nate- youre fine! it should go without saying, that anytime you do a tutorial video, youre going to get every armchair expert in the hobby coming along telling you the things you missed, or what they think is the right way to do something. what those people don't realize is that it's actually hard to make a 30 minute video that covers EVERY little thing, without scripts, editing, production staff, and writers :) just realize that the internet armchair experts are just "part of the hobby :) keep killing it!
Your words of encouragement mean a lot my friend :) Sometimes I do let those people get to me, so I'm glad to know there are people on the other side of that fence as well. Thank you!
Excellent information for me. I am new to RC planes and am confused by all the electronic information. Your videos make it clear how I can be safe and extend the life of my batteries.
Yep, here it is. I never fly this time of year. But I never had a Viper, Marlin, a-10, or a Conscendo Evolution. Now if I can’t feel my fingers it’s not the disaster in years past. This is the time of the year still I think of Nate. It’s time to reorganize the battery boxes, check that all the batteries are in storage mode, Velcro aren’t pulling up and all the connectors are in good shape.
Well, after being away from the model airplane hobby for about 60 years, I've decided that you are my go-to guy to catch me up. I have a lot to catch up on!
Lipo bags for Lipo batteries are absolute must I get your point but they should be charging in the Lipo bag because if they catch on fire, it will be contained in the bag this smoke will come out, but the fire will only be contained in the bag I have several, and I use them all. I love them. I am deeply sorry people are misguided. I totally think opposite about Lipo batteries. You and Abby do great work making these videos. I enjoy watching them anytime. There is a video that’s out I watch it.💗
Good follow up video guys and you showed me I was wrong in my previous comment about your battery tester. I have since amended that so as to not confuse people. I have a few of those testers/alarms and I've since tested them all and only 1 was reasonably accurate at measuring voltages. I've never actually used them for comparing cell voltages as I have more accurate devices for that, so even if they are slightly inaccurate they will still do their primary job as a low voltage alarm. Please keep up the good work, it's much appreciated.
Thank you for this great information! I always follow your recommendation of not charging batteries unattended. However, once I was charging a single cell battery of a H8 using the USB charger that came with it. The battery was in the H8 while charging. I was quite nearby in the same room, but I fell asleep. When I woke up, the room was smoky with a burnt smell. I went over to the battery, and it was black and semi-melted. The H8 was melted, and a heavy layer of black soot surrounded the area. I was very thankful a full-scale fire did not break out! It showed me the danger is real. Now I never leave the battery in the quad, so if the battery burns, it won't destroy the quad. That incident was the only LiPo mishap I've had so far.
Nate, wanted to say thanks. Been in the hobby since the early 80's , first RC was Tamiya Hornet,got out, back in with Clod & Hornet, then frog then Big Bear and many from there. I was in, out again, back in, long story short, been back for 5 yrs now , and Lipos were like vodoo to me because when I last was in , it was Nicd or Nimd batts, cant think what we had but the old stuf. So I was so confused on Lipos. Long story short bud, my first lipo 5 yrs ago when I got back in again, I killed it lol...I never ":storage charged it" just because I had no lipo knowledge.. I'm actually big into custom RC, I have a custom rc 1/5 scale I fully custom build using 5/16" .062 steel tube for the monster truck frame I built from scratch...BUT, you just helped me big time bud. I have a pair of 4s 9700mah 130c smc lipos I run in that truck I built, paid around $220 for my pair but didn't understand how to care for them properly, and for 5 yrs I had a 3s and just killed it because I NEVER storage charged it.. But wanted to tell you. I watched this and the other vid. I bought two of the voltage checkers you suggested ( I never understood voltage or storage charges/etc) But FYI ...after watching your lipo vids, this one and the other, a couple times each. I now own two voltage checkers, I am now checking my batts, I am now also storage charging my batt's and I finally understand what a storage charge is and the sweet spot to keep it at .Tonight for the first time ever I have 4 lipos in storage charge because of you Nate ;) Mine are now in storage at 3.8 and I know why they are at 3.8 now lol. So just wanted to say. You helped an old RC guy understand this new lipo stuff ;) BTW you and Abby are great, love your vids and you guys seem to have a great marriage/relationship that comes through in your vids. Keep the vids coming.
Lol I was wondering a good week straight what is being balanced...lol I just came from 1997 with my 7.2v Original Gangster Dodge Ram bodied Stampede 2wd with a amazing 7.2v 2000mah with tower hobbies fast charger with a what? a discharger! a what? a discharger! Yea... thanks for the info I take everything in bcz frankly all motorsports and the lifelong blessings of RC autos are the dearest to my heart. It truly improves the quality and joy of my life. I don't have much joy since my family disappeared. This all helps me sleep and makes good days!
I was heavily involved in the RC hobby back in the 80's, but everything has evolved so much that I am working to catch back up. You are a super nice guy with a lot of RC knowledge and I appreciate you and your sweet wife making these videos to help us learn to charge our batteries safely (again). I just bought this charger largely because of your recommendation and was confused about the storage charging not going above 1.0 AMPs because my Lectron Pro charger goes all the way up to 5.0 AMPs. I thought there was something wrong with my charger and you helped me see this is normal with this video. I also purchased a BATSAFE to use with this new charger but the leads are a little short. Are longer leads available?
Most charger instruction's call for balance lead first then power leads. Most quality chargers are designed to handle the burst of voltage(Power leads) from the battery packs. However, in principle with higher performance battery packs, if you send the same high voltage through a smaller wire(Balance connector), you could potentially heat up the wire to the point of melting, thus not leaving charger unattended. Great video guys and gals, oh yea, and Popeye.
How long can my LiPos sit uncharged before I should storage charge them?...say I run my rc car an I run it till they hit the shutdown mode ..how long can they sit in that state before I should put a storage charge on them??
The bit of advice you give at the end of the video, I really like. Dont let batteries ruin the hobby for you. I feel like people get a little too anal with the technicalities. Just plug your batteries in, main first, balance second, start your charger on a low amperage setting if you want to cram just a tiny bit more power into your battery, use a higher amperage setting if you need to charge faster, set your cell count, and just make sure to keep an eye on it periodically. Balance charging just gives an extra few seconds to MAYBE a minute of flight. It is again, one of those things that spending an hour balance charging is not worth the small amount of extra time you will get out of doing it, and the only time you really need to worry about balance charging is if the battery is going into storage.. In storage, you really want those cells reading 3.8 volts, so balance charge all the cells to 3.8 volts. I dont know if this charger lets you set a goal voltage, but this is a great feature. The charger I have lets me set a goal voltage, which defaults to 4.2 volts, but can be set to over or undercharge a battery, and it will intelligently handle the rest, including automatic balance charging after the main charge is complete. If I plug in a battery at say 4.1 volts, and I set it to charge to 3.8 volts, it will know to discharge the battery to 3.8 volts, then automatically balance charge to 3.8 volts, then power off. If I plug in the same 4.1 volt battery and set to 4.2 volts, it will charge them to 4.2 volts, balance charge, then turn off. When it goes into balance charging, I can simply cancel the process with a single button press if I dont want to wait for that process to occur. The thing is, batteries fail, you will buy replacement batteries. Whether a battery lasts 2 years, or 4 years is really of minimal importance to me, especially since I tend not to use or keep a device around that long anyway (most devices fail after 2 years and I cant be bothered to spend the time or money to fix them and just end up buying a replacement device with better tech). So, again, don't get too anal about this stuff. You will buy better drones with better tech, which will come with fresh batteries, and the old batteries will likely be recycled. Dont fret too much about abusing your batteries, we already do that by simply putting them in a device and fast draining a battery like we do. My Yuneeq Q500 4k kills a 5400 Mah 3 cell battery in 15 minutes. The batteries are designed for 300 charges, but you are not going to get near to that, simply because the drone does not get used every day, but I tend to keep the batteries charged so I can use it once a week or so.
Great 2 videos. You have made several things clear. I run my car maybe once a month. Now I know (think) after I'm done I should storage charge the battery(s) (came with 2 batteries). Then balance charge them just before use. Please comment if this is incorrect. Thank you for these videos. I'm an old dog learning new tricks.
Hey Nate thanks man! This was the video I was looking for ..... Yes even here on New Years Eve.....Lol. I have an Arma Kraton V5 BLX and I love it, it's a beast. Just got it about a month ago. I just got 2 new Lipo's today, and wanted to storage charge it tonight. Thanks again, God Bless and Happy New Years! 🎉🥳
Is storage charging about the same as discharging? I've already learned so much from this video! Thank you so much! I like the relationship you guys have with each other!
I use a car headlight bulb for fast discharging I set my alarm at 3.6v per cell then recharge it to storage level . Then before flying balance charge . If they are in storage for a long time I charge cycle them up and backdoor to storage.
Thanks for the quick reply. The Airmasters field in Sebastian FL has a bank Of car batteries charged by solar panels, works great. Flying Tigers at Westwinds Metropark in Toledo has no power. I’m searching for options.
After clicking confirm to start a charge or discharge-I click the increase button to set the display to read out the individual cell voltage and then I can follow the progress-also the volt meter in the charger is way more accurate than the alarm unit (its a great alarm but really not a volt meter)-thanks the video was nicely done and held my Adult ADD back to the end!
On the plugging in the main discharge lead before the balance lead, that is primarily when parallel charging which is not something I would recommend to beginners. When you plug multiple batteries into a parallel board it will equalise the battery voltage between the batteries as the charger will see multiple batteries as one larger battery, hence getting a small spike in energy when you add another battery to the parallel board. Not a big deal if your only charging one at a time but still as you mention, just a good habit to do which I agree with.
Great video. I have the same charger why can't you increase the Amp when storgege mode? Takes forever for a 6S at 1amp. Should be up to 7amp storgege charge
I was wondering if you can do a video explaining 50c. what that really means also if you can intertwine how you can go about telling the time on flight of the battery that you can have estimating the flight time. Thank you very much I appreciate all of your videos they are user-friendly I am new to this my second year in and loving it keep those videos coming don't change a thing LOL. Picked up 2, F15 Eagles.
thank you for this video. The main point is to do it as safely as you can and get informed knowledge. Charging any rc battery you should be around to monitor it. Any battery can explode.
Great and informative video. I purchased 1300mah 3s batteries in 2015. I forgot I had them. Just found them in end of 2020. They are still at 3.8. I'm not going to use them soon. Should I just like charge them full...and then use them somehow at least once. Then storage charge them? Or although they are 5 years old...I should leave them until I actually use them? 🤔
Hi Nate just watched your video on the lipo alarm great video as I am a beginner I need this type of information also in one of your other videos you mentioned to upgrading your charger I upgraded my USB charger that came with my plane that I got in September the Habu STS once again and upgraded it to 1100 spectrums smart charger not only a budget-friendly charger but a great investment love it.
Good information. I typically use the battery meter on my LIPO Charger to get the pack and individual cell voltage rather than using one of those little battery alarms. Much more accurate. Thanks for the video and Happy Flying!
Great tip my friend :) I should have showed that feature as well, but still trying to keep the video simple. I like the little alarms because they can be used anywhere you are, rather than just with your charger :)
When you STORAGE charge your batteries, will it go up to storage charge if below where it should be, OR go down to storage charge if it's above where it should be? Will it go either way?
So im a noobie to the hobby (yall got me into it and I absolutely love it!) but i was wondering when yall were talking about discharging a battery for storage, does using the battery in my car until the LVC stops it mean the battery is discharged enough for storage or do i still need to do the discharge on my battery?
Not a stupid question at all! Actually, if you use your RC car 'till the LVC kicks in, that's probably a good bit under storage charge. The BEST way to see where your voltage is at if you don't have a charger that will tell you is with one of these guys ----> ruclips.net/video/CKWjWRggngc/видео.html This is our video. Hope it comes in handy!!
Fellow Rc hobbiest (mainly fpv drones atm) A little late to the game, loved the video my head use to spin thinking about batteries but I have it down pat now and your video helped straighten out some things :) Subbed and now to take a look at your newer stuff!
You know Tim, I'm going to be 100% honest with you. I'm not going to recommend any power source because I've not had to rely on one. I've gotta consider myself very lucky that my flying field has outlets all over the place and I'd just rather be honest than recommend something I've not used personally. However, I have witnessed first hand many people and friends using generators with this charger, working really really well. That would be the most consistent power source for this charger, which would help it's performance. I've even been shopping for a generator for times that we go to RC events that don't have tons of outlets every where ;-) Hope this helps a bit! Happy Flying!
I'd never watched this one before, I don't think. I have an iMax B6 and thought I was running with the cool kids on LiPo charging safety and effectiveness. But as it turns out, I learned a few things from watching this one. I also have quite a few of those LiPo alarms, though I did not learn about those from y'all. Also, I am currently putting storage charges on two big batteries for which I currently have no RCs. And the 2S 5200mAh 80C was fully charged. Movie time.
Hi. Do you have advice on how to use the wee digital status device described in the last 5 minutes of your video? I am new to RC planes and wondered where it would be connected to hear a low voltage alarm. maybe I have got the wrong end of the stick here.
I learned to balance charge when I got init drones . These rc truck batteries look like they don't have that balance plug (jxt) , question is does that jxt xh plug go into the balance ports on my imax b6 ?
Not gonna lie I wanna upgrade from a 6volt nicad 5000mah battery to a 5000mah 7.4volt 2a lipo for the reciever but I don’t like lipos because they will blow up and I don’t know how much abuse it will take during a heavy bashing session it could kill the lipo vs the nicad that takes longer like 10 hours to charge when I can have a lipo done in less than a hour But the cons of having a battery the won’t blow up and a battery that has potential to burn a house down has me worried not gonna lie don’t charge indoors always charge outdoors with lipos nicad is fine to charge indoors your phone battery is slightly more different so not worried about my phone blowing up in my face but I am worried that rc lipos have no safe guards built into them
Awesome video keep up the good work, now I know how to storage charge, I am new to electric rc cars, right now the battery is in the fire bag, i will put it in storage charge tomorrow, as I will not be driving it until spring/summer, I will read the manual as i am totally new to lipos and the charger.
Glad to see you guys add a few points that would normally be common to someone in the hobby. Good on you guys for clarifying things for those that are new, and ignore the "awesome" folk who think they know everything. I have a 2s that has been fully charged for over a month IMMA DIE!!!
Nate With the voltage checker and alarm how do they fit in a plane that only holds 1 cell battery , a plane like Sports Cub 2 or the Champ. Nate the venom Wiad 1 cell battery charger is $31.00.
you guys are the best, thanks foe being family friendly (even though it's just a 60 year old man here). I am fairly new to RC but have a huge pile of cheap chargers that come with RTF planes. on your recommendation I got the Venom pro duo and love it, thanks! My question: the Venom charger will show voltage of each individual cell when a lipo is connected by pushing the "inc" button. Is there a reason you didn't mention this? Is it less accurate than your little gizmo's? Thanks again.
We are proud that the entire family can watch our videos without worry :) So glad to hear you like your charger! I guess we are just trying to keep the videos as simple as possible, which is why we didn't mention that. Many people have asked about our little gizmo in a lot of previous videos where we mention it, so I felt like I should cover that a bit more. The voltage on the charger is very accurate. Something I may mention in a future video, but thanks for asking about that. Happy Flying!
If you have high "C" rating batteries that can handle being fast charged, and you are out at the field or track and just have to get that one last flight in quickly before you leave for the day 😉👍😁😎⚓
To maximize play time (RC cars, not RC planes or drones that could fall out of the sky), what's the lowest voltage that the LiPo battery can be discharged to. 2.7 is the lower limit on the lipo alarm but that seems kinda low. Thoughts?
Hi Nate and Abby. Great channel. I have a Gens Ace 2s 5700mah saddle pack and was wondering if I can use the leads it came with to charge it or do I have to make up a charge lead? Any help would be appreciated
I just bought the venom duo charger. So, if you use regular lipo charge you aren’t balance charging it? Even if you plug in the balance lead? Why use the balance lead when not balance charging then?
Some would say to go ahead and use them. I have honestly used “puffed” Lipos before, but there are wide stages of a puffed LiPo, and I only did this because I couldn’t afford new ones, early in my flying years. Nowadays, I say if you can afford new ones, please do so. Recycle the old ones, and play it on the safe side. Happy Flying 👍😁😎⚓️
Excellent video. It would be easy to write the content off as rudimentary, as a newcomer to the world of RC, I found it to be invaluable. Thanks for the thoughtful, coherent and detailed explanations.
Hi I live in Az. Do you keep all your batteries when not in use in your home in an amo box? I'm very new to the RC would. I'm going by common since to bring them in the summer my garage gets to about 110° So I want to bring them in the house in a battery box or can they withstand the Heat?
I have an easy question I bought our first RC truck. And it came with the charger battery combo. It's a the little charger no digits or anything.. so I'm wondering how long can I hold on,. On buying a good charger? Can I use this little charger to charge my 2s and 3s for the first couple months? Or should buy it right away.
Some of my batteries are getting puffy. Are all lipo batteries the same or is there a particular brand that is better than others? Love you guys. Thanks a million.
Thanks, how long should it take storage charge a nearly fully charged 6s cause it's gone now for about 2 hours and still going do I need to discharge it or does storage mode discharge, thank you
Knowledgeable video! I loved it! Question? I brought some turnigy bolts 5000mah 4S 65c-130c 15.2volts Lihv batteries right! So what's the best way to last awhile?
hey guys, i know this is kinda late but i didnt know how to ask anywhere else. i have tons of 1S batteries and was wondering if you storage charge them and what process and equipment do you use for that? Thanks, Ron.
If I have a Lipo battery that is capable of charging higher the 1 amp, how do I know where I can safely put my charger at ? Example my 6s 5000 mah is capable of charging at 5c what can I put my charger at ? Thank you and great video btw
when I started with RC O was told that if you need to discharge a battery the best way is to run it in your plane or car to and run on full throttle for about a minute then put it on to a storage charge.
I was wondering..... Does the Venom charger have and on board display that shows the finish voltage after a charge?? Thinking that would be a bit more accurate than the little cheapo ones.
I bought some old (New )Bugs 6 and 8 drones and the batteries are probably old too ... The 2S batteries were not "Balanced" all that great. one of them was .07 difference between the cells...Will charging them up and using them once then "storage charging" to 3.8 per cell balance them out? BTW.... My Lil Hobby King charger doesn't have a power lead to plug in before the balance lead plug....
So I have a scx24 and I have a c150 charger and I plug my balance cord in and it says battery check disconnect and I think I need an adapter to plug the charging cord in which do I need.
Hi folks, maybe you can answer this question. I have a Spektrum 2200 charger and need to charge a Spektrum SPMX3003SJ30, but have no clue on what the setting should be? Please advise.
I am trying to balance a DJI Phantom 4 Dron smart battery. After watching your video got a Venom PRODUO charger. After opening the battery I found out that the conector or balancing lead of the battery to the BMS Board is a 5 pin JST SH 1.0mm and the 5 pin female conector of the Venom charger adaptor is a JST XH 2.5 mm. I am ready to make a custom conector male JST XH 2.5 mm to a female JST SH 1.0 mm, my only concern is the order of the cables. Can you help please? I just want to know wich pin in the 5 pin female JST XH Adaptor is the ground as I have 5 cables in my battery balancing lead, 4 reds and one black. Thanks for your help
My charger will perform storage at 2 A. I mainly use it for my 3S 5000 mah and my 4S 4000 mah. In your opinion, will performing storage at 2amps be too much or is that still save? Because if you can balance a battery matching the same Milla amps I’m pretty sure it is much safer to do a storage at half of that. Even at discharge for storage, it’s still not as many abs as the speed control draws.
Just love how your wife supports your hobby.
As a noob these two videos have been really good. Thanks for making these for beginners.
You are very welcome my RC friend 👍⚓😃
Just started getting back into RC and I appreciate how informative your videos are. Thanks.
nate- youre fine! it should go without saying, that anytime you do a tutorial video, youre going to get every armchair expert in the hobby coming along telling you the things you missed, or what they think is the right way to do something. what those people don't realize is that it's actually hard to make a 30 minute video that covers EVERY little thing, without scripts, editing, production staff, and writers :) just realize that the internet armchair experts are just "part of the hobby :) keep killing it!
Your words of encouragement mean a lot my friend :) Sometimes I do let those people get to me, so I'm glad to know there are people on the other side of that fence as well. Thank you!
I own the Venom Pro Quad charger and have had it for 5+ years , and I still stand by the accuracy.
Thanks Nate and Abbey, I bet you're saving people hassle, money and maybe lives with these Lipo videos.
Excellent information for me. I am new to RC planes and am confused by all the electronic information. Your videos make it clear how I can be safe and extend the life of my batteries.
Yep, here it is. I never fly this time of year. But I never had a Viper, Marlin, a-10, or a Conscendo Evolution. Now if I can’t feel my fingers it’s not the disaster in years past.
This is the time of the year still I think of Nate. It’s time to reorganize the battery boxes, check that all the batteries are in storage mode, Velcro aren’t pulling up and all the connectors are in good shape.
Well, after being away from the model airplane hobby for about 60 years, I've decided that you are my go-to guy to catch me up. I have a lot to catch up on!
Lipo bags for Lipo batteries are absolute must I get your point but they should be charging in the Lipo bag because if they catch on fire, it will be contained in the bag this smoke will come out, but the fire will only be contained in the bag I have several, and I use them all. I love them. I am deeply sorry people are misguided. I totally think opposite about Lipo batteries. You and Abby do great work making these videos. I enjoy watching them anytime. There is a video that’s out I watch it.💗
Good follow up video guys and you showed me I was wrong in my previous comment about your battery tester. I have since amended that so as to not confuse people. I have a few of those testers/alarms and I've since tested them all and only 1 was reasonably accurate at measuring voltages. I've never actually used them for comparing cell voltages as I have more accurate devices for that, so even if they are slightly inaccurate they will still do their primary job as a low voltage alarm. Please keep up the good work, it's much appreciated.
This is the best info I’ve come across about battery storage
Thank you very much 😃👍⚓😎
I just got back into the hobbie again after 15 years, and this was a great video for my wife and I to learn from! Thanks for doing this!!
Thank you for this great information! I always follow your recommendation of not charging batteries unattended. However, once I was charging a single cell battery of a H8 using the USB charger that came with it. The battery was in the H8 while charging. I was quite nearby in the same room, but I fell asleep. When I woke up, the room was smoky with a burnt smell. I went over to the battery, and it was black and semi-melted. The H8 was melted, and a heavy layer of black soot surrounded the area. I was very thankful a full-scale fire did not break out! It showed me the danger is real. Now I never leave the battery in the quad, so if the battery burns, it won't destroy the quad. That incident was the only LiPo mishap I've had so far.
Nate, wanted to say thanks. Been in the hobby since the early 80's , first RC was Tamiya Hornet,got out, back in with Clod & Hornet, then frog then Big Bear and many from there. I was in, out again, back in, long story short, been back for 5 yrs now , and Lipos were like vodoo to me because when I last was in , it was Nicd or Nimd batts, cant think what we had but the old stuf. So I was so confused on Lipos. Long story short bud, my first lipo 5 yrs ago when I got back in again, I killed it lol...I never ":storage charged it" just because I had no lipo knowledge.. I'm actually big into custom RC, I have a custom rc 1/5 scale I fully custom build using 5/16" .062 steel tube for the monster truck frame I built from scratch...BUT, you just helped me big time bud. I have a pair of 4s 9700mah 130c smc lipos I run in that truck I built, paid around $220 for my pair but didn't understand how to care for them properly, and for 5 yrs I had a 3s and just killed it because I NEVER storage charged it.. But wanted to tell you. I watched this and the other vid. I bought two of the voltage checkers you suggested ( I never understood voltage or storage charges/etc) But FYI ...after watching your lipo vids, this one and the other, a couple times each. I now own two voltage checkers, I am now checking my batts, I am now also storage charging my batt's and I finally understand what a storage charge is and the sweet spot to keep it at .Tonight for the first time ever I have 4 lipos in storage charge because of you Nate ;) Mine are now in storage at 3.8 and I know why they are at 3.8 now lol. So just wanted to say. You helped an old RC guy understand this new lipo stuff ;) BTW you and Abby are great, love your vids and you guys seem to have a great marriage/relationship that comes through in your vids. Keep the vids coming.
Lol I was wondering a good week straight what is being balanced...lol I just came from 1997 with my 7.2v Original Gangster Dodge Ram bodied Stampede 2wd with a amazing 7.2v 2000mah with tower hobbies fast charger with a what? a discharger! a what? a discharger! Yea... thanks for the info I take everything in bcz frankly all motorsports and the lifelong blessings of RC autos are the dearest to my heart. It truly improves the quality and joy of my life. I don't have much joy since my family disappeared. This all helps me sleep and makes good days!
Great job guys. I think these videos will really help the newbies and give veteran pilots good reminders. Now let's go get some planes in the air
Still a little windy for planes here :/ They are coming though :)
I was heavily involved in the RC hobby back in the 80's, but everything has evolved so much that I am working to catch back up. You are a super nice guy with a lot of RC knowledge and I appreciate you and your sweet wife making these videos to help us learn to charge our batteries safely (again). I just bought this charger largely because of your recommendation and was confused about the storage charging not going above 1.0 AMPs because my Lectron Pro charger goes all the way up to 5.0 AMPs. I thought there was something wrong with my charger and you helped me see this is normal with this video. I also purchased a BATSAFE to use with this new charger but the leads are a little short. Are longer leads available?
Your videos on battery usage / care have been invaluable to me. You manage to explain things in a clear and concise way.
Thank you
"A little island by Australia " hilarious.lol. thanks for the information it really helps a newbie like me.
Thank you, My 10 year old has me on a steep learning curve. This was very helpful
been out of the hobby since the late 80s. Back in the day we used to discharge batteries with a strip of lights. Great video
Most charger instruction's call for balance lead first then power leads. Most quality chargers are designed to handle the burst of voltage(Power leads) from the battery packs. However, in principle with higher performance battery packs, if you send the same high voltage through a smaller wire(Balance connector), you could potentially heat up the wire to the point of melting, thus not leaving charger unattended. Great video guys and gals, oh yea, and Popeye.
How long can my LiPos sit uncharged before I should storage charge them?...say I run my rc car an I run it till they hit the shutdown mode ..how long can they sit in that state before I should put a storage charge on them??
i beleive the rule applies as much for charged and uncharged. Around 2-4 days. That is my rule of thumb.
I watched part 1 and was looking for part 2 but nothing showed up anywhere.. until 5 hours later this popped up into my recommendation 👍
The bit of advice you give at the end of the video, I really like. Dont let batteries ruin the hobby for you. I feel like people get a little too anal with the technicalities. Just plug your batteries in, main first, balance second, start your charger on a low amperage setting if you want to cram just a tiny bit more power into your battery, use a higher amperage setting if you need to charge faster, set your cell count, and just make sure to keep an eye on it periodically. Balance charging just gives an extra few seconds to MAYBE a minute of flight. It is again, one of those things that spending an hour balance charging is not worth the small amount of extra time you will get out of doing it, and the only time you really need to worry about balance charging is if the battery is going into storage.. In storage, you really want those cells reading 3.8 volts, so balance charge all the cells to 3.8 volts. I dont know if this charger lets you set a goal voltage, but this is a great feature. The charger I have lets me set a goal voltage, which defaults to 4.2 volts, but can be set to over or undercharge a battery, and it will intelligently handle the rest, including automatic balance charging after the main charge is complete. If I plug in a battery at say 4.1 volts, and I set it to charge to 3.8 volts, it will know to discharge the battery to 3.8 volts, then automatically balance charge to 3.8 volts, then power off. If I plug in the same 4.1 volt battery and set to 4.2 volts, it will charge them to 4.2 volts, balance charge, then turn off. When it goes into balance charging, I can simply cancel the process with a single button press if I dont want to wait for that process to occur. The thing is, batteries fail, you will buy replacement batteries. Whether a battery lasts 2 years, or 4 years is really of minimal importance to me, especially since I tend not to use or keep a device around that long anyway (most devices fail after 2 years and I cant be bothered to spend the time or money to fix them and just end up buying a replacement device with better tech). So, again, don't get too anal about this stuff. You will buy better drones with better tech, which will come with fresh batteries, and the old batteries will likely be recycled. Dont fret too much about abusing your batteries, we already do that by simply putting them in a device and fast draining a battery like we do. My Yuneeq Q500 4k kills a 5400 Mah 3 cell battery in 15 minutes. The batteries are designed for 300 charges, but you are not going to get near to that, simply because the drone does not get used every day, but I tend to keep the batteries charged so I can use it once a week or so.
What if i dont use my battery for 3 or 4 days? Do i need to store charge. Also before i use the battery again i have to fully charge it?
I always come back to this vid for reminders. Y’all do a great job. Thanks.
Excellent video, thanks for taking the time to explain the basics of storage charging.
You just got a new subscriber 😊
Great 2 videos. You have made several things clear.
I run my car maybe once a month.
Now I know (think) after I'm done I should storage charge the battery(s) (came with 2 batteries).
Then balance charge them just before use.
Please comment if this is incorrect.
Thank you for these videos. I'm an old dog learning new tricks.
Hey Nate thanks man! This was the video I was looking for ..... Yes even here on New Years Eve.....Lol. I have an Arma Kraton V5 BLX and I love it, it's a beast. Just got it about a month ago. I just got 2 new Lipo's today, and wanted to storage charge it tonight. Thanks again, God Bless and Happy New Years! 🎉🥳
Is storage charging about the same as discharging? I've already learned so much from this video! Thank you so much! I like the relationship you guys have with each other!
Great video! Keep up the good work! Thank you for all you do for this hobby!
Thanks a lot for tuning in!
Good video , but one question , is it ok to charge a 2s lipo if it is not fully discharged ??
Hellooo anybody here ?
I use a car headlight bulb for fast discharging I set my alarm at 3.6v per cell then recharge it to storage level . Then before flying balance charge .
If they are in storage for a long time I charge cycle them up and backdoor to storage.
Thanks for the quick reply. The Airmasters field in Sebastian FL has a bank Of car batteries charged by solar panels, works great. Flying Tigers at Westwinds Metropark in Toledo has no power. I’m searching for options.
After clicking confirm to start a charge or discharge-I click the increase button to set the display to read out the individual cell voltage and then I can follow the progress-also the volt meter in the charger is way more accurate than the alarm unit (its a great alarm but really not a volt meter)-thanks the video was nicely done and held my Adult ADD back to the end!
On the plugging in the main discharge lead before the balance lead, that is primarily when parallel charging which is not something I would recommend to beginners. When you plug multiple batteries into a parallel board it will equalise the battery voltage between the batteries as the charger will see multiple batteries as one larger battery, hence getting a small spike in energy when you add another battery to the parallel board. Not a big deal if your only charging one at a time but still as you mention, just a good habit to do which I agree with.
Very good advice :) Thanks Mx!
Great video. I have the same charger why can't you increase the Amp when storgege mode? Takes forever for a 6S at 1amp. Should be up to 7amp storgege charge
I was wondering if you can do a video explaining 50c. what that really means also if you can intertwine how you can go about telling the time on flight of the battery that you can have estimating the flight time. Thank you very much I appreciate all of your videos they are user-friendly I am new to this my second year in and loving it keep those videos coming don't change a thing LOL. Picked up 2, F15 Eagles.
thank you for this video. The main point is to do it as safely as you can and get informed knowledge. Charging any rc battery you should be around to monitor it. Any battery can explode.
Great and informative video. I purchased 1300mah 3s batteries in 2015. I forgot I had them. Just found them in end of 2020. They are still at 3.8. I'm not going to use them soon. Should I just like charge them full...and then use them somehow at least once. Then storage charge them? Or although they are 5 years old...I should leave them until I actually use them? 🤔
When you set the alarm for it to beep at 3.6 volts can you hear it good if your plane or truck is a good ways from ya?
The alarm is pretty loud. I've never had any issues with not being able to hear the alarm go off.
Good to see you stressed a couple of times to be around while charging/discharging lipos! Don't leave them unattended people!!
Hi Nate just watched your video on the lipo alarm great video as I am a beginner I need this type of information also in one of your other videos you mentioned to upgrading your charger I upgraded my USB charger that came with my plane that I got in September the Habu STS once again and upgraded it to 1100 spectrums smart charger not only a budget-friendly charger but a great investment love it.
"You all", always do a good job!!! Appreciate you , you are great couple.
Y'all*
Good information. I typically use the battery meter on my LIPO Charger to get the pack and individual cell voltage rather than using one of those little battery alarms. Much more accurate. Thanks for the video and Happy Flying!
Great tip my friend :) I should have showed that feature as well, but still trying to keep the video simple. I like the little alarms because they can be used anywhere you are, rather than just with your charger :)
You explain things at the speed I can understand... thanks.
When you STORAGE charge your batteries, will it go up to storage charge if below where it should be, OR go down to storage charge if it's above where it should be? Will it go either way?
Yes! 👍😁😎⚓️
So im a noobie to the hobby (yall got me into it and I absolutely love it!) but i was wondering when yall were talking about discharging a battery for storage, does using the battery in my car until the LVC stops it mean the battery is discharged enough for storage or do i still need to do the discharge on my battery?
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but i want to make sure that im taking proper care of my stuff. Thanks yall!
Not a stupid question at all! Actually, if you use your RC car 'till the LVC kicks in, that's probably a good bit under storage charge. The BEST way to see where your voltage is at if you don't have a charger that will tell you is with one of these guys ----> ruclips.net/video/CKWjWRggngc/видео.html
This is our video. Hope it comes in handy!!
@@TheRcSaylors thanks for the quick reply, i will definitely pick one of those up. Yall stay safe!
Fellow Rc hobbiest (mainly fpv drones atm) A little late to the game, loved the video my head use to spin thinking about batteries but I have it down pat now and your video helped straighten out some things :)
Subbed and now to take a look at your newer stuff!
Thank you very much my friend!! I hope you enjoy your time here on our channel 👍😃⚓
I watch this video because I couldn’t remember how to storage charge. The RC sailors the modern day owners manual!! LOL 😝
Thanks 🙏
Could you add some recommended lipo bags to the description? For charging vs storage. Do you store in your home?
Buy an ammo box. Easy to get off Amazon.
For storage
What options do you recommend as a remote power source for the charger, i.e. car battery, marine battery, jump starter, generator, others?
You know Tim, I'm going to be 100% honest with you. I'm not going to recommend any power source because I've not had to rely on one. I've gotta consider myself very lucky that my flying field has outlets all over the place and I'd just rather be honest than recommend something I've not used personally. However, I have witnessed first hand many people and friends using generators with this charger, working really really well. That would be the most consistent power source for this charger, which would help it's performance. I've even been shopping for a generator for times that we go to RC events that don't have tons of outlets every where ;-) Hope this helps a bit! Happy Flying!
Super helpful for us rooks. Answered all of my questions.
I'd never watched this one before, I don't think. I have an iMax B6 and thought I was running with the cool kids on LiPo charging safety and effectiveness. But as it turns out, I learned a few things from watching this one. I also have quite a few of those LiPo alarms, though I did not learn about those from y'all. Also, I am currently putting storage charges on two big batteries for which I currently have no RCs. And the 2S 5200mAh 80C was fully charged. Movie time.
Hi. Do you have advice on how to use the wee digital status device described in the last 5 minutes of your video? I am new to RC planes and wondered where it would be connected to hear a low voltage alarm. maybe I have got the wrong end of the stick here.
Do you know if you loose the ballance block could you plug the lipo directly into the charger itself and ballance that way as well
I learned to balance charge when I got init drones . These rc truck batteries look like they don't have that balance plug (jxt) , question is does that jxt xh plug go into the balance ports on my imax b6 ?
Very informative 👏
Can you use traxxas batteries to charge on Venon Duo?
I feel safer after watching your video, thank you for the insight!
Not gonna lie I wanna upgrade from a 6volt nicad 5000mah battery to a 5000mah 7.4volt 2a lipo for the reciever but I don’t like lipos because they will blow up and I don’t know how much abuse it will take during a heavy bashing session it could kill the lipo vs the nicad that takes longer like 10 hours to charge when I can have a lipo done in less than a hour But the cons of having a battery the won’t blow up and a battery that has potential to burn a house down has me worried not gonna lie don’t charge indoors always charge outdoors with lipos nicad is fine to charge indoors your phone battery is slightly more different so not worried about my phone blowing up in my face but I am worried that rc lipos have no safe guards built into them
Do you have a video on how to safely dispose of a LiPo battery?
Awesome video keep up the good work, now I know how to storage charge, I am new to electric rc cars, right now the battery is in the fire bag, i will put it in storage charge tomorrow, as I will not be driving it until spring/summer, I will read the manual as i am totally new to lipos and the charger.
Glad to see you guys add a few points that would normally be common to someone in the hobby. Good on you guys for clarifying things for those that are new, and ignore the "awesome" folk who think they know everything. I have a 2s that has been fully charged for over a month IMMA DIE!!!
Nate
With the voltage checker and alarm
how do they fit in a plane that only
holds 1 cell battery , a plane like
Sports Cub 2 or the Champ. Nate
the venom Wiad 1 cell battery charger is $31.00.
you guys are the best, thanks foe being family friendly (even though it's just a 60 year old man here).
I am fairly new to RC but have a huge pile of cheap chargers that come with RTF planes. on your recommendation I got the Venom pro duo and love it, thanks!
My question: the Venom charger will show voltage of each individual cell when a lipo is connected by pushing the "inc" button. Is there a reason you didn't mention this? Is it less accurate than your little gizmo's?
Thanks again.
We are proud that the entire family can watch our videos without worry :) So glad to hear you like your charger! I guess we are just trying to keep the videos as simple as possible, which is why we didn't mention that. Many people have asked about our little gizmo in a lot of previous videos where we mention it, so I felt like I should cover that a bit more. The voltage on the charger is very accurate. Something I may mention in a future video, but thanks for asking about that. Happy Flying!
Hey guys I have a question I just got mines today. When you discharge these do they automatically discharge to 3.8V ?
Your balance charger should have it set by default to 3.8v, so yes.
O
I just picked one up...when battery fully charged does it shut off automatically? Thank new to the lipo batteries
Great Video! question , when would you use fast charging if anyone knows?
If you have high "C" rating batteries that can handle being fast charged, and you are out at the field or track and just have to get that one last flight in quickly before you leave for the day 😉👍😁😎⚓
Nice to see this side of you guys.
Thanks for sharing
Is it okay to leave your battery dead after using overnight or even for a couple days
To maximize play time (RC cars, not RC planes or drones that could fall out of the sky), what's the lowest voltage that the LiPo battery can be discharged to. 2.7 is the lower limit on the lipo alarm but that seems kinda low. Thoughts?
Thank you for video, I have same charger and where did you get your long balance wire from?
It came with these wires when we got ours. Longer wires > Shorter wires 👍😁😎⚓️
Hi Nate and Abby. Great channel. I have a Gens Ace 2s 5700mah saddle pack and was wondering if I can use the leads it came with to charge it or do I have to make up a charge lead? Any help would be appreciated
I think it’s a wonderful and helpful video to get new people into the hobby!!! Good job!!!
I just bought the venom duo charger. So, if you use regular lipo charge you aren’t balance charging it? Even if you plug in the balance lead? Why use the balance lead when not balance charging then?
FANTASTIC CHARGING OVERVIEW! I learned so much! I can't thank you enough! JP
Glad you liked this video John :)
Great video folks. I have a question. I have two 11.1V 3S Lipo and both are puffed up. Are these damaged and can they still be used?
Some would say to go ahead and use them. I have honestly used “puffed” Lipos before, but there are wide stages of a puffed LiPo, and I only did this because I couldn’t afford new ones, early in my flying years. Nowadays, I say if you can afford new ones, please do so. Recycle the old ones, and play it on the safe side. Happy Flying 👍😁😎⚓️
Excellent video. It would be easy to write the content off as rudimentary, as a newcomer to the world of RC, I found it to be invaluable. Thanks for the thoughtful, coherent and detailed explanations.
Hi I live in Az. Do you keep all your batteries when not in use in your home in an amo box?
I'm very new to the RC would. I'm going by common since to bring them in the summer my garage gets to about 110°
So I want to bring them in the house in a battery box or can they withstand the Heat?
I have an easy question I bought our first RC truck. And it came with the charger battery combo. It's a the little charger no digits or anything.. so I'm wondering how long can I hold on,. On buying a good charger? Can I use this little charger to charge my 2s and 3s for the first couple months? Or should buy it right away.
Nate - after a lipo is in storage , what is the next step in charging?
Some of my batteries are getting puffy. Are all lipo batteries the same or is there a particular brand that is better than others? Love you guys. Thanks a million.
Does the XBC100 Smart LiPo Battery Checker & Servo Driver do the same job as those little $3 things you're using? Or should I buy them too??
Thanks, how long should it take storage charge a nearly fully charged 6s cause it's gone now for about 2 hours and still going do I need to discharge it or does storage mode discharge, thank you
Knowledgeable video! I loved it! Question? I brought some turnigy bolts 5000mah 4S 65c-130c 15.2volts Lihv batteries right! So what's the best way to last awhile?
Great video series! This just helped me huge! Thanks 🙏
hey guys, i know this is kinda late but i didnt know how to ask anywhere else. i have tons of 1S batteries and was wondering if you storage charge them and what process and equipment do you use for that? Thanks, Ron.
if the remaining voltage is more than the storage voltage can you just storage charge or you need to discharge them first then storage charge.
If I have a Lipo battery that is capable of charging higher the 1 amp, how do I know where I can safely put my charger at ? Example my 6s 5000 mah is capable of charging at 5c what can I put my charger at ? Thank you and great video btw
What about the little plug charger that the one cell batteries come with? Are the OK to use? Thanks
when I started with RC O was told that if you need to discharge a battery the best way is to run it in your plane or car to and run on full throttle for about a minute then put it on to a storage charge.
I was wondering..... Does the Venom charger have and on board display that shows the finish voltage after a charge?? Thinking that would be a bit more accurate than the little cheapo ones.
I bought some old (New )Bugs 6 and 8 drones and the batteries are probably old too ... The 2S batteries were not "Balanced" all that great. one of them was .07 difference between the cells...Will charging them up and using them once then "storage charging" to 3.8 per cell balance them out?
BTW.... My Lil Hobby King charger doesn't have a power lead to plug in before the balance lead plug....
Good stuff....Just a heads up that your link to the Venom Pro Duo is broken in case you want to update that. :)
Does this apply to Li-ion batteries as well? If not, what's the proper storage voltage for Li-ion batteries?
So I have a scx24 and I have a c150 charger and I plug my balance cord in and it says battery check disconnect and I think I need an adapter to plug the charging cord in which do I need.
Hi folks, maybe you can answer this question. I have a Spektrum 2200 charger and need to charge a Spektrum SPMX3003SJ30, but have no clue on what the setting should be? Please advise.
I am trying to balance a DJI Phantom 4 Dron smart battery. After watching your video got a Venom PRODUO charger. After opening the battery I found out that the conector or balancing lead of the battery to the BMS Board is a 5 pin JST SH 1.0mm and the 5 pin female conector of the Venom charger adaptor is a JST XH 2.5 mm. I am ready to make a custom conector male JST XH 2.5 mm to a female JST SH 1.0 mm, my only concern is the order of the cables. Can you help please? I just want to know wich pin in the 5 pin female JST XH Adaptor is the ground as I have 5 cables in my battery balancing lead, 4 reds and one black. Thanks for your help
My charger will perform storage at 2 A. I mainly use it for my 3S 5000 mah and my 4S 4000 mah. In your opinion, will performing storage at 2amps be too much or is that still save? Because if you can balance a battery matching the same Milla amps I’m pretty sure it is much safer to do a storage at half of that. Even at discharge for storage, it’s still not as many abs as the speed control draws.