Lipo battery and charging it

[supah_rc]

I am considering getting one of these for my Lazer zx-5. I have read a lot about these Lipo batteries, and Id just like to know if I got the right charger for it, and if theres anything special I need to remember when charging it. I got this Swallow ac/dc 2 charger. I dont wanna mess anything up, or buy the wrong battery.

Any help appreciated!

 

[sweetdiesel]

The first thing you need to do when attempting to run this pack is to grind off the battery holder nubs on the chassis to allow the battery to sit flush. I run the Peak Racing Carbon 3200 and the case has nubs on it to simulate the humps of a side by side nimh pack.

The charger you chose is fine. Charge at 1C max, which in your case with a 6000mah pack is 6 AMPS. Some packs such as Apogee Li-Mn and Orion Platinum can be charged at 2C. Activate the lipo cutoff on your ESC to 3.2 volts/cell or higher. Always allow your pack to cool to ambient temps between charges. When running your pack for the first time or with new gearing, keep an eye on pack temps. For long pack life, it should not be hotter than 130F for lipo and 140F for li-mn. It is BETTER to run gearing that allows your pack to get warm (90-110F) but not hot. If storing your pack for more than 2 weeks, discharge them to 50% capacity or the unloaded voltage on the label of your pack.

 

[supah_rc]

Great, thanks for the info, sd.

I got a few questions; What is a lipo cutoff? I'm not sure I got that.
And I read something about using a lipo balancer when charging lipo batteries. What is that, and do I need it?

 

[sweetdiesel]

A lipo cutoff or low voltage cutoff (LVC) is a circuit which most brushless ESCs have to cut power to the motor when the pack drops to a set voltage level. This prevents the user from overdischarging their lipo pack and damaging it. If your ESC does not have an LVC, you can buy one separately and wire it between the pack and the ESC.

A balancer is used to keep the individual cells within a pack at the same voltage. When a pack is discharged the cells within a pack can discharge at different rates, and thus have differing voltages. When you charge a lipo pack, the method used is a constant current, constant voltage. Initially the charger will charge at a constant current until the pack reaches it's maximum voltage, then it switches to a constant voltage mode and slowly decreases the charge current until it reaches approximately .1 amps. Since the pack is always charged to the same maximum voltage, if one cell has a lower voltage than the other, the cell with the higher voltage will continue to stay at a higher voltage and with subsequent charges/discharges the voltage gap increases between the cells. This will cause ovedischarging of the lower voltage cells and during the charging process will cause overcharging of the higher voltage cells.

2 cell packs will need less frequent balancing than packs with higher cell counts. Very high quality 2 cell packs will need very infrequent balancing, if at all.

 

[supah_rc]

I see. Would this http://www.maxamps.com/LBA10.htm be what I need to charge Lipo batteries?

I was thinking Id start out with a "normal" battery first, then get Lipo later.

 

[sweetdiesel]

I see. Would this http://www.maxamps.com/LBA10.htm be what I need to charge Lipo batteries?

I was thinking Id start out with a "normal" battery first, then get Lipo later.

Yes the Hyperion LBA10 is an excellent choice for balancing your lipo packs. Did you already pick up the Swallow charger? If not, then I would recommend picking up the Hyperion EOS5i-dp. Combining it with the LBA10 balancer allows you to monitor each cells voltage during charging/discharging.

I really see no point in first purchasing a nimh/nicad pack before picking up a lipo. With lipos you will benefit from longer run times, weight savings, and greater current output. Just follow all care and safety precautions.

 

[supah_rc]

Yeah, I already got the Swallow 2 charger. Hope itll do

Maybe you're right. Ill look into getting a balancer and a LVC.
Thanks for all your help! So much I need to learn and get into.

 

[sweetdiesel]

Yeah, I already got the Swallow 2 charger. Hope itll do

Maybe you're right. Ill look into getting a balancer and a LVC.
Thanks for all your help! So much I need to learn and get into.

The swallow should work out fine for you. I was suggesting the Hyperion in case you hadn't purchased it yet, since it has some extra bells and whistles that can be useful.

Which ESC do you have right now? It's possible that it already has an LVC built in.

 

[supah_rc]

This is what I got.

 

[sweetdiesel]

The LRP Sphere does not have an LVC, but the Sphere Competition/Competition TC does. Check your packaging to see if you have the competiton model, unless the amain link was what you actually ordered.

What you can do until you purchase an LVC (if your running lipos) is stop running your vehicle as soon as the pack starts to dump. This will take some discipline to resist the urge to drive the car back to you.

 

[supah_rc]

Hmm, tbh I am not sure. I bought it "used", but the link the guy gave me do say Combo SPHERE Comp.2007 - Dont know if that stands for competition or computer or what? Hehe.
Ill check with the guy I bought it from.

 

[sweetdiesel]

Comp=competition

You can tell if you have the competition model by the color of the first led when you go into programming. If it flashes yellow, then it is the competition model. If it flashes green it is the non-competition model.

To get into programming mode, hold the mode button for three seconds.

Manuals are here.

http://www.lrp-electronic.de/e/lis/

 

[supah_rc]

Awesome, Ill check that out!

 

[supah_rc]

I actually got the box the speed control came in here, and it sure say Competition. I can't see anything about LVC on it though. Just says Sphere Competition 2007 Edition.

I aint got a battery here yet, so can't do what you suggested atm.