5LikesLiFe battery charging question
04-26-2021, 05:44 AM
#1
LiFe battery charging question
I am attempting to charge a ProTek LiFe transmitter battery for the first time. I really don't have much experience with LiFe, or in this case one that is 6.6v (2100 mah).
I set the charger to 3.3 volts per cell and 2.1 amp charge rate. I think it said it was fully charged in less than a minute. It is brand new, and it had 6.5v on it, so that doesn't surprise me much.
I am just wondering if I should be charging it at 3.6v (7.2)? Like I said, I know very little about these so being cautious, but there was a review on amain that seemed to suggest that charging to 7.2 was the way to go? My brain says this is wrong lol, but I thought I'd inquire to the collective here.
I set the charger to 3.3 volts per cell and 2.1 amp charge rate. I think it said it was fully charged in less than a minute. It is brand new, and it had 6.5v on it, so that doesn't surprise me much.
I am just wondering if I should be charging it at 3.6v (7.2)? Like I said, I know very little about these so being cautious, but there was a review on amain that seemed to suggest that charging to 7.2 was the way to go? My brain says this is wrong lol, but I thought I'd inquire to the collective here.
04-26-2021, 10:05 PM
#5
Tech Adept
I charge all my LiFePo batteries up to 3.65V/cell.
Max current depends on the battery, but you can't be wrong withcharging at 1C (what you already did with 2.1A and your 2100mAh battery)
Max current depends on the battery, but you can't be wrong withcharging at 1C (what you already did with 2.1A and your 2100mAh battery)
10-08-2021, 12:55 PM
#6
I am attempting to charge a ProTek LiFe transmitter battery for the first time. I really don't have much experience with LiFe, or in this case one that is 6.6v (2100 mah).
I set the charger to 3.3 volts per cell and 2.1 amp charge rate. I think it said it was fully charged in less than a minute. It is brand new, and it had 6.5v on it, so that doesn't surprise me much.
I am just wondering if I should be charging it at 3.6v (7.2)? Like I said, I know very little about these so being cautious, but there was a review on amain that seemed to suggest that charging to 7.2 was the way to go? My brain says this is wrong lol, but I thought I'd inquire to the collective here.
I set the charger to 3.3 volts per cell and 2.1 amp charge rate. I think it said it was fully charged in less than a minute. It is brand new, and it had 6.5v on it, so that doesn't surprise me much.
I am just wondering if I should be charging it at 3.6v (7.2)? Like I said, I know very little about these so being cautious, but there was a review on amain that seemed to suggest that charging to 7.2 was the way to go? My brain says this is wrong lol, but I thought I'd inquire to the collective here.
Are you experiencing any weird behavior with the Protek LiFe 2100mAh battery? For instance, I have charged mine using the LiFe mode on my charger, and the end voltage is 7.4V, all cells balanced. However, after about 5-10 minutes, the total voltage is back down to 6.6V. Furthermore, after discharging the battery down to 5.6V cutoff voltage, the resting voltage of the battery does back up to 6.3V after about 15 minutes, again, all cells balanced.
What the hell is going on here?!?
10-09-2021, 08:03 AM
#7
I honestly don’t know. I have only charged it once. It reads 6.5v in my 7pxr, and that shows 4 of 5 battery bars lit or something like that. So I assume it’s fully charged.
Does the battery say 6.6 or 7.4v on it as a pack? I think if it’s resting at 6.6, your fine as if same as mine it’s a 6.6v pack.
Don’t overthink it like me. It’s a radio battery. If it discharges really fast while Using, that’s an issue.
Does the battery say 6.6 or 7.4v on it as a pack? I think if it’s resting at 6.6, your fine as if same as mine it’s a 6.6v pack.
Don’t overthink it like me. It’s a radio battery. If it discharges really fast while Using, that’s an issue.
10-09-2021, 11:26 PM
#8
You may need to tell the Futaba that you are using a LiFePo battery, I did in the Sanwa. When I received my battery it was at 3.2V and it only took a few minutes to get up to 3.6V per cell, using the standard LiFePo settings
10-10-2021, 12:38 AM
#9
Tech Adept
You have the same battery as me, so I think my question is relevant to this thread, and of course the battery..
Are you experiencing any weird behavior with the Protek LiFe 2100mAh battery? For instance, I have charged mine using the LiFe mode on my charger, and the end voltage is 7.4V, all cells balanced. However, after about 5-10 minutes, the total voltage is back down to 6.6V. Furthermore, after discharging the battery down to 5.6V cutoff voltage, the resting voltage of the battery does back up to 6.3V after about 15 minutes, again, all cells balanced.
What the hell is going on here?!?
Are you experiencing any weird behavior with the Protek LiFe 2100mAh battery? For instance, I have charged mine using the LiFe mode on my charger, and the end voltage is 7.4V, all cells balanced. However, after about 5-10 minutes, the total voltage is back down to 6.6V. Furthermore, after discharging the battery down to 5.6V cutoff voltage, the resting voltage of the battery does back up to 6.3V after about 15 minutes, again, all cells balanced.
What the hell is going on here?!?
They settle down quickly to nominal voltage after charging, but also remain constant under load for quite a long time.
10-10-2021, 07:58 AM
#10
Thanks for the replies and information {tpc}, Lawzy, and JJ100179.
Yes, I have a tendency to overthink stuff! There is a reviewer on AMain describing this very behavior with his Protek LiFe battery, and apparently he asked tech support about it, who then confirmed it was normal behavior. We'll just chalk it up to odd and weird, LiFe stuff...charge up to 7.2V, but expect it to settle to 6.6V as written on the label. You get what you get, and you don't get upset!
My battery holds a charge well and lasts for a long time in my 4PV radio, and because of that, I love it! Now, as far as telling my radio that I have a LiFe battery instead of dry cells? I don't! Why? One of the bugs, IMO, in the 4PV system software, is to omit the nice battery icon if you select anything other than dry cells. So because I like the battery icon surrounding my TX voltage, I leave it on dry-cell mode. Sure, the low-voltage alarm threshold is incorrect, but who cares.
BONUS SIDE-RANT: While we're on the topic of bugs in Futaba firmware, another one is that there is no TIMER STOP/RESET function in the 4PV, but it does exist in the 4PM. If you hold down the button that is assigned to the lap timer, then the timer stops as one would expect. Not the case on the 4PV.
Yes, I have a tendency to overthink stuff! There is a reviewer on AMain describing this very behavior with his Protek LiFe battery, and apparently he asked tech support about it, who then confirmed it was normal behavior. We'll just chalk it up to odd and weird, LiFe stuff...charge up to 7.2V, but expect it to settle to 6.6V as written on the label. You get what you get, and you don't get upset!
My battery holds a charge well and lasts for a long time in my 4PV radio, and because of that, I love it! Now, as far as telling my radio that I have a LiFe battery instead of dry cells? I don't! Why? One of the bugs, IMO, in the 4PV system software, is to omit the nice battery icon if you select anything other than dry cells. So because I like the battery icon surrounding my TX voltage, I leave it on dry-cell mode. Sure, the low-voltage alarm threshold is incorrect, but who cares.
BONUS SIDE-RANT: While we're on the topic of bugs in Futaba firmware, another one is that there is no TIMER STOP/RESET function in the 4PV, but it does exist in the 4PM. If you hold down the button that is assigned to the lap timer, then the timer stops as one would expect. Not the case on the 4PV.
10-12-2021, 07:45 PM
#12
Since it's a LiFe battery thread, what is storage voltage for them? Do they have to be put into storage when not used for some time?
10-14-2021, 07:03 PM
#13
FWIW, the storage mode on my charger, for LiFe batteries, is...wait...for it...6.6V!
10-15-2021, 01:57 AM
#14
Tech Adept
I always store-charge my LiFePo batteries, but not being a battery chemistry expert I' m not sure if it is really mandatory?
10-15-2021, 09:14 PM
#15
On my charger there is storage option for life battery but that process usually lasts very short time, like a minute. Sometimes it stops at 60% sometimes at 80%. Perhaps they are always at safe state off charge 🤔?