does anyone actually document the usage of lipos

[derekschultz]

just curious if this is a good practice to get into. like how long each flight was, how many times it was charged and what was put back into the pack after the charge. stuff like that. i haven't seen anyone carrying a little black book with their batts but sometimes people on the forums talk about it.

[Shuttle RG]

Yes, I do. Every charge cycle gets logged. Beginning pack voltage, mAh returned, ending pack voltage, ending individual cell voltages, charge times, etc. I also log the temps (temp gun) of the motor, battery and ESC at the end of every flight. This allows me to realistically gauge the packs health, any decline in capacity, as well as the health of the motor & ESC.

I also have an Eagle Tree Data Logger and log each flight. Some will think this is anal but with packs costing $300+, motors $250+, and ESC's $150+, I can't afford to not know. To each his own.

[Efliernz]

I document my useage. Just runtime/charge volume. I'm running a combo of expensive 2 x 6S batteries and a home-made 4 x 3S 2200 Hextronic cheapie with a diy wiring harness to make them a 6S2P. This way I can compare performance - at sport flyer level. (Yes the cheapie pack is performing as well/better than packs 2 times the price).

[tppjr]

Here is what I use. It is still a work in progress but getting pretty close to what I want/need.

Thomas

[derekschultz]

i can see the need on more expensive batts. i guess what i really meant was is it worth the effort on a $100 batt. im not using a digital charger (yet). i guess the math isn't that hard. hours x amps right. thanks for the info, i'm trying to get into the habit of doing things like this so later on down the road it will be i'll already be used to it. which is hard for most people getting into the hobby.

[kgfly]

I do and my batteries are only $40 cheapies. It's still important to manage them properly for safety, performance and longevity. Attached are some sample spreadsheets I use to log flights, track spending and manage crash damage.

[Pinecone]

The big question is what do you really do with all that info? :)

I just put a tic mark on each pack each time I fly it. I pretty much fly the packs to 80% every time. I use a Sharpie pen. Black for most packs, silver for the black DN packs.

[Trooper Sam]

The big question is what do you really do with all that info? :)

I just put a tic mark on each pack each time I fly it. I pretty much fly the packs to 80% every time. I use a Sharpie pen. Black for most packs, silver for the black DN packs.

Ditto, except I generally only use 65 to 70 percent of capacity.