Tech Center

Set for Storage

I’m going to be away from home for work for a few months, and I can’t bring my RC gear with me. Is there anything special I need to do to store my LiPo batteries properly for that length of time?

 

For LiPo batteries, the generally accepted practice is to store packs charged to about 50 percent of their capacity. If your charger has a “storage charge” function, this is easy; just charge the battery using the function (read the manual!) and then go ahead and put the pack away in a cool and dry place. You can also go by voltage; charge the pack up to 3.8V per cell before putting it away. So for a 2S pack, that would be 7.6V, a 3S pack would be 11.4V, etc. If you have a simple “plug and play” charger that doesn’t show voltage or capacity, just run each pack until your car’s low-voltage detection says it’s time to recharge, then charge the packs half as long as it usually takes to get a full charge. For example, if it usually takes 40 minutes to charge a pack, just charge it for 20 minutes before storage.

Don’t obsess over voltage or capacity if you don’t have the ability to monitor them. The important thing is not to store your LiPos fully discharged (which may lead to over discharging if they sit too long) or fully charged (which can lead to loss of capacity and voltage). As long as you’re not at those extremes, you should have no worries about storing your packs.

Frying Motors

I have a 2WD RTR stadium truck that I upgraded from the included stock motor to a 12-turn modified motor. It has lots of power but gets hot very quickly. I’ve checked to make sure everything is turning freely and all the parts spin just fine. Is the motor defective?