New to Lipos

[andrea.taras]

Hello everyone I just received my first ever LiPo pack: it's a CX G3 450mAh 7.4V Hyperion. I also got a charger for it, it's an Imax B6 AC Dual Power, which should be one of the best for the job (according to a lot of people on an italian hobby forum). As I saw on the instructions, in order to charge the battery I should plug in both the red JST plug and the balance plug at the same time in their own sockets. However I found a problem, meaning that the balance plug of my battery does not fit the "2 cells socket" that is indicated on the charger. It does fit the "4 cells socket" though. Is that normal? Should I plug my balance plug into the 4 cells socket anyway or will it damage something? Plus, if someone is using one of these batteries, at how many Amperes do you charge it, in order for it to charge safely but still not too slowly?
Oh and just a question that I need to ask because I'm completely ignorant: Does discharging a LiPo damage the LiPo itself? Because I've read that discharging NiMh batteries damages them, so I'm just wondering if I might risk of doing the same with Lipos Thanks in advance and I'm sorry for my ignorance

[joey_picus]

I haven't a clue about balancing, all my packs lack the balance connector but discharging the battery itself is only a problem if you discharge it completely; some speed controllers have a 'cut off' that stops the battery being dicharged beyond repair, while with others you're usually safe if you stop using the robot and recharge the battery when the power begins to drop noticably. If you do completely discharge the battery though it will kill it totally, so watch out for that.

[Jonny]

i really wouldn't recommend plugging the balance lead into the 4 cell thing. i have no experience with the imax b6 but i doubt its designed like that. my lipo's are the opposite of joey's and can only be charged using the balance lead. i'd suggest checking to see if the connector either on the lipo or on the charger is damaged. not sure what else to suggest, maybe try calling up the company that makes the imax b6?

as for discharging lipo's only are damaged if they go below 3 volts per cell. if it is lightly under charged you may be able to revive the battery by charging it very slowly using an un intelligent charger, intelligent chargers will detect that the battery is damaged and not charge it. i think some intelligent chargers have a "battery revive" function but not too sure.

not to sure what amperage to charge at as my charger is just 2 leds and a balance lead connector so no controls to adjust charging amperage.

[andrea.taras]

Cheers, that helped a lot! Joey, atm I have a Sabertooth 2X5 ESC for the wheel motors and a Hobbywing 10A brushless ESC for the spinner: I'm not sure whether they have a cut off or not (do they?), but I'm gonna follow the tip and just stop using the bot and recharge the battery immediately after the power drops noticeably. And how many mAh do your battery have? Cause I noticed that anything under 320mAh doesn't come with a balance plug...
Jonny, same question, how many mAh do your battery have? I'mma try emailing robotbirds anyway, cause that's where I got the battery and I'll ask if there's the possibility of changing the plug.
Cheers!

[Andrew_Hibberd]

Are you able to take some nice close up pictures of the plugs and sockets?

I would not recommend using the 4 cell port, as this may damge the battery/charger or worse will cause them to set on fire. Avoid shorting the batteries as this can damage them as well, If you need to cut the lead to make it shorter don't cut both wires at the same time

[Jonny]

i don't use lipos in my robots, might upgrade soon. in my rc helicopter i use an 800mAh though. it says on the back of one of my lipo's "never exceed 1x capacity charge rate" whether this is true for all lipos's i don't know.theres a 19g 300mah 2 cell on giantcod that has a balance lead: http://www.giantcod.co.uk/rcmodelpart-3 ... 03788.html

i can't find any lower mAh battery with a balance lead most brushless speed controllers have built in low voltage cut off as almost all electric planes/helicopters use lipo's. the sabertooth 2x5 also has lipo cut off (i believe) so you should be fine. when my helicopter batteries are getting low it can't even lift off the ground so thats a good sign when to stop lol

[joey_picus]

My packs are all 120mah - 180mah (with one 350mah run all day pack) and none of them have balancing plugs - although only one of the 180mah packs has more than 2 cells.

[andrea.taras]

First of all thanks for the replies

Are you able to take some nice close up pictures of the plugs and sockets?
I would not recommend using the 4 cell port, as this may damge the battery/charger or worse will cause them to set on fire. Avoid shorting the batteries as this can damage them as well, If you need to cut the lead to make it shorter don't cut both wires at the same time

I'll take some pics later today as the camera is charging I don't think I will need to cut the wire, I will just plug a male JST plug directanly into the Sabertooth, so that it will be easier for me to unplug the battery and charge it.

i don't use lipos in my robots, might upgrade soon. in my rc helicopter i use an 800mAh though. it says on the back of one of my lipo's "never exceed 1x capacity charge rate" whether this is true for all lipos's i don't know.theres a 19g 300mah 2 cell on giantcod that has a balance lead: http://www.giantcod.co.uk/rcmodelpart-3 ... 03788.html
i can't find any lower mAh battery with a balance lead most brushless speed controllers have built in low voltage cut off as almost all electric planes/helicopters use lipo's. the sabertooth 2x5 also has lipo cut off (i believe) so you should be fine. when my helicopter batteries are getting low it can't even lift off the ground so thats a good sign when to stop lol

Ok, I will remember that And the LiPo pack you just showed me has the perfect plug to fit the socket in my charger (pics will follow later today).

My packs are all 120mah - 180mah (with one 350mah run all day pack) and none of them have balancing plugs - although only one of the 180mah packs has more than 2 cells.

Yep, I noticed the same, I mean, before I bought this pack robotbirds only had a stock of 450mAh LiPo batteries without a balance plug. This is a new batch now and they all have balance plugs (here's the link, pay attention to the image and to the message they wrote on top: http://robotbirds.com/catalog/product_i ... 47ff4dc2d7 ).
Anyway I'll email them, even though I will most likely switch to a 240mAh pack, as I'm facing major weight problems We'll see... Cheers everyone!

[andrea.taras]

the balance plug of my battery does not fit the "2 cells socket" that is indicated on the charger. It does fit the "4 cells socket" though. Is that normal? Should I plug my balance plug into the 4 cells socket anyway or will it damage something?

I got a first answer from robotbirds. My LiPo and the charger have a different plug (duh!! ) : the charger has a JstXh socket and the battery has a Polyquest plug. I should be ok with this converter.

[BeligerAnt]

The maximum charge current for your 450mAh battery pack is 450mA, this is sometimes called the "1 C" rate. Do not charge at a higher current.