ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
02-18-2011, 10:16 PM
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ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
Ijust got some Turnigy 3S 5A lipos and the warning on the back states, "ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface where there are no flammable objects within 10 feet (3 meters) of the charging area."
Does anyone really follow that warning? Where do you charge your lipos?
Does anyone really follow that warning? Where do you charge your lipos?
02-19-2011, 01:01 AM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
charge mine on a case of fuel in the living room. Just kidding. Sometimes i use a lipo sack, othertimes i charge on the concrete garage floor. When i had a concrete laundry tub i used to charge in that. Now i've got a fiberglass tub. At the field i just charge on a picnic table like every one else at the field does.
The one thing i don't do is charge in my car.
The one thing i don't do is charge in my car.
02-23-2011, 06:58 AM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
So why does a lipo have to be charged on concrete in the first place? Do they get that hot during charging? I'm about to update my NiMH batts over to lipos and need to know. Thanks-
02-23-2011, 07:08 AM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
ORIGINAL: milkyspit
So why does a lipo have to be charged on concrete in the first place? Do they get that hot during charging? I'm about to update my NiMH batts over to lipos and need to know. Thanks-
So why does a lipo have to be charged on concrete in the first place? Do they get that hot during charging? I'm about to update my NiMH batts over to lipos and need to know. Thanks-
Capt Lou
02-23-2011, 07:35 AM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
IMO, there's a very inexpensive, convenient, and often overlooked method for charging LiPo's safely :
Drop by your nearest surplus shop, gun show, or local right wing whacko nutjob, and grab a couple of ammo cans.
They're cheap (usually $5 or so each, often free if they're ugly), they have padded seals so you can run the wires in and still latch the box, and they're easily transportable. Stash one in the trailer for use at the field, keep the other at the shop.
Hook the battery up, start the charge, toss battery into the box, close it up. Done. 
02-23-2011, 08:02 AM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
I don't charge my cell phone or my laptop on concrete floors either and both of those use Lithium batteries. Seems like a lot of hype over nothing IMO.
02-23-2011, 08:31 AM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
ORIGINAL: GotNoRice
I don't charge my cell phone or my laptop on concrete floors either and both of those use Lithium batteries. Seems like a lot of hype over nothing IMO.
I don't charge my cell phone or my laptop on concrete floors either and both of those use Lithium batteries. Seems like a lot of hype over nothing IMO.
02-23-2011, 08:31 AM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
ORIGINAL: GotNoRice
I don't charge my cell phone or my laptop on concrete floors either and both of those use Lithium batteries. Seems like a lot of hype over nothing IMO.
I don't charge my cell phone or my laptop on concrete floors either and both of those use Lithium batteries. Seems like a lot of hype over nothing IMO.
02-23-2011, 08:34 AM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
ORIGINAL: flatspinjim
I would heed the warnings! I saw 4 different lipo fires at our field last year. 2 guys lost planes because the batts caught fire while charging in the plane.
ORIGINAL: GotNoRice
I don't charge my cell phone or my laptop on concrete floors either and both of those use Lithium batteries. Seems like a lot of hype over nothing IMO.
I don't charge my cell phone or my laptop on concrete floors either and both of those use Lithium batteries. Seems like a lot of hype over nothing IMO.
02-23-2011, 08:53 AM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
ORIGINAL: milkyspit
Well, we're talking lithium polymer not lithium ion but Itend to agree. How many people have had a lipo burst into flames when they were charging?
ORIGINAL: GotNoRice
I don't charge my cell phone or my laptop on concrete floors either and both of those use Lithium batteries. Seems like a lot of hype over nothing IMO.
I don't charge my cell phone or my laptop on concrete floors either and both of those use Lithium batteries. Seems like a lot of hype over nothing IMO.
I think the real question is not how many packs have burst into flames, but how many have done so that have not been a direct result of the owner being an idiot and doing something wrong that directly lead to the fire (charging your battery on the wrong charger setting, etc)? It might also help to know if they were charging a $7 pack from eBay shipped directly from China or if they were using a real battery.
02-23-2011, 08:32 PM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
Saw this on Youtube and it gives a good argument for using a lipo bag:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3o_2mwRPdw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3o_2mwRPdw
02-24-2011, 08:15 AM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
Both of the devices mentioned have built in chargers with no user settings to mess up.
For truly safe lipo charging. There is no comparison as far as safety goes between a balance charger that compares the individual cell voltages to the total series voltage of the pack and a series charger. A charger that relies on user input, or worse, sets the cell count based on the series voltage of the pack, is an accident waiting to happen[
]
Pete
For truly safe lipo charging. There is no comparison as far as safety goes between a balance charger that compares the individual cell voltages to the total series voltage of the pack and a series charger. A charger that relies on user input, or worse, sets the cell count based on the series voltage of the pack, is an accident waiting to happen[
] Pete
02-25-2011, 05:54 AM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
I charge mine in my wifes lap while she watches TV. That way she can keep an eye on them while I'm on the computer chatting with you guys. LOL LOL
02-25-2011, 06:12 AM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
ORIGINAL: GotNoRice
The full name is actually ''Lithium-Ion Polymer'' and the differences from traditional Lithium-Ion batteries is not huge.
I think the real question is not how many packs have burst into flames, but how many have done so that have not been a direct result of the owner being an idiot and doing something wrong that directly lead to the fire (charging your battery on the wrong charger setting, etc)? It might also help to know if they were charging a $7 pack from eBay shipped directly from China or if they were using a real battery.
ORIGINAL: milkyspit
Well, we're talking lithium polymer not lithium ion but I tend to agree. How many people have had a lipo burst into flames when they were charging?
ORIGINAL: GotNoRice
I don't charge my cell phone or my laptop on concrete floors either and both of those use Lithium batteries. Seems like a lot of hype over nothing IMO.
I don't charge my cell phone or my laptop on concrete floors either and both of those use Lithium batteries. Seems like a lot of hype over nothing IMO.
I think the real question is not how many packs have burst into flames, but how many have done so that have not been a direct result of the owner being an idiot and doing something wrong that directly lead to the fire (charging your battery on the wrong charger setting, etc)? It might also help to know if they were charging a $7 pack from eBay shipped directly from China or if they were using a real battery.
Do you actually believe that all the batteries you buy at your LHS are not made in China. Just because a distributor or Hobby Shop in your home country sells you a battery does not mean it was made there. You don't think they buy Chinese batteries and stick their own labels on them. PLEASE UNDERSTAND, I'm not pushing Chinese products, but I am not so naive as to think I am getting a home grown product.
02-25-2011, 06:24 AM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
ORIGINAL: tacx
I charge mine in my wifes lap while she watches TV. That way she can keep an eye on them while I'm on the computer chatting with you guys. LOL LOL
I charge mine in my wifes lap while she watches TV. That way she can keep an eye on them while I'm on the computer chatting with you guys. LOL LOL
02-25-2011, 08:50 AM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
ORIGINAL: tacx
Do you actually believe that all the batteries you buy at your LHS are not made in China. Just because a distributor or Hobby Shop in your home country sells you a battery does not mean it was made there. You don't think they buy Chinese batteries and stick their own labels on them. PLEASE UNDERSTAND, I'm not pushing Chinese products, but I am not so naive as to think I am getting a home grown product.
Do you actually believe that all the batteries you buy at your LHS are not made in China. Just because a distributor or Hobby Shop in your home country sells you a battery does not mean it was made there. You don't think they buy Chinese batteries and stick their own labels on them. PLEASE UNDERSTAND, I'm not pushing Chinese products, but I am not so naive as to think I am getting a home grown product.
02-26-2011, 05:43 PM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
small fire safe, if its good enough to stop paper from burnnig in a house fire should be good the other way around! $40 at wall mart just drilled a small hole for the charge leads.
02-26-2011, 06:51 PM
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RE: ALWAYS charge on a concrete surface?
I did an interesting experiment a while back. I had received a number of used packs from an auction and 3 of these were already puffed up. I was not going to use these for their intended use so decided to see them burn. I could not get this to happen while charging. So I used an awl and poked some holes into the pack. Initially there were a few fizzle sounds and then, wow! The rapid release of very hot energy was quite spectacular. (Don't do this near a smoke detector - don't ask how I know this)
All of my packs now live in ammo cans and I charge away from anything of value.
Bliksem
All of my packs now live in ammo cans and I charge away from anything of value.
Bliksem
