How to Charge a LiPo Battery with a Smart Charger

[@AfjeerOf]

Thank you for not making a 45 minute video to explain this

[@samunthl9077]

Haha

[@Daniel-ys5kf]

Thanks for the informative video 👍🏻 and not being 40 minutes long

[@HobbiesDirect]

No worries, hope it was useful :-)

[@ZapytajFotografa]

You explained me more than user manual and info delivered by producer on its website xD thanks!

[@kenhowell8403]

One of the most useful vids on charging. Thanks.

[@S9RUT]

Always love learning something new! Totally didn't know about the Mah-Amps conversion!

[@HobbiesDirect]

We're glad you got something out of it! That rule is how to determine a "1C" charge rate which basically means the battery will take 1 hour to charge from flat. *Some* LiPo batteries can be charged quicker than 1 hour, but in almost all situations, we would recommend sticking to the 1 hour (1C) charging rule for all battery LiPos.

[@warrenmischley5293]

Video was extremely helpful, thank you very much!

[@HobbiesDirect]

Glad to hear it!

[@the.just.able.biker67]

At last!!!! A simple clear easy to follow video. Ive just followed these instructions for a brand new 2s lipo 5,200mah 7.4v 50c. It started to charge for about 20 seconds, then an alarm sounded and the screen said the battery was fully charged. Is it normal for a battery to shipped fully charged? I thought it would've only had a storage charge.

[@HobbiesDirect]

Not normal, but certainly possible. Can your charger tell you the overall/individual cell voltage? Fully charged, your battery pack should be 8.4v (+/- 0.02v), and each cell should be around 4.20v.

[@ukmonk]

So over winter months as I am not out flying, if I store my lipos @ 3.8v, then they will be fine leaving them for this long period right? Going by what Joshua Bardwell said, technically should be good for years in storage mode? I have them in a bat box which is also placed inside a lipo holdall, in my garage, and I do a physical check every 2-3 weeks for deformation, swelling, leakage etc. This is ok right?

[@HobbiesDirect]

They'll be fine :-) Checking every now and then and making sure the voltage hasn't dropped couldn't hurt though.

[@ukmonk]

@ thank you so much for replying. If the voltage has dropped I can just top it back up to 3.8v right? Having a low voltage isn’t a fire hazard though is it please? Just maybe will hurt the longevity of the battery?

[@angesrc]

Need some advice... I have a 3S 4500mah 50c battery and I have the unit capacity at 5000. Is it safe to increase the capacity rate ?. Only because it seems to stop at 5000, but has not finished charging even though the battery is a 4500. Can I increase the capacity rate?

[@ruggy1963]

Brilliant simple explanation.

[@jas2cool4u2005]

Awsome job explaining this!

[@hotdognobun]

I just picked up a 2s lipo that says 7.6v but my charger only has 7.4 (2s)? Is that what I use or need to buy another charger that has that option? I also prefer to charge at a lower amp so what do you recommend for 6400mah 130c?

[@HobbiesDirect]

That's a high voltage (HV) lipo pack. Using the regular 7.4 setting is totally safe, and will even be kinder to the battery and likely extend its service life. You can charge at any amp rate you like up to 6.4A, so maybe 3.2A and have the charge cycle take ~2 hours?

[@hotdognobun]

@ Oh forget it. 2 hours charging in RC is an eternity. Thanks again for the info

[@HobbiesDirect]

@@hotdognobun So if you don't actually prefer to charge at a lower amp rate, go for the full 6.4A :-)

[@irvinemifsud783]

Hey bro thanks for the video😁. I have a question i have a lipo battrey 3200mah 7.4 40c 2c when i charge it full it comes 8.4 right and it gives me 1hr of fun is it right?

[@heinzforizon8318]

I have same charger at 0:23, I have a 4500 7.4v 45c battery that I’m trying to balance charge at 4.5A at 7.4v(2s) but it keeps saying over voltage when doing a battery check when I try to charge it. I have ran the battery flat with an rc car but it keeps saying over voltage when trying to charge the battery, do you know what’s wrong?

[@HobbiesDirect]

What is the voltage when you use the meter function? If everything is normal there, there could be an internal fault in the charger.

[@SanjivVenkatram]

Greetings and much appreciate the clarity! Kind regards...

[@HobbiesDirect]

Thanks for watching!

[@ukmonk]

Watching a lot of videos lately on KZbin re LiPo’s has honestly got me a little anxious, would like some confirmation from some people that are experienced in this subject please as I am new to using this class of battery. My lipo’s are in good condition, always balance charge them with a smart charger, check the cells are equal and when not using for a few days, I put them in storage mode (3.8v) and keep them in separate lipo bags when then in turn are placed in a batbox which is then placed inside a large fireproof lipo holdall, I then keep these in my garage. Is this a safe enough procedure please? I just would like to know if I am covering all bases.

[@HobbiesDirect]

Yep, you've got like 3 layers of protection there - you'll be fine :-)

[@ukmonk]

@@HobbiesDirect thank you so much!

[@thunderchild2237]

Sorted with the video Thankyou. Do I need additional multimeter checker or does this tell me the power in battery

[@HobbiesDirect]

Depends on the charger, but it should give you a live voltage readout, or have a Battery Meter function.

[@thunderchild2237]

@@HobbiesDirect I have brand new same model as video

[@HobbiesDirect]

Then you don't need another checker; use the meter on the charger :-) @@thunderchild2237

[@thunderchild2237]

@HobbiesDirect Darn ...ordered separate one already now :(

[@nickwilliams6869]

I have a 7.4v 1600mah 30c is it long as the voltage is the same

[@ArmandoSerrano-ue2rs]

Very useful video thanks

[@HobbiesDirect]

Glad it helped! :-)

[@lurzxe3634]

Mine says connection error idk what to do next been a minute since I used the losi drag truck

[@HobbiesDirect]

Check all connections, and if it's still not working, use the battery meter function to see what the voltage of the pack is :-) Check out our "Why is my Lipo not charging?" video as well.

[@culiacansinaloa7410]

I have a 5300mAh 2s1p 7.4v 60c battery do I charge it in 1A?

[@HobbiesDirect]

You can charge it at up to 5.3A on the appropriate voltage and balance setting :-)

[@yac2621]

my battery is 250mAh on what does it needs to be 0.2Ah or 0.3Ah

[@HobbiesDirect]

Either will work fine :-)

[@darkbloodgt6577]

So hey I have a 6500 4s 100c do any one the the amps I need to set because it's not charging

[@HobbiesDirect]

You should set it to 6.5A, 14.8v balance charge. If your charger cannot charge as high 6.5A, set it at what ever its maximum is (e.g. 5.0A)

[@darkbloodgt6577]

@@HobbiesDirect ok

[@ryane1606]

My charger I don't think is turning off an I don't understand the numbers how do I know. My rc runs strong then says red blink. I'd I charge I think it looks full I plug in to rc and runs fast. As in full power

[@ukmonk]

great video thank you!!

[@HobbiesDirect]

Hope it helped!

[@ukmonk]

@@HobbiesDirect 💯 thank you!

[@AYPAK]

How to resolve “connection break” error when we press START button for a second?

[@HobbiesDirect]

Either you've got a bad connection on the battery or the charger itself, or more likely, the battery has been drained too low for the charger to detect it. Has your charger got a Battery Meter function? That will tell you the voltage of the pack, and you can diagnose from there 🙂

[@thunderchild2237]

Have you video on Discharge lipo battery please

[@HobbiesDirect]

You should never discharge a Lipo battery completely flat - use Storage mode (if your charger has it) to put each cell at 3.80v if you don't plan on using the battery for a long time.

[@thunderchild2237]

@HobbiesDirect It's at 90% and have same charger/decharger but looking for video on using storage

[@HobbiesDirect]

Using storage mode is exactly like using charge mode - set the correct amps and voltage and you're good to go :-) If in doubt, read the manual. @thunderchild2237

[@sultanramamna9079]

Does this kind of battery charge with AC or DC current ?

[@HobbiesDirect]

Lipos are DC, but require a proper charger to not get overcharged and potentially explode.

[@legendbound2115]

Can I charge a 5200Mah 7.4v 3s battery on a 4a setting??

[@HobbiesDirect]

7.4v is 2s, but yes you can; it'll just take a bit longer than if you were charging at 5.4A :-)

[@brunostiglitz7535]

When mines charging, you can hear the fans inside or distinct air sound is heard is this normal ?

[@HobbiesDirect]

Yep, the fans help to cool down the charger :-)

[@JG-dx1ud]

what about smaller batteries like 450mah 4s 14.8V ?

[@HobbiesDirect]

charge at 0.4-0.5 amps :-)

[@DallasHankins-v3m]

How do you change the volts

[@HobbiesDirect]

That's what you're changing when the change the "2S/3S/4S" etc parameter :-)

[@LJSCOFIELD]

What about connection break?

[@HobbiesDirect]

It usually ns there's a break in the connection, or the battery voltage is too low for the charger to work safely. Use the "Battery Meter" function to see what the individual cell voltages are.

[@HoffaJedi]

I do that with my brand new batteries I just got, and for some reason They only charge to half capacity

[@HobbiesDirect]

How do you know they only charge to half capacity? If the voltage per cell is ~4.20v per cell, they're charged. The charger is only showing you the charge that has gone in in that charge session, not total capacity. Think of it like you are adding fuel to an already-part-full fuel tank :-)

[@HoffaJedi]

@HobbiesDirect but instead of getting 22 minutes on a battery, I still only get 11 min. I'll keep trying and get back to ya. Cheers!

[@omersari4537]

I have a 5000mah 7.4 lipo battery. I charged it on 4.5amp and realised the voltage went up to 7.64v is this normal?

[@HobbiesDirect]

Yep! 7.4 is the "nominal" voltage for the pack - fully charged, it'll be at 4.20v per cell, so 8.4v for a 2S pack.

[@omersari4537]

Thank you for the reply mate appreciate that 👍

[@donaldanderson2956]

Unable to find voltage on my charger. I have something that looks like this C=01100mAH nothing that said voltage

[@HobbiesDirect]

is it a 4-button style smart charger? Brand? Model?

[@LarryTheDrone]

When I’m charging my battery, it just stops and finishes when it’s not even fully charged, what do I do?

[@HobbiesDirect]

How do you know it is not full? If the voltage per cell is ~4.20v per cell, they're charged. The charger is only showing you the charge that has gone in in that charge session, not total capacity. Think of it like you are adding fuel to an already-part-full fuel tank :-)

[@LarryTheDrone]

@ than,s for that, I probably should’ve edited my comment since I figured it out 3 days ago, but thanks for the support

[@mdaftab5326]

How moch this charser

[@dirtbieks]

It doesn’t let me change the one thing

[@HobbiesDirect]

What one thing?

[@dirtbieks]

@@HobbiesDirect the 2s 3s thing

[@HobbiesDirect]

What kind of charger do you have? 4 buttons with a blue screen? If it can only charge one voltage, then you may not have that option.

[@0xeb-]

How to safely charge multiple batteries?

[@HobbiesDirect]

The safest way is with a charger that is specifically designed to charge multiple batteries, like the SkyRC T200 or T400Q: hobbiesdirect.com.au/electronics/chargers/smart-chargers-c299

[@stevendegiorgio3143]

That's pretty much what I do to charger my lipos for my plane

[@mdaftab5326]

Very good

[@renderuthis]

same charger does not work the same way

[@HobbiesDirect]

In what way?

[@vintagemotoseattle]

5.4A is pretty high!

[@HobbiesDirect]

Not for a 5400mAh/5.4Ah battery :-)

[@vintagemotoseattle]

@@HobbiesDirect copy. Here I've been charging at 1.0. I'll try 2.2A.

[@HobbiesDirect]

If its a 2200mah battery, 2.2 is a 1C charge rate 🙂​@@vintagemotoseattle

[@FR0NT13RDubz]

how do u remove the rainbow cable? 😂 I CANT GET IT OUT

[@HobbiesDirect]

There's a little tab you gotta press down :-)

[@ST-online]

My voltage on the battery says 22.2 but the charger only shows 4.20v

[@HobbiesDirect]

Sounds like only 1 cell is connected; check your balance lead and connections :-)

[@everydaycar3518]

I’m charging mine off of a car charger right now until my charger comes in