Batteries

All types of Batteries are Here

In General about Batteries specs

LiPo versus NiMh

Many electric model cars come with a battery. However, if this is not the case, you will first ask yourself whether it should be a LiPo (lithium polymer) or a NiMh (nickel metal hydride) battery. Each of the two has its advantages and disadvantages.

The LiPo battery impresses with its light weight and high performance, it allows almost twice as long a driving time, the voltage curve is almost constant and there is only a small self-discharge when it is stored. The advantages of the NiMh are the lower price and that it is almost indestructible. This aspect is not given with the Lipo. If not handled properly, there is a risk that it will start to burn.

LiPo batteries

LiPo stands for Lithium Polymer and is the battery of the future, which is characterized by longer runtime and more power. The good values, related to the number of charging cycles, also speak for it. Depending on the manufacturer, the service life is specified as 300 to 600 charging cycles. In addition, LiPo batteries have no memory effect and thus maintain their capacity over their entire service life, except for small losses of about 20%. However, this is shortened if they are not stored with a bearing voltage of 3.8V. To counteract this, they must be charged to bearing voltage after each use.

Charging LiPo batteries

When you buy a LiPo battery, you first need to charge it. Make sure that the charger is compatible with your LiPo battery. This should be noted either on the charger itself, the packaging, or the manual. If you have a suitable charger, you need to know which settings are correct for charging the battery.

To do this, it is important to understand what the values on the battery stand for: A LiPo battery consists of at least one cell, which normally has 3.7 volts. The "S" value indicates the number of cells. For example, the battery with 2S has 7.4 volts. The current specification, which is measured in amperes, indicates how much current the battery can supply.

The C-value

The indication "C" is an important factor when it comes to charging and discharging. This indicates how high the value is that can be drawn from the battery for a short time, for this you multiply the ampere value by the "C" value. To put it more simply, a 6000mAh 50C battery can provide up to 300A at the output.

Safety

LiPo batteries require a number of safety precautions. Everyone has probably heard stories about exploding batteries. Although there are many possible causes for this, the two most common are overloading and mechanical damage. To minimize the risks of damage to your LiPo battery, always use a LiPo charger with the correct settings. A second important point is that you should use a LiPo Safe bag for charging and always store the battery in this case at the correct storage voltage.

Storage

Storing the LiPo battery is an important point to extend its lifespan. If you keep a LiPo battery empty or fully charged for more than two weeks, it can severely affect its performance and lifespan. Therefore, if you do not use the battery for more than a week and have a programmable charger, you should use it to charge the battery to stock voltage in storage charging mode. If you don't have such a device, charge the battery for about half the time it usually takes to fully charge it. This way you get close to the right tension.

NiMh Batteries

The NiMh battery, nickel-metal hydride accumulator, is a good and cheap battery for RC model making. It is less sensitive than LiPo batteries and therefore easy to handle even for beginners. It is particularly suitable for RC vehicles that do not need to deliver top performance, such as Rockcrawlers or RTR (Ready to Run) vehicles.

Charging NiMh batteries

If the manufacturer does not specify fast charging capability, a NiMh battery should be charged at most with the amperage of the battery's capacity, i.e. with a 3000mAh battery with 3 amps. In general, it can be said that less charging current is gentler and therefore better for the battery. To form the battery, charge it with 1/10C, so you get the batteries full within one pack at the same time. Even if they have been stored for a longer period of time, they should be formed first before being attached to the fast charger. Furthermore, it is important to let the batteries cool down well before charging them.

Safety

Although the handling of a NiMh battery is safer compared to a LiPo battery, it is still recommended to use only high-quality chargers with automatic end-of-charge identification to avoid overheating.

Storage

NiMh batteries are safer compared to LiPos and therefore also suitable for children. Although explosions have occurred in rare cases so far, storage is generally less complicated. After use, the NiMh battery should be charged to approx. 50% and ideally stored at approx. 20°C. It should be noted that the cells do not fall below an open-circuit voltage of about 1 volt, you should recharge the battery about every two months, as it discharges itself relatively quickly.