R/C Tech Forums - View Single Post - NiMH veteran, needs a crash course in LiPo
Old 08-11-2008, 01:48 PM
  #20  
Sabin
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1. I really can't recommend a charger with the specifics you set out, because i've been using an ICE for a couple years now and never really looked at another charger.

2. yes. the one I use is an astro blinky balancer. does the job pretty well.

3. yea it'll just dump but without a cutoff you'll run the risk of ruining your pack.

4. lipos do work under cold conditions. they just output more power when they're warm. Some packs do warm up during discharge and it's perfectly normal. Now, leaving it in your truck won't harm it, just as long as you don't short out the terminals. if that happens then your lipo goes bye bye.

5. All you have to do to store your lipos is discharge them down to 3.7v per cell and you can even toss them into the freezer. for some reason they LOVE the cold when stored.

6. Depends on the pack really. some claim between 100-200 cycles. others have 300 cycles. The first sign of a lipo going south is they don't take anywhere near the mah during charging they once used to.

7. 4.9 amps. never more than 1C for a pack. It doesn't matter if the manufacturer claims otherwise, you never charge over the rated mah. to find out the charge rate you take the mAh of your pack; in this case 4900mah, and divide by ten which gives you 4.9 amps.

besides, there is no benefit to charging higher than 1C. Do you really need to risk the pack puffing up on you just so you can save twenty minutes on a charge? not in my book it's not.
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