Discharging flight batteries.

wrench567 · Oct 3, 2022

Hello good people.
This past Wednesday saw beautiful weather and I had time on my hands. I charged up 4 flight packs and headed out. Before I could get to where I was going, the wife called and said she wasn't feeling well. I turned around and got home to find her on the kitchen floor. Ambulance, hospital, heart surgery and some recovery time, I can get back to the H. The weather is going to be crummy for at least another week. I don't want to keep them charged for too much longer.
Now for the question. How or what is the best way to discharge to storage voltage of the flight packs? My 4 button charger takes hours for each battery. Is there another way that is faster? How do you guys do it?
Thanks.
Pete.

DoomMeister · Oct 3, 2022

I use an ISDT FD-100 automatic discharger. You will need an adapter cable for the flight packs and banana to XT60 adapter. It is at least 8 times faster than using your charger.

Pier2162 · Oct 4, 2022

Hi Pete, I'm sorry for what happened to your wife, hope she's ok now and everything going well.
Back to batteries, when it happens to me (never happens 4 together..) I put them on the H and leave it hovering in the backyard for 10 minutes, then I end up the storage on the charger. Another way is connecting them to a car bulb (55W) but in this case you need adapters.

wrench567 · Oct 4, 2022

Thanks guys.
I didn't know about that automatic discharger. It seems they have a new improved version that is more powerful and uses an app. For around $100 it might be a future purchase.
I took my charger adapter cable and hooked it to my HO scale test track and put a locomotive on the rollers for a half hour and it only brought the battery down a half volt. So I abandoned that idea and started using the 4 button charger. Hovering the H is out of the question. It's raining and we have had gusting winds for the past three days.
The wife is recovering well enough and may be released tomorrow.
Thank you again.
Pete.

7cyclops · Oct 4, 2022

Hi Pete. Good luck and prayers sending for your dear wife. We never know what will be or when.
We have some great Doctors today and hope you have one. I use my venom dual ,yes it takes forever,but I don't want to spin the motors and waste time on them,if I'm not going to fly. I do that while I find something else todo close by where I can keep an eye and ear on things. Goodluck. Peace, Keith

wrench567 · Oct 4, 2022

Amain hobbies has the ISDT FD200 on sale. Put in my order and also ordered some XT60 connectors so I can make up a harness. It would work for my helicopter batteries too.
Thank you guys.
Pete.

wrench567 · Oct 7, 2022

Received the FD200 today. I made up an XT60 to 4mm banana socket. I took some sockets from an old helicopter ESC that is fried. This way the battery charger adapter cable can be used for charging and discharging the drone batteries.
Downloaded the ISDT go app on my android tablet. Did a firmware update. Set the discharge rate to 10 amps and discharged one battery. Took a little more than 10 minutes. Awesome. The other 3 took about 16 hours using the 4 button charger. Nice piece of equipment. I highly recommend it.
Thanks Good people.
Pete.
P.S. The wife is home and recuperating. Modern medicine can replace a broken valve and out of the hospital in days. Now she clicks if you listen closely. She needs round the clock care for awhile so I'm grounded.

DoomMeister · Oct 7, 2022

Glad to hear your wife is back home and recuperating!!! Very good news!

I like the ISDT products and have had the FD100 for a few years now. If I add to my collect of RC tools the FD200 will be on the list. Glad you are happy with it.

Chris Koch · Oct 8, 2022

wrench567 said:
Received the FD200 today. I made up an XT60 to 4mm banana socket. I took some sockets from an old helicopter ESC that is fried. This way the battery charger adapter cable can be used for charging and discharging the drone batteries.
Downloaded the ISDT go app on my android tablet. Did a firmware update. Set the discharge rate to 10 amps and discharged one battery. Took a little more than 10 minutes. Awesome. The other 3 took about 16 hours using the 4 button charger. Nice piece of equipment. I highly recommend it.
Thanks Good people.
Pete.
P.S. The wife is home and recuperating. Modern medicine can replace a broken valve and out of the hospital in days. Now she clicks if you listen closely. She needs round the clock care for awhile so I'm grounded.

That is excellent news, ref you wife retuning home, look after her, flying can wait

Dick B · Oct 8, 2022

What is with discharge? I have batteries for the H by 4 different Mfrs. Never have done anything but run the m down in use. If not used just let them decay so to speak, over time in their own. So? Dick B

wrench567 · Oct 8, 2022

Dick B said:
What is with discharge? I have batteries for the H by 4 different Mfrs. Never have done anything but run the m down in use. If not used just let them decay so to speak, over time in their own. So? Dick B

Leaving them fully charged will shorten their lifespan dramatically. There is still internal resistance and chemical reaction that leads to puffing and eventually shorting. Drawing them down to 3.7 to 3.8 volts per cell will keep them fresher for longer. For the cost of the batteries, I try to take care of them.
Pete.

Dick B · Oct 9, 2022

OK! Not known. I will drop a 1K resistor across them for a while before they are stashed in the future. Or maybe just drop a 3K resistor on each and leave it that way prior to charging. Charging takes a relative long time one at a time with a factory charger. Hasty charging any battery is hard on it.

DoomMeister · Oct 9, 2022

Dick B said:
OK! Not known. I will drop a 1K resistor across them for a while before they are stashed in the future. Or maybe just drop a 3K resistor on each and leave it that way prior to charging. Charging takes a relative long time one at a time with a factory charger. Hasty charging any battery is hard on it.

You do not want to leave a load connected to your LiPo batteries when being stored. It is best to bring them to storage voltage (3.8V/cell) before storing them. Then check them about once a month and if the voltage is down to 3.6V/cell charge them to storage voltage again.

There is a ton of information on the forum and the internet on proper care for LiPo (lithium ion polymer) battery packs.

Dick B · Oct 9, 2022

wrench567 said:
Leaving them fully charged will shorten their lifespan dramatically. There is still internal resistance and chemical reaction that leads to puffing and eventually shorting. Drawing them down to 3.7 to 3.8 volts per cell will keep them fresher for longer. For the cost of the batteries, I try to take care of them.
Pete. Tks. Pete... I have quite a number of tools with LiPo batteries and they sit. And they sit. They seem to keep their act together without any special handling. To discharge and recharge is a serious diversion from the fun it is supposed to be. Then my next real question is - where can I get money for those that are ready for scrap? [I have taken some clusters apart and replaced individuals with other used but at some time they all gotta go.] [(started doing it NiMh units because they were more costly to replace than the devices they were used in. Likewise back in the day with NiCads)] Have only 2 'genuine' Yuneec batteries that will need work some later.

wrench567 · Oct 9, 2022

I too have cordless tools. I can't count how many DeWalt 12 volt batteries I have reconditioned with new cells. Then I started flying RC helicopters and learned how to properly charge and store LIPOs. Since then the only one that has gone bad was because of corrosion. That was a DeWalt 12 volt control board and not the cells. I have batteries that are more than a decade old and still going strong. My DeWalt 20 volt max batteries are almost as expensive as the Typhoon H battery. It doesn't take long to charge a pack, sometimes if I know I'll need it it will go on the charger the night before. My Spectrum DX7 radio has a Life battery that was purchased in 2001. Still gives hours of service faithfully.
Pete.