Battery duration

G.K. · Hopping Maniac Joined: 29 Aug 2012 Posts: 47 Location: UK

Good day all, lovely weather out there.

I have 2 batteries for the HB cp3 both 11.1 v. One is 1000mah the other 1300mah.

What battery duration should I expect if low hovering in 0 wind with these batteries?

tombo242 · Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 10:45 pm Post subject:

Lot depends on the lubrication Gary, assuming all smooth and minimum friction around 7 & 9 min. More if you like to run the batteries low.

Given lack of lub anywhere maybe 4 & 5 min or less plus ruined batteries.

Tom.

G.K. · Hopping Maniac Joined: 29 Aug 2012 Posts: 47 Location: UK

Thanks for that Tom.

I'm getting less than that and it's taking 3 or 4 hrs to charge the batteries, in fact I'm taking them off charge before the charger tells me they're ready as I don't want to overcharge them.

My battery tester is telling me they're at 11.5 ish volts after these long charges.

....steep learning curve with these rc helis. Getting there though.

tombo242 · Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 1:03 am Post subject:

Hi Gary,

looks like you need a good charger, Assuming that your batteries are 3 cell, then the fully charged voltage is 4.2V/cell = 12.6V total. If you only have ~11.5 after 3 or 4 hours there is something wrong somewhere and it has to be the charger. What you are getting is just about the storeage level of charge. If I fly gently at that level I would only get some 2~2.5 mins of hover, regardless of which of my helis I fly.

I use the IMax B6 from here, but you do need a power supply and make sure that you get the genuine one and not one of the cheaper clones, the clones are not accurate! I have used mine to charge a whole range of things as well as the RC Li-Pos. (Carpet cleaner, hand vaccuum, assorted Ni-Nh batteries, 28V power drill, DX6i Tx [knocked up a special lead] and a car battery.) It's never let me down over the last 4 years.

Tom.

Dumb Thumbs · Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 6:48 am Post subject:

I agree with Tom, sounds like the charger isn't doing it's job and is in fact shorting the overall life span of your battery packs. A good charger will balance charge, tell you how many Amps it put into a pack and at what rate it's charging at as well as monitor battery temp and shut down in case of overcharge or if time you set runs out.

G.K. · Hopping Maniac Joined: 29 Aug 2012 Posts: 47 Location: UK

Yep, battery charger knackered...well, perhaps not totally knackered, it's just taking a long time.

Spoke to the supplier and they're sending me a new charger FOC.

Charged the 1000mah one last night until it read 12.6 v. It took 4 hrs. The E-Sky charger is a charger/balancer that switches off when battery is done although @ £12.95 for a replacement it's clearly a cheap one.

Thanks again Chaps.