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All Forums >> Radios, Batteries, Clubhouse and more >> Batteries & Chargers >> Where can I find out more about duralite batteries?
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Where can I find out more about duralite batteries? - 3/27/2003 10:16:20 PM   
Ragz



Posts: 1680
Joined: 12/6/2001
From: Nagpur, INDIA
Status: offline 		After one bad experience with NiMH, I want to try out something new. I see people using duralites these days. Where can I find out more about this technology? Can these be recycled with normal battery cyclers like the Dymond turbo etc?

Thanks,
Anurag
       Post #: 1

Where can I find out more about duralite batteries? - 3/28/2003 12:37:43 AM   
JJP


 

Posts: 15
Joined: 12/8/2002
From: Victoria, B.C. Canada
Status: offline 		HI ANURG! You can go to [url]www.duralitebatteries.com[/url]

(in reply to Ragz)
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Where can I find out more about duralite batteries? - 3/28/2003 10:44:07 AM   
Ragz



Posts: 1680
Joined: 12/6/2001
From: Nagpur, INDIA
Status: offline 		thanks jarrett...i just noticed this link in the sponsors ad above...

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Where can I find out more about duralite batteries? - 3/30/2003 5:40:28 PM   
Ragz



Posts: 1680
Joined: 12/6/2001
From: Nagpur, INDIA
Status: offline 		can these batteries be cycled with normal cyclers? Are there special cyclers for them?

Anurag

(in reply to Ragz)
       Post #: 4

Where can I find out more about duralite batteries? - 3/30/2003 6:34:44 PM   
mglavin



Posts: 5200
Joined: 11/29/2001
From: Elverta, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Cycler's, as in you want to charge and discharge the battery packs? If so, no. You must use a charger designed to charge Li-Ion cells. There are a few high end units out there I believe that can do this though, it is not necessary with these cells.

Li-Ions have incredible shelf storage, as in charge retention. NO memory effects and are quickly becoming the "IN" battery technology.

< Message edited by mglavin -- Mar 30 2003 1:55PM >

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cycler???????? - 3/30/2003 6:39:06 PM   
CAP232CM



Posts: 488
Joined: 4/21/2002
From: Parkville, MO, USA
Status: offline 		Hey not really trying to be a smart a@# but have you been to the Duralite website? Right on the home page it says NO MEMORY AND NO CYCLE.

http://www.duralitebatteries.com/specifications.html#No Memory

So what this means is NO you don't need a special cycler! I would recommend that you use their charger as well. Please do some more research. Thanks!

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       Post #: 6

Cycling Li-ion's - 3/30/2003 10:15:36 PM   
rcav8or



Posts: 903
Joined: 12/15/2001
From: Oxford, IN, USA
Status: offline 		The Li-ion batteries do not develop a "memory", as some Ni-cad's are/were prone to do. Therefore, cycling is not necessary. However, if you feel the need to cycle, it should be only if you feel there is a) something wrong with the pack, or b) if it is getting towards the end of it's useful life.

This being said, the Li-ion packs [COLOR=red]WILL BE DAMAGED[/COLOR] by allowing voltage to drop below 5.5 volts.

Every charge/discharge charger I have seen, allows voltage to drop way below this, for the Ni-cad packs, even as low as 4.4 volts, which will damage a Li-ion pack. There MAY be charger/dischargers out there, that allow you to set the minimum voltage that the battery will be discharged to, but I haven't seen any.

I have been doing tests on both the Powerflite, and Duralite Plus batteries, for an upcoming review for the RCU Magazine. I have put 6 batteries through multiple discharge and charge cycles, to test them. The review will go in to a lot more detail, but my findings have been that they are very consistent, in their discharge rate, with a constant 1 amp load. I have put them in series with an 8 ohm, 50 watt resistor, and had a monitoring meter on them, to graph the results.

Great care has to be taken, as I have found that they maintain a constant, SLOWLY decending voltage until just over 6 volts. Then the fall is very rapid, with perhaps a minute or two, before they are down to "critical voltage" of 5.8 or so.

If you want to cycle one, you must be prepared to monitor the battery VERY closely, that it doesn't drop below about 6 volts.

Just as we have learned to deal with Ni-cads, and Ni-MH's, and their idiosyncrosies, we will learn to deal with Li-ion, as they very well may be the batteries of the future.

I believe the way to use the Li-ions, is to monitor them before flights, and quit flying when voltage (before the regulator!) reaches about 6.9 volts, under a load as defined by the company in their instructions . But you'll find a very steady voltage up until that time....

Look for the upcoming review...

Rog, the Mod


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Roger Phillips
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Where can I find out more about duralite batteries? - 3/30/2003 10:45:33 PM   
Ragz



Posts: 1680
Joined: 12/6/2001
From: Nagpur, INDIA
Status: offline 		what about fast charging?

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       Post #: 8

Where can I find out more about duralite batteries? - 3/30/2003 11:22:59 PM   
rcav8or



Posts: 903
Joined: 12/15/2001
From: Oxford, IN, USA
Status: offline 		Fast charging is NOT recommended. However, I think you'll find that fast charging is not necessary, either. The 2000 mah batteries take two hours to discharge. At the average 20 minute flight, that's 6 flights. That's quite a bit of flying. If you are inclined to fly more, I would recommend several batteries, just swap them, then charge at home.

I would also heartily recommend that you use the specific charger, developed and produced by the specific company, to charge their batteries. The two main companies, use two different charging methods, and their chargers are designed for their batteries. There are several other companies out there, making the Li-ion packs, and I would use the chargers they make, or recommend, as well.

It must be noted that the Li-ion batteries are NOT conducive to the demands put on them, by r/c cars, and electric high-discharge rate electric planes. Although they can take a 3 or 4 amp discharge, without trouble, some of the bigger electrics can take 10+ amps, and that is not good for the Li-ion - stick with Nicads or Ni-MH's...but they are perfect for the park flyers, etc.

The Powerflite and Duraflite sites have a large amount of information on it, with a very indepth study of Li-ion's...check them out.

[URL=http://www.bktsi.com/powerflite/powerflite.htm]powerflite batteries[/URL]

The Duralite link is in a post above.


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Roger Phillips
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Where can I find out more about duralite batteries? - 3/31/2003 12:40:30 AM   
ml3456-RCU


 

Posts: 558
Joined: 10/18/2002
From: Darien, IL, USA
Status: offline 		Roger,

Looking forward to your article. How about testing some of the Lithium cells that RadicalRC sells? They should be the same batteries, are more reasonably priced, more generic cell, and can use a generic lithium charger. My impression of the manufacturers you are testing now is that the have configured their batteries and charger in such away that the must be used together, and it is not cheap. They are good products though, especially Duralite.

Mark

(in reply to Ragz)
       Post #: 10

Where can I find out more about duralite batteries? - 3/31/2003 1:08:14 AM   
Shortman



Posts: 5971
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Clovis, CA, USA
Status: offline 		[url]www.superbatterypacks.com[/url] has the same Li-ions for nearly 1/2 the price, they use the same cells too as powerflights


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Steven Carroll
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