Gaz Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Hi guys Following recent much appreciated advice from some of you I've started looking into lipo's for my PTS Masada. Looking at a 7.4 1300 (pictured), the reason for the small size is tbh the Masada had started to become quite heavy after scopes, metal RIS, 1600 NiMH etc so I've gone about making a faster more maneuverable set up by stripping as much weight as possible. I'm guessing i'll see quite a reduction in runtime especially due to the high output nature of a lipo, but I would rather have 2 smaller and switch over when necessary to keep things light. Does anyone know if x2 1300's would be suitable for average use over a days shooting (approx 10am-5pm) or will I def need bigger/ carry more than 2 ? Bearing in mind weight reduction is a high priority, the vapextech weighing in at only 47g. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tashidalek Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I run two m4s and i get about 3 hours on semi, and 4 hours on full auto, about 3 hours mixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibernator Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Yeah - I use those in my stock tube. Excellent little batteries. Can't vouch for how long you get out of a full charge because I always swap them over at lunchtime just in case. Never had a problem. That price is well over the odds! Get them from Component Shop and you can easily afford 2 for the money! Fifth one down, £10.50 - same battery: http://www.component-shop.co.uk/html/airsoft_li-po.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 Interesting, cheers for the link! Does seem to be the same battery too lol. Price was from the Vapextech UK website, guess I felt some kind of loyalty as they were great to deal with for my NiMH's and are based in locally in Kent but price wins out in the end unfortunately! I've heard a Turnigy Accucel charger is a good, relatively low cost choice for lipo's, and also important is a lipo alarm, any recommendations or thoughts for those? I'm new to the lipo world so it's all a bit of a mystery to me Cheers again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AF-UK Founding Member Deva Posted March 10, 2012 AF-UK Founding Member Share Posted March 10, 2012 2 would be fine I'm pretty sure All depends how trigger happy you are, what your local site is like and your play style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 Cheers Dev, i'm pretty conservative at the moment due to being fairly new, sure I'll get more trigger happy over time! Although thanks to @Hibernator I'll be able to afford more batteries now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AF-UK Founding Member Deva Posted March 10, 2012 AF-UK Founding Member Share Posted March 10, 2012 You're still going with Vapex if you buy through component shop so I wouldn't worry about loyalty. They just get them for a much better price and pass on the discount so A turnigy charger should be fine, might be worth checking it comes with all the leads etc. though, nothing more annoying than finding out something you need isn't included. Pretty sure component shop will have some cheap lipo alarms too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 Good advice cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibernator Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I'm not a fan of the Turnigy charger since mine stopped working and started billowing smoke on it's third battery There's a reason you should never leave charging batteries unattended I did some research and discovered that most B6 style lipo chargers are actually copies of Bantam chargers used by RC car enthusiasts. Bought one of those from a radio control shop - a bit pricey, but I've never had a problem with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 Hmm that's thrown a spanner in the works! Don't really want to spend more than £50 on a charger. Maybe it was a one off I hear they are quite popular chargers? Yeah I plan to take all the necessary precautions don't fancy the idea of burning the house down ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibernator Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Yeah - to be honest I've never seen anyone else say a bad word about them. I probably got a duff one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batcow Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I've had my accucell 6 for at least a year now for my RC's and i've had no issues with it. It's also supposed to balance more accurately than the imax b6 from what i read whilst deciding what to buy Oh and well i remember you can get lipo buzzer from ebay for £1.30 delivered "but" they'll all start beeping when you shoot long before you actually need to change batteries due to the voltage drop while the motor spins up. I'd suggest buying a lipo checker instead and just checking your pack every now and then though And i get all my lipos from Hobbyking they are dirt cheap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporters Airsoft-Ed Posted March 12, 2012 Supporters Share Posted March 12, 2012 I have one of those batteries in my L85s RIS and I can run it for a whole day no problem and even have enough juice left for some garden plinking over the next week or so. Definitely don't need to worry. Although, I do run 12 real cap mags and as a result barely ever use auto... Can't go wrong with two though lol. I have a smaller 800mah one as a back up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted March 16, 2012 Author Share Posted March 16, 2012 ^^^Thanks for the help and links guys^^^ Edit: *posted as new topic* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tacitus Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 The only sensible option for LiPo protection in airsoft is a Wolfdragon protection board. Clever little devices which constantly monitor each cell via the balance port. Airsoft guns draw current in a way totally different to RC planes, cars etc so their LiPo alarms always give false readings on airsoft guns. Wolfdragon boards are designed specifically for airsoft and ignore temporary voltage drops caused by aisoft guns. They can be connected to lights and/or buzzers to let you know when it's time to stop using the battery. With the optional 'trigger mod' and a MOSFET, they can be wired to actually prevent you firing the gun when the voltage gets too low (my favourite configuration). They can also plug directly into certain Extreme Fire MOSFETs. And finally they're super compact so they fit into any AEG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 Thanks I'll look into one, it sounds exactly like what I need Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporters Airsoft-Ed Posted June 1, 2012 Supporters Share Posted June 1, 2012 Thread revive! Sorry guys. I'm just wondering, I now have 3 1450mah 7.2v lipos, I bought 2 of them at the same time about 2 weeks ago, charged them up about 2, maybe 3 days ago and when I plugged one in to sight in my ACOG just now, one of them sounded almost dead already... Can they lose their charge that fast when they're not in use? My main question though, is it advisable to store them dead, or keep them charged? I've heard something about not letting them drop below 4v...? Dunno if I dreamt it or not, anyone advise me on how to store them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibernator Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 They shouldn't be stored for long periods fully charged, or too low as it effects the life. They need to be "just right" (a bit Goldilocks) but I can't remember the correct voltage. My charger has a "Storage" charge setting and sorts it out automatically for me! If I'm not using the batteries for a while, I always put them on a storage charge before putting them away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporters Airsoft-Ed Posted June 1, 2012 Supporters Share Posted June 1, 2012 I think the crapness of my charger might have played a role in the issue tbh, it only cost £20. It automatically puts them on a trickle charge when they're done so that they don't explode, though I've always managed to take them off charge the second they finish. I just can't believe one was nearly dead after so little time. Which charger do you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RR01 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I think the crapness of my charger might have played a role in the issue tbh, it only cost £20. It automatically puts them on a trickle charge when they're done so that they don't explode, though I've always managed to take them off charge the second they finish. I just can't believe one was nearly dead after so little time. Which charger do you have? Lipos should always be charged using a balance charger if you want the best out of them, which means using the small white connector, not the battery to gun connector as with NihM, etc. to charge them. Lipo cells should also not be allowed to fall below 3V per cell, otherwise they are basically toast. I found that out the hard way by forgetting to disconnect a lipo alarm when I put the rifle away after a game, not realising the LEDs took quite a bit of life out of the battery. When I came to check it, there was about 4V left in the pack and it would not accept a recharge. I always put mine away now disconnected and although they will lose a bit of charge over time, they should still hold sufficient not to discharge if not connected to anything, although a recharge at least every month if not used will help to keep them in top condition. Just don't get them wet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporters Airsoft-Ed Posted June 1, 2012 Supporters Share Posted June 1, 2012 I do charge them with the balance lead, the charger's not that crap lol. I just charged up all 3 for the weekend and the two new ones took barely any time at all, probably less than 2 hours, but the old one took ages, it felt like 3+ hours... but they're all the same. Any ideas what that might be about? I imagine the old one will have dropped below the 3v per cell level since it was too dead to even cycle the gun when I took it out of it earlier. Should I just bin it now, or what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibernator Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I use a Bantam E-Station BC6. Plenty of cheaper clones around if you can't afford the Bantam version! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporters Airsoft-Ed Posted June 1, 2012 Supporters Share Posted June 1, 2012 Holy bajesus, £100 on a charger? I'd rather f*ck up 20 or so batteries over the course of 5 years, it'd cost about the same lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibernator Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Wow - it was about £80 when I bought it! You know the old saying "buy cheap, buy twice" ;-) I've never had a problem since I got it, but have had a £30 clone stop working and belch smoke so I decided I'd rather be safe than sorry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snuff Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Lipos should always be charged using a balance charger if you want the best out of them, which means using the small white connector, not the battery to gun connector as with NihM, etc. to charge them. Should read the small white connector and the battery connector.......just in case of confusion to any new 'softer reading this... Balancing is vital to longevity it seems. I tried alarm buzzers when I first got Lipo's but found they alarmed when I full-auto,with all my batteries..I do however use a battery checker(£2.oo). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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