Nexus

iTrader: (42)

Thanks.

Sorry I'm not searching through this huge thread.....but what about storage? Just run and store or store with some type of charge?

Turbo Joe

iTrader: (41)

Either way...you can charge them all the way and they don't really discharge themselves. There are people on here that charge them weeks ahead and just take them to the track and race.

all things considered, it's probably better to let them sit with more, rather than less. It won't hurt them and you don't have to worry about them getting damaged from being too low.

AdrianM

iTrader: (4)

You want to store them 50%-80% charged. Storing them discharged is bad and storing them fully charged is bad.

I ruined 2 Lipo pack for my R/C planes by storing them fully charged for ~6 months. The didn't lose capacity but they lost all ability to hold voltage under load.

kuzo

iTrader: (11)

Not disagreeing about other lipos but according to Orion, it is preferred to store the platinum and carbon at full charge. Mr Black responded about this here - Answer

linger

iTrader: (1)

I'll disagree with Mr. Black on that one and agree with Adrian. Just about every lipo manufacturer claims that storing a lipo fully charged will lead to a slight decrease in capacity over time. Storing a lipo with too little charge runs the risk of the self discharge bringing the cell down to unaccepatable levels. The general consensus is that 50% storage charge is a good compromise.

kuzo

iTrader: (11)

linger
Is that 50% charged based off voltage or by discharging 50% of the rated capacity? IE - do I discharge until the voltage hits around 7.4V or do I discharge a full pack down 2400mA from a full charge?

Rick Hohwart

It was probaly just a misquote from Mr. Black, but the Team Orion Lipo Instructions recommend storing the battery at 50% capacity.

andrewdoherty

iTrader: (49)

I have been running 4800's for about 9 months with no problems. But this evening during some practice my pack went flat way before I expected it to. I went back to charge it and it was down around 7.0 volts as usual when it goes flat so I just figured I had run it more than I thought or had not fully charged it earlier. (I couldn't rememebr as I had charged it a few days earlier) So I plugged it back into my orion advantage and waddya know, it stopped charging after only about 2400 maH's. It started at 4.8 amps as usual, and then the voltage rose to 8.3 or so like usual, and the voltage then remained constant as the apms dropped, but all in all only 2400 went back in. So I was like "WTHeck?!" I checked the case and it appears in no way to have puffed up or anything. So I ran it and sure enough in about half the time I usually get out of my 4800 with a stock motor, it went flat again. And so I charged it again. And agin same story it only took 2400.

At first I thought "I guess one cell went bad" but then I nixed that idea as it seems one dead cell would leave me with 4 volts or so but the same capacity. Is it just a coincidence that the battery now only takes half of the original capacity? Its not like this pack wasn't working perfectly. Just last week I raced in our big local race and it performed flawlessly over 4 days of practice and racing. And when I charged it a few days after the race in preparation for practice today it took 4500 mah or so. I checked the individual cell voltages everyso often over the course of owning the pack and never saw ANY appreciable amount of differences in the voltage. What am I missing?
I can't seem to get any idea of what happened or went wrong!??


Any ideas?

Mr. Black or Mr. Hohwart . . .Is there any point in sending the batery back to you? It is probably not under any waranty this long after its original purchase. (not sure about your warranty there) and I am pretty sure I don't have the original receipt.

Please don't read this as a flame on orion or as me blaming them for any of this. I understand these battereis are not indestructable and have obviously been subjected to use under racing conditions. I am just sharing an experience, in hopes to find a cause so as to eliminate the possibility of it hapening again to me or anyone else.

Thanks Orion for making such a wonderful product!!!

UN4RACING

iTrader: (22)

Just wondering do you normally run your packs close to the end of the charge like 10 or 15 minute runs or just 5 minute runs.

andrewdoherty

iTrader: (49)

I'd say about 75% of the time they get about 2000 mahs taken out and then recharged and the other 25% they get about 4200 mahs taken out before recharging. I figure this since I usually race with the battery on the weekends and run it in four, 5 minute races charging it between races, and average about one pack of practice suring the week in which the battery gets drained about 90% of the way. I have the lipo cutoff set to 6 volts in my sphere comp, but I never hit the cut off as the car is to slow to bother with by then anyway.

dodgeguy

iTrader: (208)

Did you try a different motor or esc? Could be a problem else where.

andrewdoherty

iTrader: (49)

good point. I only had the one car with me, but I will try other combos and see if I can eliminate any of those variables. I have a second 4800 I will be able to try in the car tomorrow.

FYI I was running a CO27 with a QC1, spectrum micro, and a futaba 9550.

UN4RACING

iTrader: (22)

Be sure and let us know? Hopefully its some thing simple?
I'll be interested to read what you figure out.

MR JOLLY

Well just had my 4800 balenced & it was out
the gadjet done it`s thing & all i need to do is use in the car to see if the performance i had when new new will be close to that again

(my 4800 had gone soft after quite a few runs ,so just got balencer to help- it out to get better )
need to race it now to see if it`s worked

perssonal note
these lipo`s do go off with use just like c-cells ,but li-po you get quite a few runs more before it happens
unlike c-cells just after 10 runs or less before they start to show `old age` syndrome

if i get 2 meets a week for about 5-6 month's racing out of a li-po orion @ race pace ,then i`m happy ,you can double this time if you use 2 packs every other race

as for rules for accommadating both c-cells & hard case li-po's
how about getting the governing body's to say yes to both & let the racers make there own mind up
yes we be in the same boat with lipo with re; to matching & balencing ltr in the future
but we can cross that bridge & sort that out when we get there
but we are here & now & it needs to be sorted
think the c-cells have reached there bounderys to produce really good power & have good reliability ,
Is this were LI-po TAKES OVER NOW ,as they can deliver & stay healthy longer with out costing racers loads of money to buy gadjets to look after them (which happens with c-cells now)

also the li-po is more enviriomently friendly as well then nimh

andrewdoherty

iTrader: (49)

I tried a second pack today in the same car and no problems so I think its safe to say the problem is in the original battery from yesterday. It was mentioned to me that it could be a bad cell, as I had forgeten that the 4800's are really four cells in a 2s2p configuration. I suppose something might have just become disconnected

Any other ideas?