I have gone through few packs too - maybe time to share my experience here.

In 2004 I started to fly my Cayenne F3A with the HiRotex outrunner, Jeti-Hacker 90A ESC, 20x11 APCE, and packs made of 12 C PolyQuest cells, 2600mAh cells - 10s2p. The power was good in warm, calm weather, 57A static. When the wind picked up or the temp was below 16 °C, the power was not sufficient (back then I thought it was ok, but looking back I know it was not). Both packs logged about 80 cycles, I gave them away to the buyer of the plane. Towards the end, the power was simply not there.

My next plane was the Elexant with Hacker 14XL, now I have the Leviosa again with Hacker 14 XL (competition). Have 4 packs of PolyQuest XP (20C rated) cells, 10s2p, 2500 mAh. 2 packs (home) assembled 5/05, now have about 90 cycles. 2 packs assembled 9/05, now have about 45 cycles.

With these packs, and APCE 22x12, the static was originally 72 - 75A. More power that I ever needed.

Through the life of the packs, I have ocassionally puffed a cell (well always both in the pair; when one goes, the other one is immediatelly overloaded and destroyed too), but after changing the damaged cells the packs performed well again. Setting the cutoff voltage from 2,8 to 3 V per cell helped here, but even so I puffed one pair in the recent extremely hot weather.

Lately I feel that all 4 packs are not doing too well - in windy weather I have problems to finish P-07, and the power is not quite what I recall from the beginning. Still have to do some measurments though.

Now I have one new pack, 2x 5s1p Hyperion 5000 (Enerland cells, just like the PolyQuests). Crazy power, reserve for maybe 7-10 extra meneuvres after going through P-07. But only 20 cycles so far...I am curious to see what will happen after cycle 50, 75, etc...

2 more Hyperion packs should be in the mail... cannot wait.

A friend of mine is using the 10s1p 4800 Kokams with Hacker 14XL on his Elexant. About 30 cycles on each of his 3 packs. Great power, but puffed one cell in cycle 3. After changing the cell, all looks good again. I am curious to see how his packs will manage in the longer run.


David