I agree; this video was very helpful. I am going to use these ammo cans for storing and charging. This whole Lipo safety issue really got me to think. The use/charge handling tips brought out in this thread are good info but is not a solution as it seems Lipos are inherently volatile. - Thanks for the post!

You're right. I'm always very careful when charging LIPOS, but I guess I got careless with the NI-- batteries. I never thought that they would blow apart like that. I do have a better charger, but I was using it to charge the LIPOS. Bottom line, don't rush, and check what you're doing.

Agreed. "Lipos: the antithesis of maintenance free"

Not sure he was assuming, I think he was just reading what you wrote. I read the same sentence:

"...had a couple batteries on charge, so I'd be all charged up & ready to fly upon arrival. Left to go to the store..."

I assumed the same thing, until you clarified it.

Bummer man. I need to re-think how I'm storing as well.

EDIT: Thought I did a reply with quote. Guess not. Never mind.

Ditto. Thanks for the alert David

Thanks for starting this thread. Been getting lazy lately. Got me to go back and check all my LIPOs. I found one that I forgot to take out of a plane last fall. Going to get more organized with my batteries.
One more thing to watch out for. I have a small safe box, which I lined the bottom with tiles, that I use for taking my batteries to the field. One time I opened the box and found a battery all swollen. Turns out I accidentally closed the lid on the balancing wires and the edge of the lid shorted a cell.

I am new to electric planes as so have little experience charging lipo's. I do have a three cell that came with a 'ready to fly' plane and two more bigger three cells that I have yet to charge. I have an ammo box and two chargers both of which have jacks to plug into a car cigarette lighter. Are there chargers that plug into a 110v ac supply? In view of what I've heard I am nervous about charging these batteries on the way to the field. I also hear don't leave the batteries while charging. Does this mean I have to sit and baby sit them?

No, but you need to have them in a fireproof container and not leave the general area while they're charging!

I would like to suggest that you do not charge your lipos inside of your car. Don't charge them under the hood and don't charge them inside of the car using the car cigarette lighter. Get a power supply (plugs into 110v ac) and a charger (plugs into power supply). Also buy a small battery checker to monitor the voltage of each cell. Charge batteries at your home outside before you go to the field -or- charge them at the field assuming your field has 110v ac to plug into. If your field does not have power you can buy a gel cell battery to plug your charger into.

Yes - keep an eye on your batteries while they're being charged. Be wary, be safe. Stay within sight of your Lipo batteries while they're charging. Don't skimp on the power supply and charger. Buy good, reputable, proven stuff. I've got two 12 volt computer power supplies connected in series to power my Hyperion charger. Hyperion chargers are top notch. I typically charge two 6S lipos simultaneously.

There are also some chargers on the market that can be powered by AC or DC power, such as the Triton 2 EQ. Granted, these chargers are sometimes more expensive than a DC charger and a DC power supply combined. I got a a used Triton 2 EQ off of this site for $100. As others have said, don't leave LiPo batteries unattended while you charge them. You don't have to sit there and stare at them while they charge, but do check on them frequently to make sure they are getting hot or swelling up. You can get a temperature sensor for the Triton 2 EQ (and some other chargers) that will shut off the charger if the battery gets too hot. This adds another a layer of protection, but still does not allow you to safely leave the batteries unattended while charging.

...Are you sure that you meant to say that? Are they perhaps wired in parallel? Wiring in series would have one PC supply feeding power to another PC supply that is connected to your Hyperion. Parallel would have both PC supplies feeding power to the Hyperion thru separate Hyperion inputs.

Remember smart chargers are only as smart as the people programing them. Read the instructions, know your batteries, practice common sense and safety. No need to panic and run out and throw away your batteries.

Now you done it.

You got my paranoid antenna up.

Since I have no outdoor storage option, and out door temps here can range from -30°F to +110°F, everything must be in the house.
I am now building a battery storage / charging box.
The box will be welded up out of steel.
There will be a thin plastic sheet 3 inches below the top.
Above that sheet there will be 3 inches of dry sand.
The box will be vented through the wall to the out side.
The door will have the same type gasket as you would have on the door of a wood burning stove.
The box will be bolted to the basement block wall, with the charging station right next to it. It will vent out the same window as my dryer vent.

The theory is that if a battery should lite off the heat will melt the thin plastic sheet and bury the battery in sand. Any smoke or fumes will vent to the outside of the house.

Until this thread I never knew that a lipo was still dangerous after it was taken off charge. I had got into the habit of removing the lipo from the jet before charging but then putting it back into the jet immediately after charge was complete.

I will have to get some ammo cans for transporting batteries to the field.

I was wondering the same thing. I assumed he meant a positive from one PS connected to a negative from the other PS, and then the free negative from the 1st PS and the positive from the 2nd PS are used to power the charger. I was under the impression that doing so would create a ground loop, assuming the PS's are plugged into the wall with a 3-prong plug. If it does indeed work like that without a problem, then I may utilize that technique.

Dave,
Sorry to see this, posted a battery safety reminder on our Facebook page just a few days before your mishap. Glad the damage was limited to the MH! I have been using the Venom Stronghold charge boxes for about 6mo now. They are the easiest ready-to-use solution I have come across and I like the fact that you can see the packs while charging! Every battery gets charged in one of these and I then use the box for storing all my LiPo's at the end of the day. I simply place the box in an isolated area in our shop on the concrete floor. Money well spent and wont ever go without one.

Todd,
Is there a charge pass thru? I like the idea of that charge/storage box along with some ammo cans for my less used packs..

Yes, Sorry... should have shown that....the Venom Stronghold Solo charge box has a charge lead pass-through and is also the vent should a battery gas out....

I have done the same conversion with computer server power supplies to use with my PL8. You have to isolate the ground on one of the power supplies if you are going to series them together.

Yes, that is how we get to 24 volts (for the chargers that take it). For example, the Maxamps 24 powersource is 2 12v in parallel. the have two separate power cords and all (only one is grounded)

Don't you mean series?

http://www.daddyhobby.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77204

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but a smoke alarm directly above your workbench or charging station would be a worthwhile investment. They are pretty cheap. Furthermore, batteries are not the only think in our shops that can cause a fire.

Check this one out. No need to do anything:

feathermerchant.com

Gerry

Yes.... now you guys got me confused haha

in my own instance i was charging a small 2 cell lipo, it was there in front of me, i was keeping a tab on it all was good, all the suden i smelt a sweet smell and it went from flat to egg shaped in 3 sec i unhooked it and headed for the door as i threw it started smoking and berst into flames,i watched it burn, and thout what could be done, my answer was instead of buying a lipo safe bag why cant the heat shrink be replaced with lipo bag biult in to the battery from the start, im working on this ideal,