Charging Lipo using Lilo setting?

[brumbrum]

I have ahobby king quattro charger for my lipo packs but it charges to 4.2v with no ability to adjust. It has the option of using a Lilo setting that only charges to 4.1v. Can i use the Lilo setting to charge the Lipo? Or will this setting charge in a different way?


Also, will i still be able to use the balance leads with the lilo setting?
Thanks.

 

[Ykick]

Yes no and yes. I do it all the time if I know I won't be needing max range.

 

[brumbrum]

Yes no and yes. I do it all the time if I know I won't be needing max range.

Excellent! That's great. I have been having a play about with the charger todsy and read some of the manual and didnt realise that option was on it, dooh! Will definately be using from now on. I have just purchased some new lipos to replaced puffy older ones, so i will treat them with the loving care they deserve.

 

[dnmun]

if you charge to full charge it is easier for the cell to push current and it does not get as hot as when you only charge to 90%.

 

[dogman dan]

Not much point in undercharging from what other smarter guys here have said, IF you will discharge right away. It's time at 4.2v that is damaging I'm hearing. Especially time at 4.2v when it's hot.

So the lilo setting might be handy for charging the night before, then if you need it, top off to 4.2v just before you ride.

I bulk charge without balancing, so for that an undercharge helps me keep from overcharging any slightly out of balance cells. But if you are balancing, then no problem going to 4.2v. If you like, you can use the lilo setting and do a fast charge, then occasionally do the longer balance charge to 4.2v.

Main thing is, don't undercharge to make the battery last longer, then end up taking them lower than you should as a result. Better to charge to 4.2v, than to end up discharging to 3v.

 

[Ykick]

Some commercially available bulk chargers offer 90% option so it’s apparently a valid technique to extend battery life.

Trouble is, as DM says “don’t undercharge to make a battery last longer” - if you have plenty of range and never need the extra few percent of capacity, Lilo or 90% SOC can be a fine choice.

Also somewhat better to sit at 4.1V than 4.2V for a day or two but we’re really splitting hairs here and any genuine benefit(s) may or may not be realized.

 

[dogman dan]

Just to clarify,, if you have to leave it stored don't fully charge. But then you might be much better off to fully charge just before the trip to avoid using that last 10%. I have no idea if using the last 10% is super harmful, but my experience is using that last bit is usually going to unbalance the battery faster. I just feel in my gut that a battery that stays balanced means it was not abused, and should last longer. And, its just convenient to not need to balance any more than 4 times a year.

Dnmun is right I think, anything that makes your battery heat up damages it. So if using that last 10% gets it hotter than body temp, that's not as good as a cool battery. If you must use that last 10%, slow wayyyy down, creep home, and keep that battery cooler.

IMO, some smart folks including car makers will set up a system that both never fully charges, nor fully discharges. This is because the typical user is just going to plug it in, then the next trip could be hours away, or days. So that sitting there 100% charged will harm the battery. And on the other end, they know you will go till it stops. So they have to protect the battery from the user, essentially. In the process, leaving a lot of range on the table. So the battery has to get bigger. We may not want to carry that much extra battery on a bike. Expensive, bulky, and heavy.

But here, we are assuming we are talking to a different kind of user. One who can get information, and then make his own decision what to do. For me, the EM3ev charger has been incredibly handy. If I expect to ride in the AM, I charge to 4.1v. The next morning I flip a switch and it finishes the charge. If I don't expect to ride for awhile, I can again flip the switch and just charge half full for storage.

You can do the same thing with RC chargers, but it's not as convenient to switch from lipo setting to lilo.