Any way to charge the batteries faster

[brlowe]

Can you quick charge the lipo batteries? Even a 30 minute charger would be good.

Also what is the best place to get an extra pack or 2 at? I would like to get the 2200 packs.

Thanks
Brandon

[Wolfpackin]

Lipo's really shouldn't be charged at a rate higher than 1C.
So the answer to your question is basically, NO.
That said, some of the higher end chargers state they are safe to charge at a higher rate depending on the batteries. I think CommonsenceRC says their batteries are OK to safely charge higher than 1C. I'd be really careful with that.

Seems to me that the prices on batteries like FlightPower and ThunderPower are pretty consistant online. They are all over the place. Google is your friend.

[int2str]

I use the CellPro 4S charger with my E-Flite battery. It charges at up to 4A which means it's done in under 30mins usually.

I also bought 2 CellPro evolution packs from FMA at the same time I bought the charger and they've been working well for me.

[Marco1]

At 45 minutes I don't see the recharge time with the e-flite charger as so bad. And it is about 15 minutes faster than my Ripmax charger, which I don't see as a slacker.

My only beef with the e-flite charger is that it didn't come with an AC power supply.

[jayman1478]

I use this great charger witha power supply for $39. for a 12amps pyramid power supply. Works great and made a 12 volt cig lighter adater for the vehicle.

[Rototerrier]

Get a good Lipo like Kong, FlightPower, ThunderPower or comparable and charge at 2C. You can charge them in around 30 minutes. Time for everyone to drop the 1C mumbo Jumbo. It's 2008 folks...2C is the way to go unless you just like sitting around watching your batteries charge.

Been charging all my lipos at 2C and even more before I realized more really didn't make a difference. No difference from the day I broke the seal on any of them. I have Eflites, Homebrews, ThunderPowers and FlightPower packs.

1C = old stink'n think'n

Edit: BUT, you MUST have a good charger and balancer. I have been using the TP1010C/210 and recently switched to the Hyperion 610 Duo. You are toying with disaster is you are charging too fast with a crap charger.

[Heli Jim]

I recently bought the Cell Pro 4S charger and I also bought one of their
batteries (2100 mAh) and if you use their batteries, you can charge them
at 3C because the charger interfaces with their batteries to allow this.

You do NOT want to charge normal LiPo's over 1C.

[LockMD]

I have the cellpro as well. I thought FMA's website said you can charge any battery at safely at 3C as long as the discharge rate was greater than 18C?

Most of my batts come from hobbycity.com (China) I really like the loong-max 2250 20C batts but they are out of stock so I just bought some 2100 20C from blackdogrc.com

I charge all my batts including stock at 3C (4 amps) and have not had a problem on the cellpro and I usually fly 5-6 packs a day (minimum).

[Heli Jim]

Well, son of a gun.....you are right as rain!!

Here's the quote right from their page:

FMA Direct recommends 3C max charge rates
for good quality, high discharge rate batteries
of 12C or higher.

I had been afraid to just plug in the stock batteries that I have
but it looks like I can do that. All my batteries are at least 15C
or higher discharge rate.

I still use a LiPo bag and I am thinking of upgrading that to a
small fire safe.

[Rototerrier]

There should be a sticky at the top front page of every single forum on every single page that debunks the old 1C mind set. This questions is hashed, rehashed, shaken, stired, fried, beat, whooped and thrashed around daily.

A thread a day about wanting to speed up charging and on every thread someone responds 1C. It's just crazy.

Not that 1C is bad, but the question is: "Any way to charge the batteries faster".

This frustrates me because about 6 months ago I was searching for the exact same information and I read through tons of misinformation, scouring thru hundreds of threads and hundreds of responses. 1C this, explosion that, shortened life span blah, puff ugg. It's was like reading thru a baptist hell and damnation sermon.

I think the most interesting read I saw recently was in the manual of my new Hyperion 610 DUO where it states they found little to not issues with 2C and that 3C was actually a waste. That learned me a thing or 2.

[Heli Jim]

OK so what charger are you using and what charge rate do you usually charge your batteries at?

What capacity batteries are you doing this with?

[Heli Jim]

I went back to the Cell PRo literature and noticed that there was an
addendum with the adapter that you need to use for the Eflite packs
that I have. On this piece of instructions, they reccomend NOT charging
at higher than 1C.

Now I'm confused. What am I supposed to do when I charge these packs?

Stay at 1C or go with the 2C or 3C auto charge rate. What are you guys that
have the CellPro 4S charger doing with your "other" packs.

[Snarf]

Cellpro 4S for me, set to 3C (up to 4 amps). It charges each cell individually so there is no chance of overcharging one cell. It's the last 5% of the charge which takes all the time (balancing) when it's carefully topping off each cell. You can break the charge early if you are in a hurry, just watch that your cells don't go badly out of balance. A full balance charge back at home then brings everything back to a good state. The Cellpro will display the voltage on each cell in the pack during the charge so you can see if you have a weak cell (it will be the one with the higher voltage).

[LockMD]

Well, son of a gun.....you are right as rain!!

Here's the quote right from their page:

FMA Direct recommends 3C max charge rates
for good quality, high discharge rate batteries
of 12C or higher.



Oh I thought it was 18C so thats even better yet.

[LockMD]

I went back to the Cell PRo literature and noticed that there was an
addendum with the adapter that you need to use for the Eflite packs
that I have. On this piece of instructions, they reccomend NOT charging
at higher than 1C.

Now I'm confused. What am I supposed to do when I charge these packs?

Stay at 1C or go with the 2C or 3C auto charge rate. What are you guys that
have the CellPro 4S charger doing with your "other" packs.


I think its a disclaimer their lawyers make them say for 'safety' like for ATV's they say not to climb 'x' amount of a grade, but the machince can handle way more of an incline.

beside the stock battery, I have:

Loong-Max 2250 20C
Loong-Max 2250 25C
ABF 2100 20C

I charge them all at 3c and they dont even get warm, infact if I am in a hurry and put them on the charge while still warm from the flight by time they are done charging they are cool.

I have another cheapo wow-rc 2200 12C which I WAS doing at 1c but now you find 12C is okay, I will do them at 3c now too.

Disclaimer: I am not telling anyone to do this, so you cant sue me in the event of a mishap, I am just reporting what I do and the results.

[MrCLoWnY]

I think its a disclaimer their lawyers make them say for 'safety' like for ATV's they say not to climb 'x' amount of a grade, but the machince can handle way more of an incline.

beside the stock battery, I have:

Loong-Max 2250 20C
Loong-Max 2250 25C
ABF 2100 20C

I charge them all at 3c and they dont even get warm, infact if I am in a hurry and put them on the charge while still warm from the flight by time they are done charging they are cool.

I have another cheapo wow-rc 2200 12C which I WAS doing at 1c but now you find 12C is okay, I will do them at 3c now too.

Disclaimer: I am not telling anyone to do this, so you cant sue me in the event of a mishap, I am just reporting what I do and the results.

So how are them batteries after being charged at 3c and after 5 months?

[eugenefelisco]

Hay guys and gals anyone using polycharge4. Its 4 output at 3A. If that is good I might buy one.

[LockMD]

So how are them batteries after being charged at 3c and after 5 months?


Still going strong.....BUT the ABF batteries are getting a REALLY high IR so they may die soon but the zippy's and loong-max are holding up.

[LockMD]

Hay guys and gals anyone using polycharge4. Its 4 output at 3A. If that is good I might buy one.


Eugene, look at it closer.......when I first saw 4 at once I almost pounced on it......it does NOT balance them at all.....

[eugenefelisco]

Eugene, look at it closer.......when I first saw 4 at once I almost pounced on it......it does NOT balance them at all.....
Oh yah thanks Lock never tought of it.

[sparx-]

Eugene, look at it closer.......when I first saw 4 at once I almost pounced on it......it does NOT balance them at all.....


You do not have to balance charge your lipos every charge.

My charging setup is as follows.

1 - PolyCharge4
1 - Equinox Balancer

I have Loongmax and GForce Lipos. I charge all my lipos on the PC4 at 2.5 amps. Every 10 or so charges, I throw the pack on teh Equinox balancer. Most of the time it does not even need balanced.

I have 4 lipos and I can almost fly non-stop. With 6 lipos I am sure you could since you can charge 4 packs at a time.

SPaRX

[LockMD]

Well Eugene does have an Equinox balancer, I gave it to him for free. I didnt like it maybe I wasnt using it correctly per your description. I was using it while charging and always got balance errors.

[sparx-]

Well Eugene does have an Equinox balancer, I gave it to him for free. I didnt like it maybe I wasnt using it correctly per your description. I was using it while charging and always got balance errors.

Use it as a stand alone balancer. Just charge your battery. Then when it is done plug it into the Equinox, push the button and let it do its thing. Like I said, I only do that every 10 charges or so. The loongmax and Gforce batteries are really good at staying in balance as long as you treat them properly meaning obey the 80% rule.

SPaRX

[TowPilot]

You do not have to balance charge your lipos every charge.

My charging setup is as follows.

1 - PolyCharge4
1 - Equinox Balancer

I have Loongmax and GForce Lipos. I charge all my lipos on the PC4 at 2.5 amps. Every 10 or so charges, I throw the pack on teh Equinox balancer. Most of the time it does not even need balanced.

I have 4 lipos and I can almost fly non-stop. With 6 lipos I am sure you could since you can charge 4 packs at a time.

SPaRX

That is partly true, I have newer batteries, that when I check them before the charge and after the charge, they need no balancing.

I have older batteries which need to be balanced every charge.

The point is, check each pack each time. That will tell you if it needs balancing or not. Not some generalization :) It's too easy to check.

If the charger gives a cell by cell voltage readout, nice. My charging setup uses external balancers, one has a cell by cell readout and it's easy then to know which packs to balance and which to put back on the "ready line".

This is the guidance I use from Common Sense RC;
http://www.helifreak.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=58316&d=1218309445


I have three external balancers, one has a cell by cell readout, it is this one;
http://www.helifreak.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=58314&d=1218307518

[fishboy77]

I also use the Polycharge4 and dig it. I use the cheapest lipos known to man (Mystery 2400 mah 15C) and they generally only need to be balanced for a few seconds every three flights. However I only discharge my packs down to 3.8V/cell and am not sure what % of total capacity this represents.