Battery and charger questions

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solid_fuel

solid_fuel

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I am just starting to get into the electronic side of Rocketry. I currently have an Eggfinder being assembled by Conman. My questions relate to the battery and charging. Through research I have found that the best battery for my needs is the Turnigy Nano tech 300mAh 2S LiPo. Recently I took delivery of a couple of these batteries and a Imax B6AC V2 charger. My questions are: the directions say to charge at no more than 1C does that mean when charging the battery do I want to set the charging current for this battery to .3A? When charging for usage in the near future do I always want to balance charge? How long can I wait to use the batteries after a balance charge? When putting the batteries away I assume I want to use a storage charge? How long can I leave the batteries sit on a storage charge before I should refresh the storage charge?
 
solid_fuel said:
I am just starting to get into the electronic side of Rocketry. I currently have an Eggfinder being assembled by Conman. My questions relate to the battery and charging. Through research I have found that the best battery for my needs is the Turnigy Nano tech 300mAh 2S LiPo. Recently I took delivery of a couple of these batteries and a Imax B6AC V2 charger. My questions are: the directions say to charge at no more than 1C does that mean when charging the battery do I want to set the charging current for this battery to .3A? When charging for usage in the near future do I always want to balance charge? How long can I wait to use the batteries after a balance charge? When putting the batteries away I assume I want to use a storage charge? How long can I leave the batteries sit on a storage charge before I should refresh the storage charge?
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I have the same battery and charger, though I usually use a slightly larger one for extra safety margin.

After charging I would assume the battery is ready to go immediately- never really thought about that. You are correct about storage charge. I don't know how often it needs to be refreshed, but probably months to years- mine usually ends up in a rocket by then.
 
1C is an awfully high rate. Unless you are really in a hurry, 0.2C is safer and easier on the battery. End voltage should not exceed 4.20 volts/cell for a LiPo. Lithium batteries actually prefer to be stored in a partially charged state. 40% - 60%. Storing in a fully charged state will slightly reduce the batteries life. But it is more convenient. Self discharge rate is low, so you can store for many months before you need to worry about a fresh charge.

All (well, almost all) you ever wanted to know about batteries: https://batteryuniversity.com/
 
Is your battery rated for 1C charge or your charger? Use whatever your battery says. .2C sounds awful low, don't think my charger can go that low, but I would have to verify that.
Yes 1C is .3A on a 300 mAh battery.
Yes, I say balance every time, I do. If one cell is lower than the other, one cell will work harder and can lead to overheating, swelling, and fire IIRC
 
The battery and charger both say charge at a max rate no more than 1C unless specified by the manufacture. Neither my batteries specify that I can charge quicker. The charger rates it’s charge in A. So I can max charge at .3A? Should I charge it at .3A or go lower? I think I can go to .1A.
 
I didn't see any comments on storage. The nice thing about LiPo's is the minimal self-discharge. They can sit for many months and still keep a decent charge. No need to keep them on storage charge. In fact, as long as the cells are above 4V (2S=8V total) you should be fine for any flight as their current output is superior to NiMH or NiCd counterparts.
 

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