Some Questions about Lipo Battery

LiPo or Lithium Polymer batteries are batteries that are designed to be light and more efficient than other batteries by eliminating the outside “shell” you find on many other batteries. While this makes them great for a lot of applications, especially RC Aircraft, but they can be dangerous if treated carelessly.

What does the C rating mean on Lipo batteries, example: (10C, 20C, 35C ect.)

“C” rating is the allowable amp draw of the battery. It relates to discharge limits of the Lipo battery. The higher “C” number means that the battery is capable of taking a higher discharge load without causing damage to the battery. There is no real industry standard on testing for the “C” rating and each manufacture test determines what the “C” rating will be for their batteries based on their findings. It is possible to buy two Gens ace 3s lipo by two different manufactures with the same “C” rating the batteries will have completely different performances. I see 180mah, 2000mah, 3600mah, ect. What does “mah” stand for? MAH is the (Milli Amp Hours); this is the capacity or run time of the battery. The higher the milli amp capacity 2000, 3600 and so on equates to how much run time the battery will have. Be sure that you check the motors temperature during the first run for proper gearing. Incorrect gearing will over heat the motor and could cause irreversible damage.

What is the difference between a one, two or three cells lipo battery?

The primary difference is voltage! A single cell or (1S) Lipo is 3.7 volts, 2-cell or (2S) Lipo is 7.4 volts; 3-cell or (3S) is 11.1 volts. I am sure you have figured out, each cell is 3.7 volts and depending on how many cells you have in series you can multiply those numbers by 3.7 and that will give you the packs voltage. (Example 3 x 3.7 = 11.1) Running a 3-cell 2200mah lipo will give you the relative equivalent voltage if you were to run 9 to 10 NiMh or NiCad type cells that are 1.2 volts per cell. Electric motors are capable of running different amounts of voltage.However, it is important that you pay attention to gearing; incorrect gearing with prolong runs from high capacity batteries can results in excessive heat to the motor and the battery. If you are not careful, it is possible the battery could overheat which will cause it to swell and possibly catch on fire or explode be sure to check for proper gearing no matter what motor you run, brushed or brushless.

I see batteries on the market and some say TX or RX even though they may have the same specifications:

TX = (Transmitter) and RX= (Receiver) each uses different voltage batteries. Typically, an RX 2-cell is no more than (7.4 volts) and TX is (11.1 volts）plugging in a11.1-volt battery into your RX could cause a catastrophic failure unless you have a voltage limiter also connected. Depending on the specifications of your receiver, you may need to run a voltage limiter with your RX when using higher voltage battery, a typical RX runs up to 6.0 volt, but that does not mean you cannot use higher voltage batteries, just be sure to check with the manufacture on the receiver’s capabilities.