A VERY Basic Question About Batteries

pdmike

pdmike

Extremely Popular Member
I have a 5-cell battery. The cells are all contained in a plastic sleeve that slides into the quad when I am going to go fly it. Obviously, the plastic sleeve is custom-designed for my particular quad.

What happens when my battery loses its juice, i.e., when it is about to expire? What do I have to do to replace it? Are the cells all a standard size so I go out and buy 5 new cells which I then slip into the plastic sleeve? Or do I contact the manufacturer and order a whole new sleeve which comes with new cells in it? I sincerely hope it is not the latter, because I bought my quad online from some faceless company in China and I have NO way of contacting them for any reason.

How's that for a basic question? ;)
 
QuadKid

QuadKid

Noth'in Like a Flat Top
The cell wiring is integral to the function of the cells as a whole, each cell is 3.7V IE: 2 cells (2S) will output 7.4V / 3 cells (3S) will output 11.1V and so on, I would not recommend trying to replace any one or multiple cells of a dying battery unless you are very knowledgeable about it's wiring and Very, very good at soldering.
You cross a couple of wires or inadvertently short them and you can have an explosive burn instantly.

My advice, just buy another battery(s), you should also completely discharge any LiPo you want to trash. My way is I wired a 6V car tail light bulb to a a male XTS connector or whatever type connector your quad uses, just plug it in until the lamp lights no more. Do not drain a 7.4V Battery with a 12V lamp, you will heat up and swell the LiPo !! Always use a voltage lamp that is rated less than the output of the battery !!
You can also do this in a controlled way using a mid-grade LiPo battery charger using it's discharge feature.
 
pdmike

pdmike

Extremely Popular Member
QuadKid said:
The cell wiring is integral to the function of the cells as a whole, each cell is 3.7V IE: 2 cells (2S) will output 7.4V / 3 cells (3S) will output 11.1V and so on, I would not recommend trying to replace any one or multiple cells of a dying battery unless you are very knowledgeable about it's wiring and Very, very good at soldering.
You cross a couple of wires or inadvertently short them and you can have an explosive burn instantly.

My advice, just buy another battery(s), you should also completely discharge any LiPo you want to trash. My way is I wired a 6V car tail light bulb to a a male XTS connector or whatever type connector your quad uses, just plug it in until the lamp lights no more. Do not drain a 7.4V Battery with a 12V lamp, you will heat up and swell the LiPo !! Always use a voltage lamp that is rated less than the output of the battery !!
You can also do this in a controlled way using a mid-grade LiPo battery charger using it's discharge feature.
Click to expand...
I did a little Googling and got the answer. I think I will be able to get a replacement battery online, without having to deal with the manufacturer. And the battery is the sleeve I was referring to - no need to mess with individual cells. Thanks for responding!
 
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mozquito1

mozquito1

Well-Known Member
I think you will know when the battery is dying as they normally puff out a bit & go squidgy. Sometimes they do puff & go boom other times just burn right through. I work for a recycling factory. I just take em in. You wouldn't believe the useful stuff I get. I got coax, resistors every AWG wire, zip ties, sponge, tape. Tools.
Look after the battery's as much as the quad. Normally the cells are contained in big heatshrink. While some are in heat shrink & a plastic case or shell these may be a bit harder to tell if they are on there way out. So the only way is to keep an eye on the cells, voltage sag if you got an osd & flight times degrading.
 
pdmike

pdmike

Extremely Popular Member
mozquito1 said:
I think you will know when the battery is dying as they normally puff out a bit & go squidgy. Sometimes they do puff & go boom other times just burn right through. I work for a recycling factory. I just take em in. You wouldn't believe the useful stuff I get. I got coax, resistors every AWG wire, zip ties, sponge, tape. Tools.
Look after the battery's as much as the quad. Normally the cells are contained in big heatshrink. While some are in heat shrink & a plastic case or shell these may be a bit harder to tell if they are on there way out. So the only way is to keep an eye on the cells, voltage sag if you got an osd & flight times degrading.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Good advice.
 
Rick M

Rick M

Absent-minded professor
It WAS good advice. Don't fly on 'em once they start puffing. Soak them in salt water for safe disposal (Google it).
 
pdmike

pdmike

Extremely Popular Member
Just got my fireproof LiPo bag. A day or so ago my wife asked what I was getting and I told her "a bag to put drone accessory stuff in." As I took it out of the delivery envelope tonight I told her, "well, it's for a bit more than I told you." I then explained to her what LiPo batteries were and the danger that comes with them. I finished up by saying, "well, now we can take it off the family room table over there and put it where, if it does burst into flame, it at least won't burn the house down." Her jaw was on the floor. Then, just to put the icing on the cake, I went over and grabbed it with two fingers only, held it out as far away from me as possible and very gingerly deposited it into the bag.

We've been married 54 years.
 
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QuadKid

QuadKid

Noth'in Like a Flat Top
Rick M said:
It WAS good advice. Don't fly on 'em once they start puffing. Soak them in salt water for safe disposal (Google it).
Click to expand...

True, but have you seen the cost of Instant Ocean salt, you need yo bring the salinity content of the water to at least .021 ppm to attain salinity that will conduct a short across the contacts ( I know this because a have a 180 gal salt water reef tank sitting in my LR ). I have tried this method and it does work just takes hours to complete.
 
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