Battery FAQ

[StrikeFreedom]

Say I have a Lipo 11.1v 20c 1300mah, can I tell when it reaches ~3v by counting the rounds fired? Or does it depend on the motor and spring as well?

[Rock 'N' Roll Outlaw]

Best bet is to get a Trigger Master MOSFET with a low batt warning. Counting rounds is only for a very rough ballpark.

[StrikeFreedom]

Originally Posted by m102404

I ran the 11.1v 1100mAh 15C LiPo for Op Broadsword this past weekend. 1400-1600 shots. Zero issues with running it. Slick as butter and good performance.

2 deg C morning temps has no ill effects. No slow down in performance throughout the day.

Started out freshly charged at 12.6v...finished at 11.4v...still lots to go before the 9v flatline.

So far good stuff. That charger is worth it's weight in gold. Charging 4 NiMh, 2 NiCd and 2 LiPo's the evening before the game is such a chore...with this one it was fast and worry free.

Tys

I thought total rounds are limited by mah, I guess that's not the case for Lipo? Anyways if his 1500rds only used 1.2v, I think I found my ballpark, until I get the LVC.

[m102404]

StrikeFreedom...I disagree. Your approach is complete bullshit.

Taking someone else's results and taking that for fact is not prudent. You have no idea what gear ratio/motor/spring I had in my gun...you have no idea if I shot semi mostly, or mag long full auto bursts. Both of those factors have a huge impact and the ability of your battery to keep up with that is directly affected by those factors. (or rather...the characteristics of a given battery is tested very differently in those setups).

Saying 1 shot per mAh...don't know about that. If I'm pulling a really stiff spring on a std ration gear with a so-so motor...I'll used up more energy than if I shot a light spring with a decent motor with the same gear set.

If I shoot exclusively semi...I'm making the motor start up to torque/speed with every shot, which will use a lot more power than if I just shot long full auto strings.

If my battery is small (and that one is) it might have decent start up power, but quickly start to lag on full auto with a stiff setup. A large pack might be better in having more than enough juice to start up a motor and sustain long bursts.

So....THE BEST THING TO DO IS:
1. Get a quick decent way to measure your pack...hobby/ebay shops have a little dongle you can plug into the balancing tap and it'll read each cells voltage and the total pack voltage. Takes about 5-10seconds. Check before the game, check periodically when you can, check after you're done for the day.
2. Start with a freshly charged LiPo every game...they don't suffer badly from a "memory effect"...so there's no harm in topping it up if in doubt of it's capacity. Besides...it sucks to start a game and run out of juice. Have a second LiPo ready to go. Number your packs and tag a questionable battery to check out later.
3. Learn the characteristics of your battery, in your gun....how many mags you can get out of it. You'll get this by measuring the pack throughout the game/day.
4. ABSOLUTELY...have a good charger that can sense/display what is going on with your pack and balances it properly. LEARN how to interpret what your charger is telling you.
5. STOP...if your battery seems weak or you ROF starts to slow down. Check your pack...swap it out if necessary.

LiPo's are great. Lots of power in a small package. But if you want to minimize your risks...and maximize the life/usage of them...you've got to understand what's going on when you use it.

Best of luck,

Tys

[StrikeFreedom]

Yes I made assumptions as I just needed a ballpark. Since it was an outdoor milsim I assume you were running ~400fps with a somewhat torquey motor. I run with <350fps with a high speed motor. So I believe in that aspect my setup draws less power than yours. Of course I could be wrong lol.

I know that semi draws more power than full auto; it's pretty much common sense, similar to gas consumption when driving a car.

I will get a LVC...soon.

[Kos-Mos]

If you know your rifle VERY well, and have been using LiPo safely for quite a long time, you can guess when it reaches 3v.

I don't need an electronic sensor because I know exactly when to stop.

You *CAN* get a ROUGH idea of a good time to stop if you have a Ni-MH battery that is the save voltage range (say 8.4v is in the same range as a 7.4 LiPo, 12v is for 11.1v) and same capacity. Take a 15-20% margin to be safe.

If you are using a large pack (3000mAh +), you should be good for at least a complete game. Just charge it every time you are done with it.

If you are restricted in space and are using a smaller one (like the little 1200mAh for buffer tubes), you should consider stopping at about 1000. The pack CAN fire more, but depending on your setup, past 1000 is total random.

When you get used to the gun, you will know when the pack drops. That is because LiPo have a very linear and sharp voltage drop. The gun will fire fine. 5 rounds later it will struggle. You will notice it by sound, feel and response. You HAVE to stop BEFORE it struggles. If you stop RIGHT THERE, there will be no harm to the pack.

3.0v is an average. Some good packs can be dropped a bit lower without harm. Some cheap ones will start to heat-up at 3.3v.

The most important thing is you NEVER want you pack to heat, even less to puff. If your pack start to swell, STOP USING IT. I mean stop using forever.

[StrikeFreedom]

I ordered those cheap tiny monitor module from eBay, it's on its way.

[m102404]

That's the same one I use. Find a little plastic box or something to tuck it into...the you can keep it in a pouch on you at games. Until you feel like you really know your setup...check your battery as often as you can.

Temp, age/#of cycles, etc...all affect how a battery lasts...so check it again periodically later on (or everytime...but I don't do that).

You'll see pretty quick...it ain't rocket science but you do have to think about it.

[paragan]

im going to buy G&G CQB-S but i have problem with battery - i have searched many sites and they recommend Intellect 9.6V 1400mAh for GG CQBR/S Series - it is still "out of stock" on most sites. Some people whitch i asked said sanyo will not fit there /because they are bigger/ - could you recommend me whitch to buy - it looks like GG have little different shape of crane stock?

[kalnaren]

Originally Posted by paragan

im going to buy G&G CQB-S but i have problem with battery - i have searched many sites and they recommend Intellect 9.6V 1400mAh for GG CQBR/S Series - it is still "out of stock" on most sites. Some people whitch i asked said sanyo will not fit there /because they are bigger/ - could you recommend me whitch to buy - it looks like GG have little different shape of crane stock?

Check www.cheapbatterypacks.com. They're in the US but they make awesome batteries for good prices, usually takes about a week to get the battery.

[Green]

Originally Posted by paragan

im going to buy G&G CQB-S but i have problem with battery - i have searched many sites and they recommend Intellect 9.6V 1400mAh for GG CQBR/S Series - it is still "out of stock" on most sites. Some people whitch i asked said sanyo will not fit there /because they are bigger/ - could you recommend me whitch to buy - it looks like GG have little different shape of crane stock?

http://www.airsoftparts.ca/store2/in...oducts_id=1585

It states that it will specifically fit in a G&G CQBR and CQBS Crane stock

[StrikeFreedom]

I found out from a friend that a 11.1v 1300mah 20c (26A) has a faster trigger response (semi-auto) than a 11.1v 1100mah 15c (16.5A). Would a 7.4v 1300mah 20c have the same trigger response? So higher the "A" (mah*c) the faster the trigger response, regardless of the 11.1/7.4v? ROF is not an issue.

[Kos-Mos]

Originally Posted by StrikeFreedom

I found out from a friend that a 11.1v 1300mah 20c (26A) has a faster trigger response (semi-auto) than a 11.1v 1100mah 15c (16.5A). Would a 7.4v 1300mah 20c have the same trigger response? So higher the "A" (mah*c) the faster the trigger response, regardless of the 11.1/7.4v? ROF is not an issue.

No

The voltage and drain rate will be the big factor here. If you where to compare a 7.4v 5000mAh 20C to a 11.1v 1300mAh 20c, then yes, there is a huge difference between the two, enough to make a difference.

ROF = Trigger response, so it is an issue. If your gun can fire 13bb/sec, your best response would be 1/13th of a sec. If you gun can fire 24 bb/sec, then your best response is 1/24th.

[coach]

Found a site with lots of FAQ answers on NiCad and NiMH chargers and batteries.

http://www.greenbatteries.com/bachfa.html

* What's the difference between a rapid charger and a fast charger?
* Does rapid charging reduce the life of batteries?
* How long will it take a charger to charge batteries?
* Can a battery charger damage a battery (shorten its life or reduce its capacity)?
* What is trickle charge?
* Is trickle charging harmful?
* What's the difference between a NiMH battery charger and a NiCd battery charger?
* Can I use an older NiCd battery charger to charge NiMH batteries?
* Which are better, NiCD or NiMH batteries?
* What is battery conditioning or exercising?
* What is a charge channel or charge circuit?
* What is a charge station?
* What makes a charger a "smart charger"?

[krap101]

So... I bought a 2200mah 11.1v nano from hobbyking, and it says not to exceed 10C for charging (45C-90C max discharge). I was wondering... people are saying don't exceed 1C for charging, so that would mean 2.2A, but at 10C, wouldn't that mean I could charge at 22A?