ricktkenny

I have loads of dell laptop batteries, I have stripped them down and they are Li poly, could these be used in RC flight. Does anyone have any info.

Regards

Rick

www.zagi.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Rick

Matt Kirsch

My Feedback: (21)

Salvaged batteries can sometimes be useful, or they can be complete dogs. Most consumer technology is low-current, and their batteries can't handle the strain put on them by electric flight. They're only good in small park fliers like Tiger Moths because of the current they can (or more appropriately, can't) produce, but they're too heavy for a plane that's only suppsed to weigh 7 or 8 ounces.

Sometimes you can stumble on to a gem, though. Did you? It's hard to say. Hopefully you can find someone who's already tested the batteries out of the same brand and model of computer you have, but odds are, you'll be on your own. There are just too many different consumer products with salvageable batteries out there, and not enough people experimenting with them.

ricktkenny

Thanks for the info, I have tested the voltages and they do hold, I won;t be playing with them though cos I have no idea of how you would wire them up. I fly a zagi and the batteries I use are heavier than the li-polys, I might just have a word with the guys at work and set up a test rig to measure them with a motor attached.

Rick

DrZiplok

Many laptop batteries are actually Lithium Ion. I have a pile of scavenged Apple batteries which are using the Sony US18650GR cells, from which I've built a couple of packs.

My own question right now has to do with the *actual* ratings for these cells. I've seen figures of 1600, 1850 and 2000mAh thrown around, and claims that they're good for no more than 2C discharge as well as others using them in 4C applications.

At 43g each, two cells is a better deal than a 7 cell NiCd pack using the Sanyo N-600AACL (27g each), but the theoretical current limit in my application (Sky Scooter, stock Speed 400 motor) is a cause for concern.

In tests on the bench, a 2S pack using these cells didn't get more than skin-warm, but I'm not convinced that I'm not damaging the cells with the load that this motor is capable of imposing.

Regardless, the cost is right as long as nothing explodes...

= Mike

Dopesick

I would say knowing dell laptops pretty well, I would conclude they are Li-Ion cells not Li-po