Lipo battery care

[Azamiryou]

I was reviewing the little user guide that came with the 3s Lipo battery I use in my launch controller, and it recommends

1) for long term storage, keep it at 3.8-3.85 V per cell, and
2) "perform a charge and discharge activation" every two months.

Sometimes I don't use it for several months, so this seems relevant to me.

So my questions are:
·What's an easy and safe way to discharge it?
·Does "charge and discharge activation" mean fully discharge it then charge it back up?
·How important is this really?

 

[Pinetree]

I fly RC planes and have a lot of LiPo batteries.

The important thing is that they don't get much below 3.2v per cell. The other important thing is that they don't sit fully charged.

Almost all modern chargers designed for Lipo batteries have a discharge function, so if you have one to charge yours, hopefully you also have the means to discharge as well.

I usually haul mine out in the middle of Winter and check them, but I think every two months is excessive.

There's plenty (almost too much) info to be found on any RC or Drone forum.

Most importantly, never charge a hot battery and never leave a battery unattended when charging.. Lipo fires are real.

 

[Azamiryou]

I'm afraid my charger doesn't have a discharge function I only have the one Lipo battery so I cheaped out

I usually haul mine out in the middle of Winter and check them, but I think every two months is excessive.

That's what I figured. Actually, in these instructions, the "check" schedule is every two weeks! Two months is the "charge and discharge activation", whatever that is.

So it sounds like I should be fine if I basically just discharge and charge it once a year. (I don't launch anywhere near enough to discharge it in less than a year.)

I just need a way to discharge it..

 

[cbrarick]

simple solution = fly more rockets!

What a great excuse to do so...."Honey, I need to go fly some rockets to further discharge my LiPo battery so it will last longer"..........
some time after that you'll wake up with a heck of a headache LMAO.

 

[wonderboy]

If manually discharging, do not discharge "all the way". Don't go below 3 volts per cell.

 

[Handeman]

I had a 2S battery that was in an experimental bay I was playing with. It didn't work and I put it in a box in the corner. That was about 5+ years ago. I recently pulled it out and it was still at 6.8V and charged up just fine. I've been using it again and see no issues or degradation with it.

 

[BEC]

I had a 2S battery that was in an experimental bay I was playing with. It didn't work and I put it in a box in the corner. That was about 5+ years ago. I recently pulled it out and it was still at 6.8V and charged up just fine. I've been using it again and see no issues or degradation with it.

I have some packs made by Kokam in Korea that are nearly 20 years old and work fine. And I've had some inexpensive Chinese packs (from HobbyKing) that didn't last two years.

So.....as in many things, one's milage may vary.

 

[OverTheTop]

The earlier packs are likely a different chemistry or construction. A lot has changed in lithium batteries in 20 years.

 

[kjhambrick]

I'm afraid my charger doesn't have a discharge function I only have the one Lipo battery so I cheaped out


That's what I figured. Actually, in these instructions, the "check" schedule is every two weeks! Two months is the "charge and discharge activation", whatever that is.

So it sounds like I should be fine if I basically just discharge and charge it once a year. (I don't launch anywhere near enough to discharge it in less than a year.)

I just need a way to discharge it..

I was looking at these recently: Amazon: LiPo Dischargers

But like @Pinetree said, there are chargers that also have a discharge function too.

HTH

-- kjh

 

[BEC]

The earlier packs are likely a different chemistry or construction. A lot has changed in lithium batteries in 20 years.

The Kokam packs are not significantly different with respect to chemistry or construction. They are just higher quality and built with more care, coming from one of the developers of lithium polymer batteries, rather than cheap knock-offs with price being the main driver for design and production decisions.

 

[Handeman]

I have the SKYRC B6 AC charger. It will charge various batteries, and also discharge to a storage voltage. I think you want to discharge to the proper storage voltage rather than completely discharge the battery. This charge will do that.

 

[waltr]

I have the SKYRC B6 AC charger. It will charge various batteries, and also discharge to a storage voltage. I think you want to discharge to the proper storage voltage rather than completely discharge the battery. This charge will do that.

Yes, only discharge to the "storage" Voltage which is about 3.85V per cell.

One thing NEVER do is fully discharge a LiPo. If Voltage drops below 3V per cell then the LiPo is dead.