Tested: "DY3" 2 channel charger

Rubik · Apr 25, 2017

Mc, do you know of any confirmed examples of Yuneec batteries going up in smoke on a charger?

vr-pilot · Apr 25, 2017

mcbutler said:
I still think these are a seriously bad idea. If you have two (or god forbid) four large lipo's in a charger and one goes up in smoke you are going to have a major fire on your hands that you will not be able to put out. The smoke would be enough to fill your house, kill anyone who cannot get out and destroy everything.
I think it would be a far better idea to have a central charging unit with remote docs that could be placed at a distance from each other.

It is always a bit scary to handle those energy packed bricks that can keep a 2 kg drone in the air for 20 minutes... Having two (or four) of them burning down simultaneously is really a nightmare.
So I will correct my "battery charging SOP" in the future by placing the charging constellation on a solid (metal or stone) surface, putting a huge bucket filled with sand close to it and even more avoiding unattended charging....

terrence davidson · Apr 25, 2017

simple battery bunker of cinder blocks and cement board for the base with bag of sand over head of the charger ready to drop flood sand on the lipos should they go into meltdown. fire melts the sand bag the bag gives way emptying the sand on to the fire.

mcbutler · Apr 25, 2017

Rubik said:
Mc, do you know of any confirmed examples of Yuneec batteries going up in smoke on a charger?

Yuneec batteries are not unique!!!

They are made by a LiPo manufacturer for Yuneec, they are not made by Yuneec
You can Youtube for LiPo fire videos, if you still think its a good idea after watching them carry on.
I have been flying RC for around 12 years and I have seen LiPos catch fire in models (helicopters) on two occasions. The destruction, heat and speed of the spread is quite incredible to see. It would make very little difference if you were sat watching them when they went off.
One sign of a dodgy LiPo is swelling and going 'puffy', I worry that the plastic case may make any these symptoms less noticeable.

It is obvious from the amount of questions asked on the forum regarding batteries and everything to do with them that a lot of people have no idea of the danger they present.

No-one will ever convince me that mass close grouped charging of potentially explosive materials is a good idea.

vr-pilot · Apr 25, 2017

terrence davidson said:
simple battery bunker of cinder blocks and cement board for the base with bag of sand over head of the charger ready to drop flood sand on the lipos should they go into meltdown. fire melts the sand bag the bag gives way emptying the sand on to the fire.

Thanks, good idea. Will possibly build such an indoor (garage) "charging station" sooner than later, maybe this weekend...

Theo026 · Apr 26, 2017

I have the same one and it works very well!

Rubik · Apr 26, 2017

mcbutler said:
Yuneec batteries are not unique!!!

It is obvious from the amount of questions asked on the forum regarding batteries and everything to do with them that a lot of people have no idea of the danger they present.
No-one will ever convince me that mass close grouped charging of potentially explosive materials is a good idea.

OK, your point taken. I had seen the videos and it's pretty scary, though also pretty rare.

My wife suggested that I charge the batteries in the fireplace with the glass doors closed and the damper open. That way, I can be present in the living room to unplug the charger if anything happens as opposed to having a bunker or ammo can somewhere that I would not be anxious to sit and observe for the hour(s) required to charge. Does anyone see a down side to the fireplace idea?

Also, perhaps a steel plate placed between the two batteries on the DY3 charger would alleviate concerns about a one battery explosion turning into a two battery explosion.

mcbutler · Apr 26, 2017

Fireplace is a pretty good idea, would contain any ejected material, and they do eject a lot of very hot stuff and also vent the fumes up the chimmney.

Another ok idea is buy the terracotta 'chimmney/gas flue' blocks, lie your battery in it to charge