Lipo or Nimh

[Swuishytacos]

Hi I'm new to airsoft I have the CYMA CM.011 g36 and it recommend a NIMH battery but I hear loads of people telling me to use a lipo but I have no clue so can anyone tell me why I need lipo? 

[EDcase]

LiPo's give more consistent power from a smaller package and can be recharged from any level back to full.  You must get a decent charger. (search forum for suggestions)

NiMh will work fine but have more 'memory' so are best discharged before charging each time.  You still need to get a good charger to keep them in good condition.

 

LiPo's will provide full power until exhausted then stop. (Best not to drain completely. Stop using as soon as it feels weak)

NiMh will slowly get weaker as they drain

[Leonine]

I use a 11.1v LiPo Crane battery on my G36. I find that to give the best results in rate of fire. I also find the batteries to be longer lasting.

 

[EDcase]

Personally I wouldn't use an 11.1v in a standard gun.  If anything fails under the extra strain it will be spectacular. (and expensive)

7.4v will do for standard AEGs

[Adolf Hamster]

gotta love that i'm mid-guide writing on a bunch of stuff like this.

 

essentially lipo's are capable of much higher currents, their power curve is better (it goes for ages then suddenly stops rather than the slow decline of nimh), and they're less susceptable to memory (or losing performance over time)

 

however they do need a little more care, you want good quality charging equipment, they can burn through your trigger contacts if you're not using a mosfet, and if you over-discharge them (for example by trying to keep firing as it runs out of juice) then it'll kill them.

 

have a read of this thread as to why you need to take your charging equipment seriously:

https://airsoft-forums.uk/topic/49777-imax-b6s-are-st-change-my-mind/

[Leonine]

4 minutes ago, EDcase said:

Personally I wouldn't use an 11.1v in a standard gun.  If anything fails under the extra strain it will be spectacular. (and expensive)

7.4v will do for standard AEGs

Nothing wrong with a few fireworks on the field 😜😂

[EDcase]

1 minute ago, Leonine said:

Nothing wrong with a few fireworks on the field 😜😂

Except when its your precious AEG going up in flames or chewing gears 😉

[Brophy]

2 minutes ago, Leonine said:

Nothing wrong with a few fireworks on the field 😜😂

Yeah, just say you brought some of that "American freedom" to the field? 😂

[EDcase]

Then it starts a forest fire and you get sued for damages to the site 🤣

[Leonine]

2 minutes ago, EDcase said:

Then it starts a forest fire and you get sued for damages to the site 🤣

Knew my flamethrower was a bad idea 😟

[EDcase]

Just now, Leonine said:

Knew my flamethrower was a bad idea 😟

You might be taking airsoft a bit too seriously 😉

[Swuishytacos]

So basically go for a 7.4 lipo and it'll work just as well as my NIMH ? Haha

[Leonine]

8 minutes ago, Swuishytacos said:

So basically go for a 7.4 lipo and it'll work just as well as my NIMH ? Haha

Yep if anything it will work better 😀

[Swuishytacos]

Thank you all for that descriptive story of fireworks and America 

[Leonine]

10 minutes ago, Swuishytacos said:

Thank you all for that descriptive story of fireworks and America 

Always a pleasure! Also welcome to the forums 😄 

[Ad_]

I use both types for different guns.

 

LiPo batteries offer a lot of benefits over NiMH, being much lighter (and typically much smaller than similar capacity NiMH packs), having better capacity and negligible self-discharge, but they require a lot more care to be taken with their use and storage and the charging process is more complex and "risky" (there's a reason why fireproof LiPo charge bags are a thing). If they're abused in any way (e.g. over-charging, attempting to recharge after over-discharging, using them without doing a balance charge, piercing or otherwise physically damaging them etc.) there's a good chance of them "venting with flame".

 

NiMH batteries are heavier than LiPo, have lower capacity and suffer from high self-discharge (I charge mine the night before a game and then top them up in the morning) but they're very forgiving and it's relatively hard to accidentally ruin them or get them to fail in a way that damages anything other than the battery pack itself.

 

1 hour ago, EDcase said:

NiMh will work fine but have more 'memory' so are best discharged before charging each time.

 

The memory effect was a big issue with NiCd cells, but it's not something to be concerned about with NiMH cells. I would recommend against fully discharging every time as that'll just wear them out faster.

 

1 hour ago, Adolf Hamster said:

they can burn through your trigger contacts if you're not using a mosfet

 

Trigger contacts getting burnt out will happen regardless of battery type - I personally wouldn't use any gun without having a MOSFET fitted.

[Swuishytacos]

So would a 7.4v lipo last a all day skirmish if charged correctly?

 

[Leonine]

5 minutes ago, Swuishytacos said:

So would a 7.4v lipo last a all day skirmish if charged correctly?

 

yes maybe get 2 on the day just in case though it depends how much you fire and if full auto or not.😄

[Ad_]

11 minutes ago, Swuishytacos said:

So would a 7.4v lipo last a all day skirmish if charged correctly?

 

That depends on the size/capacity of the battery and how much you shoot. I'd recommend getting at least a couple of batteries anyway & swapping them half way through the day, that way you're much less likely to ruin them by accidentally over-discharging (you might also want to consider getting a low battery alarm to help prevent this happening) and you have a spare in case there's a problem with one of them.

[Swuishytacos]

It's a CQB event so semi auto only and they would be 1200mha 

[Leonine]

13 minutes ago, Swuishytacos said:

It's a CQB event so semi auto only and they would be 1200mha 

I would get 2 just in case then like Ad said but it may last the day in my opinions LiPo will last longer. I have used small LiPos in CQB before and been fine in my old MP5

[Adolf Hamster]

in general i can get a full day's shooting from a 1100mah 11.1v, but it's a really hard question to answer because it depends as much on how the gun is setup and how you shoot it as anything else.

[Iceni]

7 hours ago, Adolf Hamster said:

have a read of this thread as to why you need to take your charging equipment seriously:

I think I killed that thread

Anyway there are rules for all batteries, but for lipo's the effects of ignoring the rules can be catastrophic.

Using a Lipo over NiMh is a night and day difference. Lipo's are just plain better, they have better capacity in a smaller form factor and they can deliver more amps faster.

Lipo is also a battery you have already dealt with, It's in your phone, tablet, laptop, vape, drill ect ect, It's unbelievably common. 
 

 

5 hours ago, Swuishytacos said:

So would a 7.4v lipo last a all day skirmish if charged correctly?

That depends on the battery and your trigger finger. I find about 3000mAh of capacity will last me a day of regular play in woodland using 3000 bb's. I always swap at lunch - it doesn't matter how many shots I've fired.

For me that is usually 2x  7.4v 2200mAh 35/70C batteries. Giving me 4400mAh.

You can mix and match to suit what you need so If you are looking at 1500mAh you will be looking to buy 2 batteries. If you are looking at smaller capacity than that then you will perhaps need to take a charger or pick up a 3rd battery. You could also be more frugal with shots. So instead of spamming 3000 shots you might find 1000 shots only requires 1 battery for all day, even in that situation I would want 2 batteries and I would swap at lunch.


When a lipo discharges it has a very distinct voltage curve. You get an initial drop that is pretty steep, but then it will level out and remain very constant for the majority of the discharge. Then all of a sudden the gun will start to slow down very quickly. This is the very last point you should take a battery to. Once you hit that final slowdown it is very important that you stop and swap. Never use a lipo to the point where it is fully discharged.... As when you come to charge it you may find it causes a nasty fire.... A good charger will tell you to fuck off if you try to charge a dangerously discharged lipo.




Looking after lipo's is pretty simply.

If they don't look perfect - Bulges - Torn wraps - Exposed wire - Crushed --- Dispose of them
If the charger tells you to fuck off --- Dispose of them
Use the correct charging mode.

Store them in protective cases, Separate from each other, And out of the sun/heat/water/moisture exposure. A shed is perfect - in something fireproof is even better.

Always keep an eye on charging lipo's. Charge them away from things that burn - a pan with a heavy lid or charge bag are good investments. Failing that charge them outside on a paving slab if you are unsure.

If you do everything safely it should be no more dangerous than charging your phone or battery drill.

[Rogerborg]

5 hours ago, Ad_ said:

the charging process [for lipo is] more complex

 

From the charger's point of view, it's easier.  With lipo, it knows what voltage the battery should be, so it won't (if it's half decent) over-charge it.

 

With nimh, it has no idea and just has to pump in energy until it sees the resistance spike - and it has to charge at a high rate in order to see that spike.  If it misses it (hellllo, Nuprol) then it'll charge and charge and charge and...

 

Lipos can be charged at a slower, lower rate. Granted, if a lipo does brew up, you're going to have a bad day.  But given how many are out there, and how few people are dying, it's high risk but low likelihood.

 

 

Quote

Trigger contacts getting burnt out will happen regardless of battery type - I personally wouldn't use any gun without having a MOSFET fitted.

 

A V2 or V3 trigger trolley is about £5.  It's not rational to fit a mosfet that costs two or three times that just to protect the trigger contacts.  Yes, you can get higher current flow, but if you're dicking with the wiring you can stuff 16awg in there anyway.  Mosfets are nice, but you don't need them.

 

 

4 hours ago, Swuishytacos said:

It's a CQB event so semi auto only and they would be 1200mha 

 

Chances are you'll be fine with one, but given the prices at https://hobbyking.com/ you might as well get a pair and swap at lunch. You'll be paying more for the charger. SkyRC S65 or iSDT Q6 Nano are what the Glorious RC Master Race are currently recommending.

 

 

[Cannonfodder]

I've found lipos also aren't affected by cold weather as much as nimh batteries. 

18 minutes ago, Rogerborg said:

 

A V2 or V3 trigger trolley is about £5.  It's not rational to fit a mosfet that costs two or three times that just to protect the trigger contacts.  Yes, you can get higher current flow, but if you're dicking with the wiring you can stuff 16awg in there anyway.  Mosfets are nice, but you don't need them.

This. My AK has been run with only lipos for around ten years now and is still going strong (sod's law now means it'll now stop working in Sunday)