LiPo's and Chargers Demystified - At least for dummies like me....

[Jugglez]

Originally Posted by m102404

Thank you everyone...for putting your comments and helpful advice. I had avoided LiPos until now because I didn't want to spend more money on a charger (but it's totally worth it) and the "unknowns" of LiPos.

I'll take some multimeter readings if I get a chance...probably in the next week or so.



Ahem....Hello Jugglez...are you listening?

Now...onto a MOSFET for it...heehee.

I'm well aware of this product, I'd have it if it wasn't backordered. Their chargers are also backordered, as well as the battery size you wanted. The mini stick size fits just about any gun so it'd naturally be the most popular.

I've avoided lipos completely but seems lipo is the direction the airsoft world is going. King Arms and Mad Bull can't make their lipo products fast enough.

[F34N0R]

Originally Posted by Scarecrow

Isn't there a safety circuit you can install into your AEG to stop the lipo battery at a safe level?

Wolfdragon's Over-discharging PCB
http://www.projectwolfdragon.com/Products/Products.htm


i've found that Proarms makes a mosfet with over-discharging feature.. i dont know reliability of it though.



KingArms makes something too :


I had a quick chat with Kevin from Wolfdragon, i really trust his product.

[m102404]

I knew you would be getting those in bud...no worries. If the comfort level with not blowing myself up is there...I'll be buying more.

And...I hope you'll put aside one of the new KA stock tubes for me when you get that in...

Cheers,

Tys

[m102404]

Originally Posted by F34N0R

Wolfdragon's Over-discharging PCB
....

I had a quick chat with Kevin from Wolfdragon, i really trust his product.

I wish he would change his page background...I'm getting a migraine trying to read it!

[F34N0R]

Originally Posted by m102404

And...I hope you'll put aside one of the new KA stock tubes for me when you get that in...

Mine took forever ... right jugglez?

Lipo buffer tube is a dream

[Jugglez]

Yeah I had to beat up an old lady for it , king arms is backordered on them too.

[F34N0R]

Originally Posted by Jugglez

Yeah I had to beat up an old lady for it , king arms is backordered on them too.

You like me that much? ... Jesus

[F34N0R]

Back to the thread and for the record,

Wolfdragon hasnt make compatibility test with Systema PTW yet.
DonP's mosfet is fully compatible with Wolfdragon's PCB

[m102404]

This may sound slightly retarded...but having never used one in an AEG before...what's the observable effect of a LiPo as it drains...

Does the ROF/windup slow down like a dying NiMh? Eventually to the point where it just won't turn over the mechbox anymore? Is it "too late" and you've probably overdischarged the pack by that point?

Or is the drop off really sudden? I'm guessing that it's the same as other battery types. I suppose I'll just shoot a bunch through my rifle this week and check it with a multimeter as I go.

Also....in a previous post in this thread, Illusion said that the nominal discharged point of a LiPo cell was 1v...and a 3S pack should not drop below 3v. I thought that the lowest as 3.7v Lipo cell should be discharged is 3.0v (so a 11.1v pack shouldn't be discharged below 9v). But I'm new to this..and might be misinterpreting things.

I hate ordering stuff from here and there (although Don is tops).

Jugglez any desire to bring in some of Don's MarkIII's and the WolfDragon PCBs?

Tys

[Scarecrow]

I myself will go to Lipos eventually. However, I won't run a lipo without a current protection circuit - its simply too dangerous. I've responded to a lipo chemical fire with an injured party as a firefighter (RC car racing last summer) and its not pretty. Depending on the speed of the discharge, lipos with no protection circuits can actually explode, let alone catch fire. The individual involved suffered second and third degree burns as a result. Its not worth it.

Sounds to me like a mosfet/discharge protection circuit is the way to go.

[m102404]

Thank you for the warning comments...that's the part I'm most concerned with at the moment.

I'm tempted to sacrifice a pack and an mechbox (with a good couple of feet of battery wire connecting the two so if the pack goes it doesn't take an AEG out with it) and just run this thing until it either quits or blows.

Maybe it's time for a trip to Hobby Hobby to see what they've got in the way of over discharge chips/circuits.

Tys

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by m102404

Also....in a previous post in this thread, Illusion said that the nominal discharged point of a LiPo cell was 1v...and a 3S pack should not drop below 3v. I thought that the lowest as 3.7v Lipo cell should be discharged is 3.0v (so a 11.1v pack shouldn't be discharged below 9v). But I'm new to this..and might be misinterpreting things.

Oh man, that's what I get for posting so late at night after such a long weekend. Sorry, Tys. That was totally what I meant, my mind went from talking about Li-Po to talking about Ni-Cad and the numbers just started getting blurry in my head after that...

You are right, a 3 cell pack shouldn't be discharged below 9v.

My original post has been corrected.

As for the dropoff, I've noticed it to be quite sudden.



Jugglez, any luck in acquiring a quality 7.4v pack that fits in a buffer tube? I love using lipos because they're so compact, but the ROF an 11.1v spits out is a bit too hot for many applications.

[Jugglez]

Socomgear has a nice 7.4v I'm trying to get in as many as my resources can handle.
It's 10C and very small so it'll fit anywhere. They're pricier than the King Arms lipos but they are CE Certified (European industry standard)

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by Jugglez

Socomgear has a nice 7.4v I'm trying to get in as many as my resources can handle.
It's 10C and very small so it'll fit anywhere. They're pricier than the King Arms lipos but they are CE Certified (European industry standard)

I've had my eyes on the Socomgear packs, but you're right, they're insanely expensive

Is that pack the 1000mAh one?

[Jugglez]

Yeah that's the one.

I'm SocomGear's Canadian distributor I can do better pricing than Redwolf.