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The Amazing RC Lithium Battery
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Lithium battery

technology is based on the material characteristics of lithium - the lightest metal with the highest electrochemical potential of any solid material. The technology has not yet fully matured and is still being improved continuously as new metal and chemical combinations are being tried to increase energy density and prolong service life.In many ways, lithium is superior to nickel and lead-based chemistries and the applications for a lithium battery are growing as a result. One of the most exciting applications of course is in the radio control hobby field. A lithium battery prefers a partial rather than a full discharge and frequent full discharges should be avoided when possible. Instead, charge the battery more often (they are good for 300-500 discharge/charge cycles) or use a larger battery. There is no concern of memory when applying unscheduled charges.Aging of lithium-ion is an issue that is often ignored and a lithium battery has a lifetime of 2-3 years. The clock starts ticking as soon as the battery comes off the manufacturing line and the capacity loss is the result of increased internal resistance caused by oxidation. Eventually, the cell resistance will reach a point where the pack can no longer deliver the stored energy, although the battery may still contain ample charge. With lithium cells, there is always the risk of fire which can result from shorting, improper charging or crash damage to the batteries. And because a lithium battery fire is very hot (several thousand degrees) it often starts other fires which can result in burning down the house! Now the reason fire occurs is due to contact between the lithium and oxygen in the air. It doesnt need any other source of ignition or fuel to start, and burns almost explosively.Please follow these simple safety rules:Store and charge in a fireproof container, never in your model. I keep and charge mine in a metal garbage can lid. Never leave the charging process unattended, especially overnight. Charge in a protected area away from any combustibles. Always stand watch over the charging process. Never attempt to charge a lithium battery that has been damaged and if it has been damaged, carefully remove it to a safe place for at least a half hour to observe. After sufficient time to ensure safety, damaged cells should be discarded at a recycling depot, not in the garbage.. Always use a dedicated lithium charger, never a Ni-Cd/NiMh charger. Use charging systems that monitor and control the charge state of each cell in the pack because unbalanced cells can lead to the overcharge of a single cell in the pack resulting in swelling. If swelling occurs, discontinue charging immediately and remove to a safe place outside.Other than thatenjoy!!Superior lithium ion polymer batteries (LiPol or LiPo) like the Thunder Power above and the Apogee batteries below, use a polymer electrolyte that can be packaged in flexible material and designed to prevent explosion making them safe to handle as an RC battery. These cells offer working voltages in the range of 3.0~4.2V compared to 1.2V~1.5V for lead acid, NiCd, and NiMh rechargeable batteries so it takes only half the number of cells to achieve the same voltage. Note: as I mentioned, many chargers used in the radio control market today can't support the lithium rechargeable battery characteristics and therefore require their own unique charger, which you'll find by clicking here. LiPoly Battery Features:Thunder Power, E-Flight and Apogee are some of the best lithium batteries on the market!Up to 1000 cycles (twice the ordinary)Extremely lightweight & compactProvides 5X the operating time of same-sized NiCdsNo memory effect3.7 volt cell output provides 3X the reliability of NiCdsCell chemistry is non-toxic and contains no carcinogens