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Lipo battery question...

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T.ScottSmith

RC Newbie
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I have a couple lipo batteries I bought a few years back and never even opened. Is there a way to tell if they can safely be charged after all this time, or is it best to just recycle them and not chance having an incident? They are still in the original package since purchase...

TYIA
 
If they are balanced at anywhere from 3.7-3.9 per cell and look fine (not puffy),send it. Although doing the first charge cycle on them I would take a look and note the internal resistance. Some cheaper packs tend to have higher IR. Higher the IR the more voltage drop and inconsistency you see.

Addition: for any standard sized packs from 4000mah+, I tend not to like running packs over 8 miliohms a cell. Although I do have a old race shorty pack that does read at 11 per cell and is quite puffy, I still have it but don't run it often and keep a close eye on it. Ideally anywhere from 1-4 miliohms is perfect. But if you're just bashing and playing around I wouldn't care too much about IRs. They fluctuate up and down depending on temperature and stuff. But, getting a good baseline reading is always a good health checkup
 
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I echo what David said, check the voltage first either with a tester or charger.

If they display anywhere between 2.9-3.8 a cell I would charge them slow ish for the first go.

If one cell or the whole pack is flat I wouldn't chance it.

*Knock on wood* I have some pretty old lipos (10+ years) but as long as they're within spec you'll be gtg.
 
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