New lipos

[WrknItUp]

Im new to using lipos i just got my set today. 2- 2s1p 5000mah turnigy and 2- 3s1p 5000mah turnigy packs. Do i need to discharge them first or do i need to charge? Then afterward it says to cycle atleast ten times before trying to acheive maximum. Maximum what? Sorry new to these things right now im worried about the garage burning down lol.

[Doby]

Just charge them...no need to cycle them.

[WrknItUp]

Just charge them...no need to cycle them.

also 5000mah i can charge at 5.0amp right? or do i need a slow first charge?

[LiPo Power]

Just like Doby said, charge them at 5 Amp no problem, do not need to slow charge them.... That is old school with NiMh batss...
You can use balancer at the same time if you like...

also 5000mah i can charge at 5.0amp right? or do i need a slow first charge?

[WrknItUp]

Awesome thanks for the help. i think i can handle this. i hope the performance aspect was worth the wait!

[Fluid]

Then afterward it says to cycle atleast ten times before trying to acheive maximum. Maximum what?

That means do not run at maximum discharge rates. Most pack makers recommend cycling the packs at low discharge rates several times before running WOT in the FE boat. OTOH most new FE boaters lack the patience to follow directions, so few do this. But since this recommendation is almost universal among the makers there is probably something to it....

What is the downside of not cycling? One reliable test I am aware of showed that not cycling the cells made them produce full power sooner (fewer WOT cycles) but reduced the cells' life by ~35%. I cycle all my new packs 3-4 times at 2-4C before I put them in the boat - this only takes a few hours to do as I am set up to do it. I have yet to have a pack go bad in the 4 years I've been using LiPos, and I've set SAW records with my packs.


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[sailr]

The discharge many times before maximum is an old Nickel Metal Hydride axiom! NO NEED TO DO THIS WITH LIPOS! Charge 'em and run 'em!

[Fluid]

There is a dichotomy in opinions regarding LiPo break-in, largely because the bulk of buyers are impatient and want to believe they can run their packs at full discharge right away. I trust the sources below (among many others). YMMV.

http://www.bvmjets.com/Pages/Required_Reading.htm

http://ezinearticles.com/?Radio-Controlled-Aircraft---LiPo-Batteries---How-to-Use-and-Care-For-Them&id=4094682

One thing to note when reading opinions about break-in...how hard is the user pushing the pack? If he normally only discharges at 8C when flying or running a car, then his normal use is actually a "break-in". Bottom line - do what you want, but don't insist on an absolute answer.

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[sailr]

I don't know how old the Ezine article is but Violet's article is two years old. The newer nano packs, such as Hyperion G3's do NOT require cycling!