News:



  • March 28, 2024, 05:32:50 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Author Topic: Charging question.  (Read 851 times)

Offline Perry Rose

  • Go vote, it's so easy dead people do it all the time.
  • 2015
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 1654
Charging question.
« on: August 21, 2022, 07:40:31 AM »
Lets say you are charging batteries and before they are fully charged you have to stop the charge and leave. Is it okay to just stop/shut off/unplug the charger and leave the batteries connected?
I may be wrong but I doubt it.
I wouldn't take her to a dog fight even if she had a chance to win.
The worst part of growing old is remembering when you were young.

Offline Ken Culbertson

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 6034
Re: Charging question.
« Reply #1 on: August 21, 2022, 08:35:48 AM »
Lets say you are charging batteries and before they are fully charged you have to stop the charge and leave. Is it okay to just stop/shut off/unplug the charger and leave the batteries connected?
If it is not we are both in trouble! LL~

Ken
AMA 15382
If it is not broke you are not trying hard enough.
USAF 1968-1974 TAC

Offline Perry Rose

  • Go vote, it's so easy dead people do it all the time.
  • 2015
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 1654
Re: Charging question.
« Reply #2 on: August 21, 2022, 08:52:04 AM »
I'm always looking for an easier/time saving way to do things. After getting a brain I pulled the red banana plug on each battery station.
  After a flying session I charge the batteries  to one volt below the full charge so in the morning it only takes 20 minutes or so to top the batteries. Connecting them twice is a time waster in my book.
  (I stand by what I typed) 
I may be wrong but I doubt it.
I wouldn't take her to a dog fight even if she had a chance to win.
The worst part of growing old is remembering when you were young.

Offline Motorman

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • ******
  • Posts: 3243
Re: Charging question.
« Reply #3 on: August 21, 2022, 09:58:34 AM »
I would unplug them anytime I'm not doing anything with them. Even if the manual says ok, allot of devises leak voltage so better safe than sorry.

Motorman 8)

Offline Fred Underwood

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *****
  • Posts: 807
Re: Charging question.
« Reply #4 on: August 21, 2022, 02:20:16 PM »
I'm always looking for an easier/time saving way to do things. After getting a brain I pulled the red banana plug on each battery station.
  After a flying session I charge the batteries  to one volt below the full charge so in the morning it only takes 20 minutes or so to top the batteries. Connecting them twice is a time waster in my book.
  (I stand by what I typed)

1 volt below full, 4.2v, is 3.2v and fairly discharged.  If you mean a tenth under, 4.1v volt, then about 80% charged.  High for storage, probably ok overnight.  I disconnect from the charger.  I haven't left them to see, prove, that there is no amp loss back to the charger or electrical problem.  Maybe like the disconnect of battery for safety for an airplane in the pits.
Fred
352575

Offline Ken Culbertson

  • 24 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 6034
Re: Charging question.
« Reply #5 on: August 21, 2022, 02:55:32 PM »
I'm always looking for an easier/time saving way to do things. After getting a brain I pulled the red banana plug on each battery station.
  After a flying session I charge the batteries  to one volt below the full charge so in the morning it only takes 20 minutes or so to top the batteries. Connecting them twice is a time waster in my book.
  (I stand by what I typed)
I have been charging my batteries the night before for years.  I have had no problems with keeping them fully charged overnight or even the next day.  I still check voltage in the morning but rarely have to top off any of them.  My current setup brings me down at 30-32% which is the low end of safe for storage, especially short term. 

Ken
AMA 15382
If it is not broke you are not trying hard enough.
USAF 1968-1974 TAC

Offline Fred Underwood

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Captain
  • *****
  • Posts: 807
Re: Charging question.
« Reply #6 on: August 21, 2022, 03:39:12 PM »
Battery University is a good reference site

https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-808-how-to-prolong-lithium-based-batteries

Leaving a battery fully charged can shorten the number of cycles.  On the other hand, you can have a few less cycles but have convenience and maybe get more chance to fly.  A fully charged battery sitting around is also a large source for problems.  I don't leave mine charged.
Fred
352575

Teodorico Terry

  • Guest
  • Trade Count: (0)
Re: Charging question.
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2022, 08:29:54 AM »
I am one of those who always has the batteries charged up and ready to go. I fly pattern as well and trying to charge 12 individual packs (6 sets for the pattern plane, 2 wired in series per flight) the day I would like to go flying is not very practical.  I could charge the night before if I know that I will go flying but half of my outings to the field are unplanned.  The same holds true when I fly C/L. Now that I am flying C/L as well I do the same.  I only put the batteries in storage mode at the end of the season and throughout the winter.

On the pattern side of things I normally get about 60 cycles out of the batteries before they start to go soft. Living in MI that means that on average packs will last for two seasons, sometimes three. I believe that C/L is more abusive of the packs because we are running at power levels that allow the model to stunt at any time.  In R/C you would throttle up before a maneuver. As a result I would not expect my C/L packs to last quite as long.  On the current 6S packs that I have they are starting to get a little soft at about 50 cycles.  It is easy to tell because they take a few more mah to charge and I can see the IR starting to go up slightly. However, these are smaller packs than what I normally use in R/C and they are not horribly expensive (say $40-$50 depending on the brand). Also, the supply of small 6S packs has been limited so I have been charging packs at the field which means that some get 2 cycles per outing. At roughly $1 per flight I am O.K with it and the convenience of electric.

Teo


Offline Dennis Adamisin

  • 2019 supporter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Admiral
  • *
  • Posts: 4338
Re: Charging question.
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2022, 08:56:48 AM »
I would unplug them anytime I'm not doing anything with them. Even if the manual says ok, allot of devises leak voltage so better safe than sorry.

Motorman 8)

+1
Denny Adamisin
Fort Wayne, IN

As I've grown older, I've learned that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a piece of cake!


Advertise Here
Tags:
 


Advertise Here