my power to Lipo batteies. So far as far as I can tell they have a pretty impressive charge life especially for the low power suck that most altimeter draw. Never the less I recently ran into one slight problem with one of my lipos.
They may not be all that new to rechargeable world they are new to me and I learned a valuable lesson with one of my batts, I inadvertently left it connected to one of my altimeters when I put it away till the next launch. (2 months away) Oops!:bang:
Normally I never leave any batt hooked up when not in use for a long period of time, anyway the lipo was drained dead to 0 volts. Now some of you may ask why this is a problem and with a quick Google search as I did you will find that a lipo charger will not charge a 0 volt lipo, because it has dropped below the minimum voltage that lipos are meant to be kept at.
Now I didn't read further to find out why they must be kept at certain voltage (I could care less, now that I know I just wont let it happen again.) What I did want to know was could it be saved?... What I have found that you can bring a completely drained Lipo back up to a voltage that your charger will recognize and start charging. Do do this you need to charge it for a few minuets as a nicad battery, depending on the voltage of the lipo, a 3.4 might only take minute or less.
Now this is risky and you need to watch the lipo make sure it doesn't heat up or swell up. (Never leave it unattended no matter how you are charging it!)
Once you have done that you can hook it up as a lipo and your charge should pick it up and let you charge the batt normally.
Now that said I doubt I would every trust it to run an altimeter again at least never by it's self with out a backup. but at least it can be used to power up a non essential item you may have.
SO remember unplug you batteries it will save you some headache!
TA
They may not be all that new to rechargeable world they are new to me and I learned a valuable lesson with one of my batts, I inadvertently left it connected to one of my altimeters when I put it away till the next launch. (2 months away) Oops!:bang:
Normally I never leave any batt hooked up when not in use for a long period of time, anyway the lipo was drained dead to 0 volts. Now some of you may ask why this is a problem and with a quick Google search as I did you will find that a lipo charger will not charge a 0 volt lipo, because it has dropped below the minimum voltage that lipos are meant to be kept at.
Now I didn't read further to find out why they must be kept at certain voltage (I could care less, now that I know I just wont let it happen again.) What I did want to know was could it be saved?... What I have found that you can bring a completely drained Lipo back up to a voltage that your charger will recognize and start charging. Do do this you need to charge it for a few minuets as a nicad battery, depending on the voltage of the lipo, a 3.4 might only take minute or less.
Now this is risky and you need to watch the lipo make sure it doesn't heat up or swell up. (Never leave it unattended no matter how you are charging it!)
Once you have done that you can hook it up as a lipo and your charge should pick it up and let you charge the batt normally.
Now that said I doubt I would every trust it to run an altimeter again at least never by it's self with out a backup. but at least it can be used to power up a non essential item you may have.
SO remember unplug you batteries it will save you some headache!
TA