in the September 2015 Model Aviation, written by editor-in-chief Jay Smith, that is really worth the read. Jay references information from Thunder Power RC (
thunderpowerrc.com) that is included with every new battery the company sells and is viewable on its website. Thunder Power RC also recommends that the first few discharge cycles be no more than 3C to 5C for “breaking in” new packs. You should also be extremely careful not to over discharge new packs, which can permanently ruin a new LiPo. A new 1,000 mAh LiPo discharged from 3C to 5C would be 3 to 5 amps of draw. This can be easily accomplished with a charger that has a “discharge” or “storage charge” function that is capable of the correct amp draw, such as a Cellpro Dual PowerLab 8x2 from FMA Direct (
fmadirect.com) and Revolectrix (usastore.
revolectrix.com). Some chargers can
only discharge at 1 amp maximum, which can be a problem if you are breaking in cells of more than 500 mAh and need a 1.5- to 2.5- amp draw at 3C to 5C. Another way to break in a
new pack would be to fly it in a model that is drawing the proper break-in C rate when checked with an amp meter. An example would be a glider-type aircraft that could handle a variety of LiPo pack weights and sizes. Always recheck your CG
(center of gravity) point when changing battery sizes. The battery break-in becomes more important in certain high-draw applications, but should help anyone get the most from new LiPo packs.
My standard procedure
with new packs has been to charge and discharge them to storage charge (50%) three times at 3C to 5C before using them in a model. At the Nats EF1 event, a fellow
racer came back from his race upset that his “new battery” was not performing. I asked how new it was and he replied that this was its first discharge cycle. On your next new LiPo
Expecting only a propeller change after breaking a blade, I was surprised to find the results of extreme vibration to the airframe.
The firewall breaking loose was the obvious damage. A complete airframe inspection also revealed loose hinges on the stabilizer and aileron.
Thunder Power RC recommends that the first two or three discharge cycles of a new LiPo battery be no more than 3C to 5C. Do not drain LiPos to low voltage levels or permanent damage can result. The Cellpro Dual PowerLab 8x2 is a great charger from FMA Direct and Revolectrix and can handle most packs’ discharge needs.
pack, try to go easy on the power setting, short on the duration for the first few cycles, and see if you have better results with the life of the pack. Until next time, fly safely.
THEPARKPILOT.ORG 33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
