A123 Battery Cells For Your Radio operate Model Airplane

Electric model airplanes have been colse to for roughly three decades. A huge problem in the early days was battery energy density. In other words, they plainly weighed too much for the number of juice you could get out of them. This situation has improved dramatically in up-to-date years with the coming of Li-Poly cells, but a battery pack for a larger model can of course cost hundreds of dollars. The coming of galvanic cars, such as the Toyota Prius has spurred an titanic number of investigate into new battery technologies. In this article, I will chronicle an alternative to Li-Poly batteries that offers spellbinding possibilities.

A123 Systems produces Lithium-Ion Nanophosphate cells. These cells have a nominal voltage of 3.3 volts and can withstand continuous dismissal rates of 30C. They can be safely discharged down to 2.0 volts. The voltage remains fairly constant straight through the dismissal cycle, but they do have a sharp drop-off at the end. Expect 300 cycles before you consideration any allowance in capacity while at 1,000 cycles you'll have 75% of the former capacity. They are very safe. Overcharging or over discharging will not cause an explosion and will have microscopic result on the life of the battery. Balancing the cells when they are expensed is still a good idea, but not of course required. They can be expensed immediately after use in 15 minutes.

Black And Decker Dewalt

The cells are available in two sizes. The former M1 cell has a capacity of 2.3 Ah and weighs 70 grams (2.47 oz). A newer, smaller size can hold 1.1 Ah and weighs 40 grams (1.41 oz).

The former source for A123 M1 cells has been DeWalt 36-volt transportable power-tool battery packs. Each pack contains 10cells. I purchased two of these for 0 each straight through Ebay. The prices appear to have gone up recently to the 0-0 range. Single cells can also be purchased online for from a growing variety of vendors. You can find two of the smaller cells in a Black & Decker Vpx battery pack which sells for about . The smaller cells can also be had for .50 each.

There are many Li-Poly chargers that sustain or can be modified to sustain the charging of these A123 cells. Because of the sharp voltage drop-off when discharged, you are probably best off using a timer when you fly. Otherwise you need your Esc to shut off the motor when 2.0 volts per cell is reached.

Bottom line? These cells give you 70% the energy density of Li-Polys for about 45% of the price. For many of us, that is a good trade-off. They are extremely safe and can be expensed in 15 minutes. If you end up buying half as many battery packs because of the shorter fee time, then they come to be a much best value.

A123 Battery Cells For Your Radio operate Model Airplane