lipo battery
 

is a 130mah lipo safer than say like a 2200mah lipo? just wondering cuz i dont want it to explode on me and cause some serious damage......the flyzone playmate comes with a 130mah...i know how to prevent these from happening, but just wondering. thanks!

RE: lipo battery
 

Don't worry. Even if that little battery in the Playmate exploded (Which is rather unlikely) it wouldn't even make a respectable firecracker :D

RE: lipo battery
 

oh okay thanks a ton minnflyer i was freaking out cuz of how people say lipo batteries may explode......thanks a ton.

RE: lipo battery
 

Li-po batteries don't just up and exlpode for no reason. Yes, they can burst and catch fire. But they don't do so from just normal use. The biggest cause of a Li-po fire is usually abuse while charging it, by which I mean overcharging. This can cause the battery to burst and catch fire. Another cause, but easily avoided with good packing is if the battery is pierced in a crash. This can also cause the battery to catch fire.

But they don't just explode in normal use. Unfortunately this is becoming a myth spreading around from people that don't understand the proper way to use Li-po batteries. Used correctly they are just as safe as any other batteries.

Ken

RE: lipo battery
 

I agree with RCKen, I've never had nor seen a lipo explode. It just doesn't happen. You can't go wrong with more mAh's unless the battery weight exceeds the lift potential of the model.
Overcharging or using a "swollen" Lipo will cause a puff of smoke or even fire. However; THEYDON"T #^@#^& EXPLODE!

RE: lipo battery
 

And it's not like even abuse heats them up instantly. Look up some of the Youtube videos of "exploding lipos." It takes a lot of time being charged improperly to make them swell and then burst, after which the gases coming out will catch fire and burn for a little while.

RE: lipo battery
 

thanks just wondering becuz im new to all this rc stuff just started with an rc car about a month ago

RE: lipo battery
 

Yes and even then, you have to go to extremes.

I've ( ahem ) purposely tried to reproduce some of the Youtube effects of an overcharge.

I've left LiPo's on charge for DAYS after full charge.

The batteries get warm and swell up, but do not explode.

To get the types of results you see in these videos you have to abuse the packs purposely... e.g. run much higher charge currents for longer periods of time.

Doing the latter causes heat build up and quicker chemical changes than what the packs can sustain, hence the problems.

But that's akin to taking a propane torch to the packs... you are DELIBERATELY abusing the packs.

If you use a GOOD computer controlled charger with automatic safety cutoffs the likelyhood of a LiPo fire is very small.
That is why if you stick with electrics it's a good idea to make this investment... along with the benefits to longevity.

RE: lipo battery
 

Although you probably will not have any problems some precautions should be taken.
Only charge the lipo with a charger that is meant to handle lipos and it certainly doesn't hurt to charge them on a non flamable surface.
I charge mine in an ammo can, not that you need to go that far I just happen to have one.

RE: lipo battery
 

Having seen TWO different LiPos on fire seems to be the exception for LiPo experience. I fly at 3 different clubs, so maybe I've had more exposure. But it's proven something to me.

The guys who started those fires were using top name chargers. The chargers were intelligent and their names will be kept out of this..... because in both cases, the boys that destroyed their batteries both made the same very simple mistake. It's a mistake that is actually quite easy to make.

One battery set the shelter on fire. When that battery "blew up", it sounded like a .22 going off. We were flying at the time and kidded about flying so badly that the guys sitting near the shelter were trying to shoot down the model. The shelter's floor is surfaced with wood chips, so that made matters worse.

How did two different guys at different places do the same thing? They were in a hurry. They connected the batteries, turned on the chargers, set the voltage levels and went about getting the next flight in. Both chargers had defaulted to a different chemistry charge program. They didn't notice they'd setup those LiPos to charge as NiCds.

Check the charger(s) you use with LiPos. One of mine came up automatically to do NiCds. I had simply cussed at it and clicked all the buttons that needed clicking and didn't give it another thought. Then one evening I remembered why the fire had started at the field that day. It took me awhile with the instructions to get the sucker to come up for LiPos. I've also dedicated one charger to my TX/RX charging. The others are all set to default to LiPo.

It really is easy to make that mistake.

RE: lipo battery
 

Yeah, they don't really explode. They do make a loud pop, then make a sound much like a propane torch. The reason for the sound is simple. They look like a torch.

Using a fireproof container isn't a bad idea.

Keep in mind however, that with the simplest precautions, recharging our hobby LiPos isn't any more dangerous than charging our cell phones, ipods, camera batteries, etc. We do that all the time. Of course, those have fool proof chargers that don't have options.

RE: lipo battery
 

You would be surprised how many of our everyday electronics have li-po batteries. Charging is not as dangerous as some internet sites would have you believe. I do however charge my larger packs in an ammo can just because I don't want to sit and stare at them for a half hour while they charge. It's a pretty cheap way to C Y A, and puts me at ease that I'm not gonna damage one of the planes sitting around in the "hangar".