Battery Handling

[Lazer_ZB5]

g'day guys

i was wondering how you can take care of your race packs to conserve runtime voltage etc. What charge rates, discharge rates, are you suppose to equilize the cells?

thanks mark

[daztrac]

&| It depends on what size your batteries are, e.g. 4200mah, the experts recommend about a 4 amp linear charge rate if you want longer run time, or about a 5 amp charge rate for shorter runtime but more punch.
They also say to peak your cells approx. 5 to 10 minutes before you race for maximum benefit.
I usually discharge my batteries to 0.9 volts per cell after a race meeting, then put 50% charge back in if I am going to race again in about a week. Then before the next race meeting I equalise the cells at a 5 amp linear discharge, then charge them fully. hope this helps a bit. !lmao !fruit

[doogie]

I charge at the specific rate on the packs and the 4200s self discharge so you dont need to discharge tham.You only discharge and equalize if you are going to store them

[Lazer_ZB5]

my cells are IB4200 fantom and I only have a swallow 2 charger at the moment that charges at a max of 5A and a max discharge of 1A. thanks for your help guys

[Lazer_ZB5]

when I reveived the 2 IB4200 fantom packs from a guy over east, I discharged them to 5.4v at 1amp and then I charged them and for 1 of them it went to 6.9v straight away and the other one went to 8.4v straight away. the pack numbers are between 1.235v-1.244v. Is this normal?

[Dan]

yeh that sounds pretty normal 4 ib batteries

[Dan]

i fink %-6

[Matt]

6.9v sounds like you may have a dead cell.

what did the voltage get to near the end of the charge? should be over 9 volts...

[Lazer_ZB5]

it was 8.1v i think. the numbers on that pack are 1.241,1.239,1.239,1.241,1,239,1,243. the other pack charges to 9.5v and those numbers are 1.243,1.243,1.244,1.235,1.243,1.244. the 1.235 cell isnt within the voltages of the other cells and it might be letting down the performance of the pack....

[Dan]

if u have an equaliser put the pack on ther and you'll b able 2 tell which is the bad cell
<span class='smallblacktext'>[ Edited Mon Jun 16 2008, 07:26AM ]</span>

[Lazer_ZB5]

i dont have an equilizer all I have is a swallow 2

[eichkay]

Check the each cell with a multimeter , you'll find to dead cell easy it wont have anywhere near the same voltage as the other cells.

[Lazer_ZB5]

oh thanks

[Matt]

if the voltage is around 8.1v at its peak, its very possible that youve got a dead cell. it should be above 9v at the peak of the charge.

[Lazer_ZB5]

i checked it and 5 cells went to 1.35v and the other cell went to 0.20v. cheers for the advice

[Lazer_ZB5]

does anyone know if discharging to 5.4v on my swallow 2 at 1amp is equilizing?

[Mazimbwe]

it is NOT.

[Dan]

it is called equalising because its wen u discharge each cell equally so they are all the same voltage.