Lipo Capacity - what %/v do you use?

[ched]

Sorry - age old questions about Lipos.

Just watched a video from AndyRC on a new 'Fun Fly' 'budget' battery from Tattu. It was a 1550mAh and he flew it taking out 1566mAh landing at 13.0V!!!

I normally take out about 80% (14.4v-3.6v/cell hover, 14.8 rested-3.7v/cell)  capacity before landing.

So is AndyRC just pulling way too much out as he gets given batteries and is just testing or can I take out more than 80% and still have longevity?

Cheers

[trebor]

I do the same thing 3.6 - 3.7v per cell then if I dont charge them again for while its near enough storage voltage 

[Hozza]

3.5 to 3.6 for me

[Cheredanine]

Selected use time as you don’t have use voltage, which, as per others, is what I do

[ched]

I had a reply from AndyRC. I asked if he normally flew taking 100% capacity from batts.
He replied 'battery testing you fly em to the death' !
So him taking 100% capacity was just to test capacity and not the way he normally flies 

[Lamaule]

3.5v for me with the occasional 3v landing depending on how much fun I'm having! [emoji3]

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[Bad Raven]

On everything above 150/3" I use very loud balance port screamer alarms, set to 3.6v. These will blip briefly as the battery voltage sags once its lower than 3.7 ish unloaded, giving plenty of warning to position and land (I can be flying with fixed wing in circuit and not have automatic right to land immediately)

[Lai Vivian]

@ched999uk hey guys we don't recommend low voltage like that, for the longevity of battery 3.7-38V is ok,

[ched]

@ched999uk hey guys we don't recommend low voltage like that, for the longevity of battery 3.7-38V is ok,

The voltages are measured during flight so not rested voltages. 3.7v rested is about 20% capacity left, which should be fine.

[Elmattbo]

I know for a little extra capacity some people to charge to 4.25/cell. Not great for the batteries and I don’t do it myself, but it’s an option (5that comes with the usual health warnings!).

A friend of mine has been experimenting with overcharging to 4.35/cell and has managed to get 1800mah out of a 1500mah battery. He’s careless with his batteries though, he’s landed with 4s packs below 9V.


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[Morganan]

For Lipo battery, generally I will leave at least 10% of the capacity, so as not enough power to land.

[Bad Raven]

There is no single "poll" answer to this. Some of the required knowledge to get the best from a pack and keep it well has little to do with simple LiPo LVC voltage protection!

You need to know your models set up well, as for just one example, a very high current drain quad will suck the voltage below safe operating level extremely quickly and not always when you might expect. This might take the receiver below safe voltage faster than you could limit the current drain.

One of mine is regularly sucking over 135A on 4S, which can at the end of a run if not well throttle managed extremely quickly take the voltage below safe operating level.  Hence I run an earlier warning (higher trigger voltage) on that.

Most of my quads have balance port screamer alarms as previously stated. In general terms I usually set for 3.6v, but the current suckers will be 3.7 or even 3.8, and are used not to signal land immediately but to warn to reduce the peaks by throttle control if I want to continue a any longer. These alarms do no latch, but stop once the load is keeping voltage above the set level. (Some makes do this, some "latch")

Quads that have LVC (micros, etc) rarely have this set to a level that gives full use from the pack, they usually cry wolf. The stupidity of a far too early shutdown on Inductrix models is well known, but it extends to (say) Eachine E011, which cries wolf and flashes the lights at above 3.7. I have as routine run these cells beyond that down to 3.5 ish, a minute plus beyond the flag point, which recovers to 3.7 almost as soon as landed and by long term experience has caused NO effect on the packs duration or power output.

HEALTH WARNING - IT IS YOUR CHOICE TO FOLLOW OR NOT MY RESEARCH, I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS OR ANY RESULTS OF YOU TRYING THE FOLLOWING!!  However, I also need to state that I have been regularly charging non-HV labelled 1S packs to HV 4.35.  This has not only given longer duration and power but done so on packs where normal charging cut off had dropped to under 4.1x. I have not and will not as of now do this process to 2S or above, but MY 1S packs (usually Eachine or HK Nano-Tech) are generally transformed by this from time expired to fully useful. They are stored in a flame proof container and only ever charged under observation.

Some of these packs are now over a year into this process with no ill effect.

I REPEAT - YOUR RISK, I am NOT advocating this, simply reporting my findings/action.

YMMV.