A guide to use and look after your LiPo batteries

What you must have learnt waking up to Christmas morning as kids that, not all battery are the same. Everyone out there has known in their childhood that spending a few extra dollars on good quality batteries are worth so that play time doesn’t get cut short.

Majority of the batteries have a printed marking on them which describes the kind of technology they use. Few relevant RC rechargeable batteries type are- Nickel-Cadmium, Nickel Metal Hydride and Lithium-ion polymer. High-end models like LiPo do not come with batteries and chargers at all. The consumer must re-use the existing hardware or purchase items for their needs.

What is a LiPo battery?

LiPo batteries have been gaining popularity over the last few years. A LiPo battery powers all the electronics and motors on your drone. These batteries are high energy density which helps to hold more energy compared to another battery of the same weight. This is the reason why the RC LiPo batteries are commonly used with RC aircrafts and quadcopter. In this article, we will familiarize you with usage and looking after your LiPo batteries.

• Battery Voltage– The voltage of LiPo cell is 3.7v. Cells are put in series to increase the voltage. Cells used LiPo pack is shown by a number followed by the letter ‘S’. A 3s LiPo battery has 3 cells to increase the voltage to 11.1v. A 2s battery has 2 cell wired together in a series to create 7.4v battery. 4s LiPo battery creates 14.8v which is the most common voltage for quads at the moment.
• Capacity– It is measured in Amp-hrs or milliamp-hrs. It gives you an indication of the total energy a battery can store. The higher the capacity, the longer the battery will last. However the higher the capacity of a battery, the heavier it is, so there is always a tradeoff between the battery capacity and weight for your aircraft.
• Discharge Rate –While buying a battery, discharge rate is important to check. This number is also known as battery C rating meaning how fast you can extract the energy from your battery. If your motor draws more energy than your battery can provide, you may possibly damage your cell which can result in crashing your drone.

How to charge a LiPo battery safely?

• Never charge your battery unattended –Check to see if your battery is getting warm. If so, stop charging immediately. The best example to put here shall be Enegitech LiPo packs which have good temperature control and minimum weight.
• Never change a damaged battery- Do not charge if it is puffy or has any visible signs of damage.
• Always charge your battery at 1C or less — Batteries can support up to 5C charge rates. But it is safer to charge at 1C or less meaning the chemicals inside the battery shall gain energy slower keeping them stable and longer life in terms of charge/discharge cycle.
• Try to change your batteries in a fireproof location — This will only ensure extra protection.

By the information provided to you in this guide, you now might have an idea about what a LiPo battery is and how to keep your LiPo battery safe. Hopefully by giving the details and insights into how they work, now you know most of what is needed to learn about LiPo batteries.