Top RC LiPo Charging Tips & What to Avoid

[@alfredyost7972]

I always used a balance board to balance charge my LIPOs. I never put my LIPOs into storage charge because I did not know it was necessary. I still got 7 years out of my LIPOs. They both started to puff up. When I saw that I knew it was over. I had them recycled. I now also put my LIPOs into storage mode when ever I am not going to use them for awhile and of course I still balance charge them too. I also only buy good LIPOs and good chargers too. I have had problems with the cheap stuff. I have had good luck with Venom LIPOs and chargers. I am sure there are other good manufacturers too.

[@RACEABLE]

i watched you while you were independent and i will follow as i like your style more than anyone else style..keep going man..

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Appreciate it man. Thanks for watching for so long. -Brett

[@joeyfesta2042]

You speak well young grasshopper,my ears are pleased.Perfectly explained,every single time.I enjoy listening to you.Keep up the great work.

[@BadEnglishDan]

This reminded me to utilize my bad lipo batteries that I still kept for some reason

[@eNrJns]

its such a breather when People have the ability to explain, great presentation , thank you ! Liked, subscribed...

[@TheWright1]

Good video always enjoy them. Could you do a video on batter connectors? Showing what to use when. I feel there is a lot of confusion example would be when to use a xt90 vs a xt60. Keep up the good work!

[@jmocrawls]

Thanks for the information, very helpful to those new to the hobby or to lipos. 😁👍

[@itzzgraham]

You should make another battery video this was entertaining!

[@janhirs4958]

Interesting video. The only thing that startles me a lot is the advise to dispose the old LiPo bateries along with regular household waste. Seriously? Even the instruction leaflets from LiPo packages instruct you to drop these at some specialized waste collection point for proper disposal and recyclation.

[@mikehill1618]

They must be keeping you in this small room for quarantine. Are they feeding you while in there? You need a haircut.Keep the videos coming. Great information you guys are sending out right now.

[@aaroncavanaugh8241]

Very helpful and informative! I always follow these tips even before I got into LiPo batteries... another tip that is helpful is this... invest in high quality very flexible large sized wire charge leads if possible... it’ll provide less resistance for faster, and more complete charging with less heat build up so the cables won’t fail due to heat really hurting the soldered connections an soft/flexible cable can handle higher power outputs as well as is much more forgiving when being maneuvered around... using good grade tight/secure fitting charge connectors also help too for all I said above... high resistance=more heat=power wasted=very high danger potential

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Good tip Aaron! -Brett

[@aaroncavanaugh8241]

AMain Hobbies for wire awg/gauge... 10-14 is fine... but personally I’d use 12 as it’s more than enough for the job as it’ll handle any amount of amps you throw at it and stay plenty flexible (Deans Wet Noodle wire is a very solid choice)... other tips... I’d not use a squid/all-in-one charge lead as the wire gauge on such cables is so small and wires themselves are too stiff and brittle, other downsides too are the solder joints being too cheap and sometimes the connectors are cheap knock offs known to fail... invest in quality wire, genuine connectors, and if possible make your own charge leads or have someone good with soldering make you some... homemade ones or ones made by a professional will typically have less resistance, and the solder will be done properly so even less resistance will be there with better power transfer and with good solder joints, they won’t break, fall apart, or fail on you... solder stations are often so much better than the old gun style solder irons (plus the solder station won’t get hot in your hands during use like a gun will with repeated use..)

[@Eimhin1]

Excellent video with great points! Thank you.

[@Jon_Flys_RC]

Often missed and overlooked don’t run your battery to low voltage cutoff. The low voltage cutoff thresholds are designed to prevent catching the battery on fire by over discharging it, not monitoring your run time. Not an issue with land vehicles but for aircraft guys we strive to land with 20% capacity remaining which is around 3.7v resting area the end of the flight. This gives us enough time for a go around or two and leaves the batteries un-stressed which keeps them more consistent as they age and accumulate cycles.

[@joyroy366]

You make amazing and useful videos mate😀

[@AJ-js1yw]

Very nice, basic easy to understand info. Thank u

[@codypierson4818]

I would like to see a video on internal resistance. A little more advanced but that might be cool.

[@billgoodman374]

Great video and perfect tips for those who are new to the hobby and lipos!

[@jmocrawls]

I just left basically the same comment. Have a good day 👍

[@dttach3d]

thank you for this video getting back into rc very informative i subbed and left a like

[@DavidFernandez-sc5ws]

People who don’t balance charge their batteries are the ones that start fires

[@henningpersson4862]

You guy’s should review Htrc T240 duo!! It’s a great charger!

[@loquitos1972]

I'm about to get into LiPo (still old-skool) and for me as a non native English speaker you are talking very clearly and understandable. Thanks for all these tips.

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Glad we could help Sanny! LiPo's are great batteries, I think you'll like them. -Brett

[@Voltronforlife]

My daughter has number stickers from her cricket machine so I just number my batteries per paired. set one each battery has a star *1 - *1 and set two *2 - *2 and so fourth. So i don't mix them as I have same brand and a couple old versus new. so numbering helps. Just a thought. Race on RC family.

[@sheffield8184]

I like to put bread crumbs on my bed an roll around pretending to be a chicken goujon 👌🏻

[@dnh3005]

Dont know what I just read but u got a like.

[@SaucyBegger25]

Yes it’s true that you can just keep adding more and more lipos to your rc car and it will just get faster and faster. Only upgrade you need. I tried it but looked a right idiot because I fitted that many to my car the weight counteracted the speed so in the end it was going the exact same speed with 30kg strapped to it

[@garrettmcdaniel1207]

Really great videos and very helpful! Quick question so even if the battery states a charge rate of let’s say 10c you would still advise to charge it at only 1c. Thanks again!

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Yes, if you want to preserve battery health for the long term. A 10C charge rate is very hard on the battery, and after repeated 10C charges, the battery will suffer. -Brett

[@Vato_Loco_rc]

Video title:Dont buy used lipo batteries People that buy on offerup:Well shit.... Lol

[@macp349]

Cool and interesting video. I got the Traxxas EZPeak Live Dual. By default it ALWAYS charges batteries at max rate, unless you change settings EVERY SINGLE TIME. There is no way to save profiles...such a dumb smart charger

[@jdads100]

on the topic of LiPos, I use LiPos in my panda hobby tetra and the LiPos I use are a range from 2 to 3 inches long. They give a perfect amount of power and before anyone asks. Yes, Panda Hobby trucks of any kind being 18th or 24th scale. So if anyone has any questions then you can reply to me, and I will respond as fast as I can about Panda Hobby.

[@dejvidos02]

Can I normally run with LiPo battery, after storage charge?

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Yeah probably, but not for long. -Brett

[@quickguesswho]

I am use to charging rc car batteries 5000 mah or something around there. I charge them at 1c. Got a helicopter that was 500 mah.... AND charged it like it was a 5000 mah battery lol.... I was wondering why it got done charging so fast.

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Because it charged at a higher rate than 1C. -Brett

[@Just4FunRC]

Bat safe are top notch! used one for almost 11months . bat safe is rated for 222Wh v x Ah= 222wh another great one is torvol. Ammobox are great too. BUT remove the rubber on each long side.or else no airvent=a bomb. also as you said bottom gets hot. good rule 1m away from flameable stuff. :D

[@Traxxbandit]

this was some good tips. I have li-pos i been using a long time. but Now not only do i balance charge, i cold store them. I live in the desert heat kills. a friend of mine told me to toss them in the freezer. So now i freeze them. when i get home i do not store charge. I charge full and slap them in the freezer. I do not run as often as i use to. more run heavy during the winter times where we hit 40 and 50 degrees out. so my batteries sit for long periods of time. But when i do go an run i pull the batts out. some times i give a quick top off as they do die down some over time. but most of the time they are ready to go. by the time i get where i am going to race the 20 mins is done they are ready to go. I have never charged over 1 c. never understood it well enough to do it. I use max amps. they are strong hold up well a bit pricey. but you get what you pay for. my chargers are Hyperion. best money invested ever. they have even brought back old nimh batterys to life an they lasted me even longer. so always remember you get what you pay for. but always have fun!!

[@zonegamma8197]

good safety tips thanks

[@ryanhansen3350]

I have a bat safe and a Traxxas charger. Can you use an extension to put in the cable slot on the bat safe? Im not sure if the Traxxas ID function will still work with an extension. If it doesn’t I may have to switch to another battery brand.

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Sure, that would work if you can find an extension that you trust. Traxxas doesn't offer one unfortunately. -Brett

[@vincentcarrozza2334]

removing the ammo box seal lets it vent. I cannot see how the bat-safe is not gonna get hot on the bottom in a fire either....

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Good tip. The Bat-Safe will definitely get hot too. -Brett

[@frankgossett8691]

Typically does excessive heat (due to very fast charging) cause a battery to catch on fire or explode?

[@AMain_Hobbies]

No, I wouldn't think so. If the battery was not rated to be charged that high, or it was not balance charged, then maybe. -Brett

[@loganc.7267]

Can you charge LiPos below the maximum charge rate? I have an 8000 Mah Venom but my charger can only charge at a maximum rate of 4 amps

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Oh yeah, not a problem and it will not damage your battery in any way. It's perfectly fine. -Brett

[@mikejurnak4253]

I use colored electrical tape to help me identify my batteries cheap and easy

[@MrDngrsdave]

Could you do a video about chargers

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Sure, but about what? Just showing different chargers, or what info would you like to see? -Brett

[@MrDngrsdave]

Different types for nickle and lipo from cheap to expensive, the different settings they can have to look out for. Also chargers that can charge multiple batteries at a time cheap to expensive.. maybe also what to look out for when buying a charger.

[@MrDngrsdave]

Perhaps even the different types of connectors for batteries and pros and cons of each

[@warofages07]

To bad the smaller bat boxes aren't available at this time.

[@whiskeytango1744]

Good, solid and easy to follow information. Love your style. So what charger was used in the video? It's seems to be able to give lots of battery information for charging.

[@AMain_Hobbies]

The touchscreen charger? That was the 625 Duo from ProTek. This one: www.amainhobbies.com/protek-rc-prodigy-625-duo-touch-ac-lihv-lipo-ac-dc-battery-charger-ptk-8519/p578442 -Brett

[@RiverTheNerd]

Are there any downsides to charging at less than 1C?

[@scotts9376]

When I show up to my local track with my batteries in storage charge, should I discharge them first then charge them. Would that give me the best performance out of my battery?

[@AMain_Hobbies]

No, not with LiPos. There will be no advantage to discharging a LiPo before charging it. Older NiMH packs on the other hand behave differently, where they do need to be discharged completely for optimal performance, but that is not the case for LiPo's. -Brett

[@scotts9376]

Thank you Brett, I appreciate it

[@troyflanagan4237]

Brett good morning yesterday i bought a heat gun with laser light Comes with the package my Truck is in the shop still i asked the owner to put a 15th tooth pinion for me is it safe in regards to overheating my motor and SERVO are Stock plus i have 2 Cooling fans 1 on top of Engine the other beside THE SERVO THE advice he gave me WAS just don't go stop and go stop and go just keep it at running speeds and check the temperature with the heat gun comes with a laser light and auto shutoff operation and more.

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Sounds good. Having a temp gun handy is very useful in knowing if your gearing is ideal, or too high, or too low. Finding the right gearing can take a little trial and error, to ensure your electronics are in the safe temp zone. And this can change with the seasons, as outside temperatures heat-up or cooldown. The shop owner is right about stopping and starting; that does generate heat. One of the best tips is to let your truck full cooldown after a drive, before driving again. Maybe put it under a large fan or something to speed it up. -Brett

[@troyflanagan4237]

@@AMain_Hobbies thanks Brett

[@troyflanagan4237]

@@AMain_Hobbies Right now is the best TIME to drive it cooling down the Engine Iam no professorial but it's a lot less of a risk and with the Temperature 🔫 i can see if its getting to high or low i don't run my TRUCK LIKE CRAZY

[@troyflanagan4237]

Hey Brett how do these Temps look to you 1 motor imperial versus Metric first for motor Ideal -140 60c Hot -150-160o 65.5o-71.1oc overheat-165 74o c

[@troyflanagan4237]

Esc temps Ideal-135o 57.2c HOT 140-150o -60o-65.5oc For 4s kraton kraton 110 2400kv Motor overheat-165o 74c- 155o 68 3o c

[@bushcrafter6416]

thx

[@damaylaphoenix1155]

can you charge lower than 1c ? like 1 or 2 amps? would that add longevity?

[@mojaverc1585]

Damayla Phoenix i mean yeah I guess it could increase longevity to a point. As long as you don’t charge quicker than what your battery can handle then its fine

[@damaylaphoenix1155]

@@mojaverc1585 ok thank you sir. i watch all of your video , keep um coming!

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Yeah it might, but it will really extend your charge times. -Brett

[@mojaverc1585]

Damayla Phoenix thanks, i haven’t been able to film new content but this weekend I will because all my exams are over. It should be a senton, mojave and maybe slash mixed bash at a more interesting location

[@KaniZRC]

Buying used lipo is like watching avatar movie on VHS player.

[@jesseblokvoort1384]

lol TopRC is a shop in the Netherlands

[@cactuscat8009]

When i was (very) new to the hobby i always charged my lipo up again after bashing. So it was full until i used it again! 😅

[@_.b.rc.g._]

I do that now. Is it okay, or am I destroying my battery?

[@codypierson4818]

It's not good for the battery and makes it puff over time. I do it overnight on occasion. Storage charge it if it won't be used for over 24 hrs.

[@dnh3005]

Cody Pierson no u can leave it fully charged for a week

[@codypierson4818]

@@dnh3005 That's probly as long as I'd want to leave em. I try not to leave them that long personally. Did you happen to get that info from a battery manufacturer's instructions or just general knowledge you've heard around from reputable sources?

[@alexander.g7992]

@@_.b.rc.g._ no that's very bad for lipos, always storage charge them if your not going to use them for more than 5 days is what i go by

[@theascenderrc8545]

What about nitro

[@DronemanJoeRc]

bc the owner of the old lip prob didnt take care of them and they can explode..so I would never buy someones lipos

[@The8429]

Is there anyway to check a “C” rating of a lipo?

[@RC-ty5ym]

Not really...

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Yeah, the manufacturers website should list the maximum charge rate on their website. AMain Hobbies would to if we carry the battery. -Brett

[@joeys5429]

I've been told after using a hot battery charging it cools it used to charge mine at 1 amp all the time no probs but I did over run them in hot weather back then 2200 mha 75 c were $100 a piece 3 cell 5 minutes was average rarely id go 7 they'd puff up round

[@RC-ty5ym]

Because you over-discharged them...

[@linyanaung461]

Can you give me an advice of how many amps do I charge my battery? I'm using a 4200 MAH 3s lipo and yokomo yz 114 plus charger

[@AMain_Hobbies]

LiPo batteries are usually recommend to charge at a 1C charge rate, which depends on the batteries capacity. To figure it out, you divide the battery capacity by 1000. So for your battery: 4200 / 1000 = 4.2 This means a 1C charge rate for your battery would be 4.2Amps. If your battery was 5000mAh capacity, a 1C would be 5 amps. If your battery was 1000mAh capacity, a 1C would be 1 amp. With this math, you can determine the proper 1C charge rate of any lipo battery. Quality LiPo batteries are capable of charging faster than a 1C rate, many capable of 2C or higher. To know the 2C rate, times the 1C by 2. For your battery, a 2C charge rate would be 8.4Amps, which will charge your battery twice as fast as a 1C rate. Whether or not your charger can charge at those rates is another story. Hope that makes sense! -Brett

[@linyanaung461]

@@AMain_Hobbies Thank you. That's really help me a lot. Im scare because I fried my LIPO twice and probably because I charge with 2c and a fast charge

[@antreaschristou7804]

If i want to charge my lipo battery the night before so i can play next day is it ok? Its better to charge it an hour before i play? Waiting for answer guys...

[@AMain_Hobbies]

It is probably ok, but use your oldest battery for it, or the pack that you care the least about. The degradation is minimal but it adds up if you do this a lot of a few years. -Brett

[@jamesgaribay1120]

I’m looking buying a charger. I would like a charger that is capable of charging two battery at the same time. What do you recommend

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Sure, here are couple options: Venom Duo: www.amainhobbies.com/venom-power-pro-duo-ac-dc-battery-charger-6s-7a-80w-vnr0685/p468689 ProTek Duo: www.amainhobbies.com/protek-rc-prodigy-625-duo-touch-ac-lihv-lipo-ac-dc-battery-charger-ptk-8519/p578442 I'm not sure what your budget or power outputs needs are, but these are two good examples. The ProTek is much more powerful, but also more expensive. -Brett

[@dylanchadderton1]

If a used lipo is puffed and the case is split just throw some duct tape on it and put it in the freezer for an hour to reduce puffing. Problem solved.

[@clearcreek69]

My hobby shop carries lipo charge bags but not the hard cases. If the person I live with finds out about the dangers of lipo batteries, she'll have me taking up calligraphy & my rc days will be over

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Maybe give our shop a look: www.amainhobbies.com/batsafe-lipo-charging-case-baf-bat-safe/p-qualqskqgc2xactz -Brett

[@dynasty4851]

Interesting

[@kg5nja693]

Which is better, 5200mah 50c or 7600mah 35c?

[@AMain_Hobbies]

It depends. What do you need more of, burst power or capacity?

[@kg5nja693]

@@AMain_Hobbies no prep drag racing

[@fromfin90]

i just googled about charging lipos, to check what current to use, and nopw i get an email from amain hobbies about charging lipos, coincidence or are you tracking me, hmm, helpful info tho. I bought a summit that came with one used lipo(2s), previous owner said the second battery died to he didnt want to send it in mail, but the battery that arrived is slightly puffed and at 8+volts, so i might look into safely discharging that one and safely discarding it

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Yeah, don't use that. Hopefully his battery treatment isn't a sign of his vehicle treatment. Here's an easy remedy to discharge a LiPo: Submerge the battery into a bucket or tub of salt water. This container should have a lid, but it does not need to be air-tight. Prepare a plastic container (do not use metal) of cold water, and mix in ½ cup of salt per gallon of water. Drop the battery into the salt water. Allow the battery to remain in the tub of salt water for at least 2 weeks. This salt bath will neutralize any remaining power in the battery. -Brett

[@fromfin90]

@@AMain_Hobbies that sounds like a good idea, will try, thank you! The vehicle itself was fine, all the rubber on axles was dry, otherwise it looked fine

[@bobthomas9403]

I need 7500 and 6000 mah batteries...other than Performa what would you recommend??

[@RC-ty5ym]

MLine Lipos! OH wait, they're only available in Germany

[@Crazyman-ur8ky]

Gens ace available everywhere

[@RC-ty5ym]

@@Crazyman-ur8ky Yes, but not MLine Lipos

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Yeah, check out Gens Ace or ProTek R/C. -Brett

[@RC-ty5ym]

@@AMain_Hobbies Whats about Intellect Lipos?

[@crazykeysersoze]

why not buy used? so they can sell you brand new ones and make a profit.

[@Einfach_der_geilste]

Can you buy me a good charger then?

[@MasterChef-ux3gk]

Man I want to know the intro song

[@AMain_Hobbies]

Pina by David Cutter -Brett

[@MasterChef-ux3gk]

@@AMain_Hobbies thank you!!

[@V8chump]

Don’t buy lectron batteries. My dad just went with the cheapest 2s lipo assuming it’d be fine and his car only gets full power for 60 seconds. Then 15 minutes of half power...

[@powertothesheeple5422]

Surprised nothing was mentioned about monitoring IR when charging. You could have fine voltage but if the cell IR is way high, the battery is still no good. My Trinity white carbons are under 1.5 Ohms per cell, my generic no-name battery has over 4.5 Ohms per cell and it makes a huge difference. Most people I know toss the batteries when the IR gets above 4 ohms per cell. More Amps = More Heat = Lower IR - same reason your car battery sucks in the winter. This is why pros charge and discharge at or close to 40 amps. You can see the IR drop as you charge at higher amp rates. I've never gotten a battery hot enough to need to put it under a fan even charging at 30 amps but you will notice the extra punch on the track. In theory this can degrade the battery quicker over time however I am happy with how mine are holding up at the higher rates. The quality of the battery likely has a lot to do with that aspect.

[@RC-ty5ym]

1,5 ohms per cell?!?!! I guess you meant milliohm.

[@mikej8832]

Guessing IR is internal resistance? Not everyone knows electrical terms....

[@Shaun-hp2yz]

i'm proud to say i'v never fast charged a battery

[@RC-ty5ym]

The funniest guys are still the ones who let their fully charged 6s sit around for a few months...

[@itchyprince3793]

And then set their LVC to 2.8v per cell 🤦‍♂️

[@RC-ty5ym]

@@itchyprince3793 No, they don't set the lvc at all, but then they're crying because their lipo is blown.

[@longboardguy]

rc guy what is a good Lvc to set? 3.7 or is that too low?

[@AMain_Hobbies]

If you set your LVC to 3.7V, you shouldn't need to storage charge it after use. You could set your LVC down to 3.2V and that would be ok, and provide a little more runtime, but it takes longer to storage charge after. -Brett

[@RTmadnesstoo]

Shoot yea. Sell us something that is NEVER in stock.

[@WhatAboutRC]

Why do i feel you intentionally didn't mention taking the seal out of the ammo box like everyone does to try and sell these stupid fancy boxes? You even went out of your way to mention the pressure when you know thats not an issue with how people use them. Either make sales videos or make informative videos... you cant do both.

[@AMain_Hobbies]

We don't use ammo boxes. However people are modifying ammo boxes for LiPo use is up to them and at their own risk. -Brett

[@KrtNeo]

You act like people are stupid, and you put a kid in the video to tell us about it? Nobody wants a kid telling them they are doing something wrong.