Lipo Battery Balance Connectors Introduction

What is a balance connector?

A balance connector is nothing more than a breakout connector for accessing all the individual cells contained in a lipo. This allows for the monitoring and manipulation of each cell individually.

Why are balance connectors needed?

Like everything in the world, no two things are exactly the same, and batteries are no different. When multiple batteries, or cells, are assembled into packs, those different differences can lead to imbalances within the pack. In most cases, like NiXX cells, this is not a problem due to the chemistry of the cells. But when using lithium based cells, these imbalances can damage the cells and in some extreme cases even result in a fire.

The age of lipos

As of right now there are single lipos ranging from gens ace lipo 1s 80mAh to 12s 6000mAh lipo, with C-ratings ranging from 15C to 65C. These lipos power a huge range of models from micro helicopters to 33% planes. What used to be a simple answer, "Use Deans Ultra Plugs", has now become a little more difficult to answer.

LiPo Battery Connectors and Types

Bullet Connectors

Bullet connectors are many times the stock connector attached to LiPo batteries, especially larger LiPo batteries. These connectors can handle a lot of current but have the tendency to pull apart during hard landings or through rough usage. If you plan to leave the bullet connectors that came with the LiPo battery on, be sure to purchase the correct size to match. For example, this 5000 mAh 3S 25C LiPo from Gens Ace lipo comes stock with a 4mm bullet connector.


Deans T-connectors

This is the original t-plug connector. This was the first heavy duty plug that I felt comfortable using on everything. These were purpose made for the RC industry. You can find the authentic W.S. Deans Ultra Plug and these days there are clones of this design. I have found many of the clones plastic will melt if you get your soldering iron too hot when attaching your wires. The main issue with this plug is that they are a little tricky to attach wires to since they are simply flat. If your wires are very thick (larger than 12awg) then they are really tricky. They will also pop when you connect them if you are using a big lipo. This doesn't bother me personally but some folks find it unnerving.

Deans Connector Battery Recommendation

This is the 7.4V lipo battery 5000mah With Deans Connector. This battery is perfect for any Airsoft soldier who is looking to add more power to their weapon! You can never go wrong when you choose a Li-Poly battery, not only do they last long, and they hold a stronger charge but they also come with outstanding quality. So whether you are getting a replacement battery or an extra battery for your favorite Airsoft gun the 7.4V 1800mAh Lipo Battery With Deans Connector is the perfect choice for you! 

XT60

These are rated for 60 amps. I first starting seeing XT60s on Gens Ace lipos. This seemed to be their alternative to t-plugs. These consist of 3.5 mm bullets that are shrouded with plastic. There is a male and female side. The great part about this plug is that the side you solder to is cupped. It will hold your solder and your wire a lot easier than a Deans plug. The other advantage is that a lot of batteries ship with this connector. That means all you have to do is create some corresponding connectors for your charger/RC vehicle and you are in business. Since I was already Dean based I never migrated to this style of connector. Disconnecting them can also be a little tricky. I will say that if I was to change to a new connector this would be the one. Most of my quads use this type of connect. Most I have cut and switched to Deans but I have also made adapters.

EC3

The connectors on this plug are fully shielded. Connecting the EC3 isn't confusing and once connected they stay connected. These are also very easy to solder together and no heat shrink is required. My reason for using them might sound silly. Separating them is a bit of a pain. When you do separate rate them the suction between the two makes a POP sound. I'm not sure why I find this off-putting. Maybe I feel like I'm straining the solder since they are so tough to separate. I have never used this type of connector for very long. Ultimately I cut them and change over to Deans.

What is the best battery brand?

Gens Ace batteries are one of the top LiPo battery manufacturers around in terms of performance and quality in general. However if you are are after some professional level batteries I can highly recommend the Gens Ace TATTU series of Lipos. These Gens Ace lipo batteries are abit more expensive that other brands, but they are worth paying abit more for, especially if you are carrying expensive equipment on your drone.

My DIY Lipo Battery Back Experience Share for You

Superior monolithic battery may not produce high quality Lipo battery pack for RC aircraft, but excellent RC aircraft battery pack necessarily need superior lipo cell to produce. This is particularly true if you need a battery pack to regularly power equipment such as remote controlled (RC) cars or aeroplanes. Batteries such as nickel cadmium (NiCad) or nickel metal hydride (NiMH) are popular choices for RC car enthusiasts, while lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries are chosen by RC aeroplane enthusiasts, due to the that battery's lighter weight and higher output voltage. Make a rechargeable battery pack wired in series to increase output voltage: RC models need about 10-volts to operate, although it varies by type. Wiring in series combines the output voltage of each battery in the pack.

I have two gens ace lipo 6S 5000 mAh battery packs. One pack has one defect cell. I remove the defect cell and one of the good cells from the defect battery pack and thus get a 4S pack.

I connect the 6S and 4S packs lipo battery 5000mah together in serial to get a 10S battery pack. Wiring diagram is shown below.

I also cheek each battery pack using RC LI-Po battery tester. The RC Li-Po tester clearly indicates how many cells there are in the battery pack  (including the Voltage of each Li-Po battery cell). However, this particular RC Li-Po tester can only test up to 8 battery cells. Fully charged battery cell has a voltage of nearly 4.2V. The pictures below depict the testing of a 6S (number of cells) and a 4S (voltage of a single cell in a pack) battery pack. When I connect everything together, I get a 10S 5Ah 36V Li-Po battery pack. I put the pack into the triangle bike bag for easy fitting on to the bike. Total weight of the battery pack is only 1,42 Kg.

So far in the auctions I have won on Genstattu, I have paid an average of $8.94 per cell, including shipping and handling charges! The 6-cell Lipo pack that I will build in this How-To cost me a grand total of $54.87 including the cost of the 6 cells, the Deans Connector, the 12 gauge wire and the tape used to hold everything together. If you decide to add a balance connector, this will add about $2.00 to the cost of the build.

The 6 cell pack built here has a open circuit voltage of 6 x 3.7 volts per cell for a total pack voltage of 22.2 volts, and has a capacity of 2300mah. The pack can deliver 30C continuous (69 Amps) with burst capability of 40C (92 Amps). I am currently running them in my 150% F-4 and 166% F-18 ParkJets and in both planes I am pulling 35 Amps (15.2C), and getting 5-6 minute flights with 300-400mah left in the lipo battery pack at the end of the flights. At this current draw, the Gens Ace 6-cell pack delivers 22.2 volts or 2.867 volts per cell. In this application, the packs are delivering 22.2 volts x 35 Amps or 602 watts, which is pretty good for a battery pack that weighs just 1 pound!

I think that I may be somewhat alone in my continued usage of Gens ace lipo batteries. If you care to join me, you can buy factory assembled Gens lipo battery packs from numerous vendors. Those of you comfortable with heavy soldering can save a few bucks by assembling your own packs from individual cells. In fact, most of my Gens Ace lipo battery packs were built with cells scavenged from certain DeWalt cordless drill batteries. Also note that Gens Ace lipo battery cells require specific chargers.

Sizing Your Battery Pack

LiPo batteries were more expensive than Li-Ion because they are more labor intensive to manufacture. Fortunately prices have dropped substantially since they have become as, if not more popular than Li-Ion battery technology. This holds especially true for electric powered RC aircraft and the real driver behind LiPo battery research – portable communication/entertainment devices.  Now the best RC battery brand is Gens ace lipo, many RC hobbist use Gens Ace Lipo batteries.

1. Average Amp Draw

To work out the value for average amp draw, you’ll need to know the all up weight (AUW) of your drone and relate this to thrust and amp values found in the datasheet for your motor/prop configuration. The idea is to work out how many amps your multirotor will draw to maintain a stable hover (note we are taking a stable hover to represent average flight). For example, if your quadcopter has an AUW of 2kg, each motor will have to produce 500g of thrust in order to hover. If each motor draws 4amps to produce 500g of thrust, then your average current draw will be 16amps.

Please notice that current draw depends on your way of flying and external factors such as resistance, weight and wind. Preferably, always use a LiPo low battery warner on your RC device. This will warn you when the battery is drained before it's fully empty (20%). Don't push the LiPo. They don't like to get discharged to the bottom. And you won't like your multicopter falling down from the sky suddenly either.

2.  Daily energy use

Next find the energy used in a day. Figure out how long each electronic device will be run in hours during a day. Multiply the wattage of each device by its run-time to get the energy in watt-hours per day. Add up all the watt-hour values to get a total for your home. This estimate is likely too low as there will be efficiency loses. To get a very rough idea of the real value with system loses, multiply by 1.5. This will help account for decreasing performance when temperature increases.

3.  Days of autonomy

Now decide how many days worth of energy you want to store in your battery bank. Generally this is anywhere from two to five.

4.  Battery bank capacity

Finally we can calculate the minimum battery AH capacity. Take the watt-hours per day and multiply them by the number you decided upon in 3. This should represent a 50% depth of discharge on your batteries. Therefore multiply by 2 and convert the kwh result into amp hours (AH). This is done by dividing by the battery voltage.

Example calculation of max. flying time:

Gens Ace Battery from Genstattu.com

A constant current draw of 20A from a 2200mAh LiPo will get you:( 2200mAh /1000) / 20A = 0.11 x 60 = 6.6 minutes flying time.

Discharge: LiPo batteries can be permanently damaged if they are fully discharged. In respect of this, it's common practice to not discharge your LiPo batteries below 20% mAh during flight; this is known as the '80% rule'. To represent this in the flight time calculator enter the value 80% in the discharge field.

Here a example for you

If your airplane requires a 3S setup using a typical 3s 2200mah lipo pack and you change to a “hotter”motor—meaning one that is more powerful and will pull more current—you need to see if your current packs can handle it. If your current power system is pulling 20 amps with your 2,200 mAh 15C pack, but your next motor upgrade will pull 35 amps, that pack won’t be happy.

Almost every RC LiPo battery cell is packaged in a foil pouch coincidentally called a pouch cell. The picture to the right shows a typical 2 cell LiPo RC battery pack.

It is best to size your battery packs so they run somewhat below theirm maximum C rating. You will stress them less and they will last longer. For example, if your motor needs a pack that can deliver 10 amps, getting a 1000mah pack that is rated for 10C ( 10 amps ) will meet the spec, but it is running at its limit. A 15 C rated 1000 mah pack would be better, or perhaps a 1300 mah 10 C pack. In either of these cases, the pack will be less stressed and should handle the load much better over the long term.

I recommend buying a quality LiPo pack that is well beyond the projected requirements of the setup. Running a pack at its limit will guarantee a short life and wasted money. Pay attention to the label and notice if it gives two ratings such as 30C/60C. These represent the continuous and burst ratings as previously mentioned.

Do You Know the Lipo Batteries Misusage For RC Airplane

Daily Using Mistakes of Lithium Batteries 

For the lithium battery "activate" problem, most people agree that recharge time must be more than 12 hours to activate the Lipo battery. This " The first three charging more than 12 hours to charge " was obviously inherited from the nickel battery ( such as nickel cadmium and nickel metal hydride ) argument. Therefore, this argument was miscommunication from the start. After sampling survey, we can see a considerable number of people confuse the two battery charging methods.

Long charging time and completely using the battery power will cause overcharge and over discharge, it will lead lithium -ion battery positive and negative in permanent damage, from the molecular level, excessive discharge of carbon anode will lead to excessive release of lithium ion and makes it lamellar structure collapsed. Overcharging Lipo battery will put too many lithium ion into the negative carbon structure that causing some of the lithium-ion no longer be released. This is also why the lithium-ion batteries are usually equipped with charge and discharge control circuit.

The proper way and precautions before 3 times

1. There is no need for extraordinary time charge as 12 hours to activate the battery when the first three charging time.
2. Place a long time do not use , or frequent that charge is used for some time, the method is a complete charge and discharge , and then you can use namely battery charge , and only after long-term use needs to be fully charged and discharged again to recalibrate again.
3. If your battery place a long time, or frequent use in a period of time, the method is a complete charge and discharge, and then you can use namely battery charge. Only after long-term using, your battery needs to be fully charged and discharged.
4. If your batteries have long time using, you can place your battery before charging your lipo batteries to 40%. Or you can watch each piece voltage batteries, 3.75-3.85V is the best preserved voltage. If your batteries are long-term using, in order to protect the battery.

Here share some little knowledge about Lipo batteries configurations

Series increases the voltage of a pack. 1S is 1 cell lipo, 2S is 2 cell lipo 5000mah battery in a series connection, 3S 3 cells, 6S 6 cells in series etc. Parallel adds capacity for the pack. Better way to measurement is to use the total watt hours of a pack. 12S3P can be the same as a 6S6P. The difference between the two is 12S is double the voltage than 6S.

12S3P = 12 cells in series and 3P means 12 series are in 3P.

Typically, 12S is the highest voltage we use for electric skateboards since most esc/motors don't run above 12S.

6S lipo battery is typically used for up to 20mph. Many people use 12S for added power/range and efficiency over 6S. Although, there's nothing wrong with 6S except after a while you get use to 6S top speed. Typical, 10Wh is .62 miles and/or .98 km.

Charging Lithium ion batteries at slow rates

When the charge rate during the constant current phase is low, the charger process will spend less time during the constant voltage tail. If you charge below about 0.18 C, the cell is virtually full when the 4.2 volts is reached. This can be used as an alternative charge algorithm. Just charge below 0.18C constant current and terminate the charge when the voltage reaches 4.2 volts per cell.

Every lithium ion battery pack should have a method of keeping the cell balanced and preventing them from being over-discharged. This is usually done with a safety board which monitors the charge and discharge of the pack, and prevents dangerous things from happening. The specifications of these safety boards are dictated by the cell manufacture, and may include the following:

• Reverse polarity protection
• Charge temperature--must not be charged when temperature is lower than 0° C or above 45° C.
• Charge current must not be too high, typically below 0.7 C.
• Discharge current protection to prevent damage due to short circuits.
• Charge voltage--a permanent fuse opens if too much voltage is applied to the battery terminals
• Overcharge protection--stops charge when voltage per cell rises above 4.30 volts.
• Overdischarge protection--stops discharge when battery voltage falls below 2.3 volts per cell (varies with manufacturer).
• A fuse opens if the battery is ever exposed to temperatures above 100° C.

Talk about so much, I believe you have know more about RC lipo batteries now, welcome every RC hobbist to share your RC hobby information for us. We are Gens Ace, a professinal manufacture of RC & Drone lipo batteries, you can choose 1s to 6s gens ace lipo from us, 2s 5000 mah, 3s 4000mah lipo, 4s 2200mAh lipo are all our hot sale product.

Lithium polymer vs lithium ion battery which is better

A lithium polymer battery is rectangular in shape and is very thin. These batteries are used in a variety of devices from laptop computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. Other names for lithium polymer batteries are “LiPo” and “LiPoly.” If a person had to choose which is safer, a lithium polymer or a lithium ion battery, most would say the polymer based battery is safer. The commone Lipo batteries, we can see that is RC lipo battery. Any battery can explode if over charged but the polymer battery is not as likely to burst into flames like the ion based battery. The lithium polymer battery is what many call a pouch cell design battery. This is what makes it lighter than the lithium ion battery. The lithium polymer battery is designed where the electrode sheet and its separator are laminated onto each other. This eliminates the metal needed in the ion batteries. Another benefit of the lithium polymer battery is that manufactures can shape the cell into any form that is needed for any type of device.


Application of lithium polymer battery

LiPo cells provide manufacturers with compelling advantages. They can easily produce batteries of almost any desired shape. For example, the space and weight requirements of mobile phones and notebook computers can be completely satisfied. Also, they have low-self discharge rate, which is about 1%.

Radio controlled equipment and Airsoft

LiPo batteries have just about taken over in the world of radio-controlled aircraft, radio-controlled cars and large scale model trains, where the advantages of lower weight and increased capacity and power delivery justify the price.

As of the beginning of 2013, LiPo packs of 1.3 Ah exist, providing 45C continuous discharge, and short-time 90C bursts. Bigger packs of 4.5 Ah may feature discharge rates of 70C, with 140C bursts.

Much More have introduced a completely new line of Impact Lipo battery called FD or Flat Discharge. The new configuration gives a flatter discharge curve meaning you get more voltage for longer instead of a steady drop in voltage as in regular packs. Available in 7200mAh 80C & 6000mAh 80C stick packs, 6000mAh 80C & 5000mah 3s lipo (low height) saddle packs, 4600mAh 80C shorty pack, 6400mAh 70C 1S & 3000mAh 60C 2S 1/12th packs and a 4200mAh 50C (low height) stick pack.

Lithium ion batteries use carbon anode and lithium cobalt oxide cathode and an electrolyte gel. Chemistry of lithium polymer is much similar to Li-ions but it also uses a porous separator which converts into gel on exposure to electrolyte. Also Li-polymers employ different architecture. These batteries do not use metal shell like Li-ion batteries. Li-polymer battery is in next level of development and replaces liquid electrolyte with a plastic or polymer electrolyte thus allows these batteries to be molded in various shapes and sizes. The chemical construction of Li-ion battery restricts it to only rectangular shape.

Selecting the right battery for a specific task can become quite a technical challenge which is why retail battery packaging sometimes lists the kind of device they are best suited for. An example of the problems with selecting the best battery technology for a specific task might be the new Boeing Dreamliner. The entire fleet was grounded for several weeks because of a battery catching fire.

We are the number one manufacturer of custom LiPo batteries for RC hobby and commercial grade quadcopters and rc vehicles. gens ace lipo is the best way to upgrade your DJI and Traxxas batteries. We can custom build with any voltage or capacity you require.

LiPo Battery Testing Report About Gens Ace Lipo

Lithium polymer (LiPo) battery cells are more and more popular and are used extensively in remote control models, particularly airplanes. LiPo cells produce 3.7 volts and have a capacity of 2,100 mAh (milliamp hours), if in good condition, which is approximately three times more than a nickel-based rechargeable battery. If you want to test the condition of your LiPo battery pack then use a multimeter and you can test the voltage and mAh. Recently I bought two pack gens ace lipo batteries from genstattu, one is 5000mah 3s lipo battery, the ohter is 2200mah 2s lipo battery, all of these two lipo batteries run well now with my RC models.

I have tested many batteries from the cheapest to the most expensive. There are NiMh batteries out there that make some of the LiPo batteries look awful, particularly when it comes to the discharge graph. Some of the cheapest LiPo batteries on the market have a discharge slope that is linear with a negative slope. Most NiMh batteries for the same price offer better performance than a lot of the cheap LiPo batteries, but at the cost of weight.

Like all things, you really get what you pay for. One might argue the fact that their cheap LiPo batteries work great for them and they have no issues. Thats just great, and I am glad you are happy. I'm simply stating the facts.

Some other useful info about LiPo batteries:

1. After a discharge, the cell voltages of a pack will rise back up and try to get as close to the nominal voltage as possible (3.7V/Cell).

2. LiPo batteries should not be charged more than 4.25V/Cell, and should not be discharged more than 2.75V/Cell.

3. LiPo batteries should be stored at room temperature. For prolonged storage, keep the battery at a 40% charge level.

4. If your lithium battery has swelled, toss it. There has been a phase change in at least one of the cells and it is permanently damaged.

The following is the Gens Ace 30C Lipo battery testing report

3S 7.4V 5000 mAh Gens Ace 30C LiPo Battery Tests

The 5000mah 3s lipo LiPo batteries are compact batteries often utilized in small scale flying radio controlled models such as RC planes and helicopters. These small batteries have a pretty high discharge and charge ratings that we need to confirm in our tests. What is important to note for this particular battery is that it can be a 2 cell battery, but there's no balance plug, only a JST discharge one that brings out the combined voltage from the two cells. While this normally should not be a serious problem, not having a balance connector may shorten the life of the battery if the cells become a little more and more disbalanced over time.

For comparision here is the data for the Turnigy 2200mah 35C battery.

Scenario (Turnigy) ........ IR(mOhm) ........Amps(avg) ........ C(avg)
Full Charge (75F) ................... 3.5..................... 61 .................... 28
Full Charge (95F) ................... 2.2 ....................71 ..................... 35
Storage Charge (75F) .......... 3.4 ................... 62 ..................... 28

We can conclude that the 3S 7.4V 5000 mAh Gens Ace 30C LiPo batteries are performing very good and meet their specs, the only thing to note is that if you are going to be pushing to their maximum you should make sure they are cooled properly (at 25C-30C discharge rates). a lot of different 3s, 5s, 6s and 10s in different sizes on sale now,welcom to buy lipo battery for your rc model from genstattu now.

RC Battery Buying Guide For Your RC model

What Is mAH rating?

All RC batteries come with a certain capacity to store electric energy for a specific period of time. This capacity of the RC battery is expressed in terms of mAH. mAH stands for Milli-Ampere Hour and the rating defines the ability of the mobile battery to perform for a specific period, typically one hour. The higher mAH ratings are sometimes misunderstood as how fast the current is drawn from the battery. Rather, the higher mAH ratings indicate how long the current can be drawn from the battery until it is completely discharged. This is one aspect that almost every mobile phone user must consider before purchasing a replacement battery.

A RC battery's mAH rating determines the period or the number of hours or days a battery can keep the mobile phone alive on a single charge. For instance, a 1000 mAH battery is capable of providing 100 milliamps for a period of 10 hours, and a battery with 7.4v 2200mah lipo battery capacity can supply similar volume of current for a period of 20 hours. The larger the number of mAH rating on the battery, the less frequent would be the need to recharge the phone. The number of hours mainly varies across different OEMs or manufacturers and is also governed by the usage patterns.

mAH Rating and Types of Battery

Different RC batteries with the same mAH rating need not have the same shelf life. The technology used in manufacturing the battery, the usage pattern, the RC software, etc. determine the overall performance of a RC battery. mAH is just an indication; it need not always translate into real-time results. Buyers should look into their RC needs and power requirements when buying a RC battery.

Understand battery terms when buying an RC battery.

    mAh: Milli Ampere Hour. This is basically the electric charge transferred by a current of one milliampere for one hour. The higher the mAh, the longer a battery will last per charge. This is the one part of a battery that you can change without damaging the heli.
    Volt: The electrical pressure. Basically this determines how much power can flow to the motor. For lipo batteries the voltage comes in multiples of 3.7 volts, or 3.7 volts per cell.
    Cell: An independent 3.7 volt battery.
    Litium-Ion (Li-Ion): a type of battery that has a rigid cell structure and shape. It is safer than a lipo battery, but not as efficient.
    Lithium-Polymer (Lipo): a type of battery with a flexible cell structure and shape. Lipos can catch fire and explode if mistreated or dropped on a hard surface. Be careful! Although more dangerous, they are more efficient than li-ion batteries and can come in practically any shape with the same cell count.

My tricopter has a max current draw of around 30A – 35A, and all of the batteries below meet the requirement.

From these data, you can create some very interesting and useful graphs, for example I usually do

    Density, which is capacity per gram (= capacity / weight), and
    Value, which is capacity per dollar (= capacity / price)

From the above graphs, if I am only going for best performance and not worry about the price, I would definitely go for 2650mah lipo, 3000mah lipo, or 3300mah lipo. Also 4000mah lipo might be a good choice too due to its outstanding value.

These graphs tell you some insights into which battery has the highest price/performance ratio, but it doesn’t tell you whether this is the best battery for your RC aircraft, quadcopter or tricopter. To do that, we need to create a mathematical model.

Recommend Gens Ace LiPo Battery

Gens Ace LiPo batteries are designed for customers seeking the ultimate in battery performance. Building upon the highly rated Admiral brand of LiPo batteries, Gens ace lipo offer a higher continuous discharge rate and lower internal resistance. While the majority of our products are sufficiently powered by our standard Gens Ace batteries, we offer the Gens Ace series for enthusiasts who are running high current draw devices or hobbyists who want a "top of the line" LiPo battery.