Lipo battery care

[barry isle of wight]

Hi

I have a Blade 450 3D helicopter.
The battery that i have is E-flite 3S 2200mAh 11.1v 30C LiPo battery.


Having read so much about the LiPo battery i am still a bit confused (as this is the first time i have used this type of battery).

I only have the charger that came with the helicopter & at this moment in time saving for charger / cycler.
My Questions are:-

1) Do i need to cycle the battery before flying have seen this should be done 3 times?

2)I have read on various sites the the battery can be discharged using 2 12 volt car headlight bulbs as long as the voltage of the battery is monitered.

3) How long can the battery be stored at full charge without damage?

Any information would be appreciated.

Barry

 

[Keith]

Don't discharge a lipo... You have a 3 cell battery there with each cell putting out 3.7v... That's where the 11.1v comes from... If any cell goes under 3.0v you could have a problem. All 3 cells must stay close to the same voltage, that is why you need a balanced charger which charges each cell indevidually... You really need some warning device that tells you when your cells are getting low and to stop using it.. I use these on all my lipos...

HobbyKing Online R/C Hobby Store : Battery Monitor 2-6S

 

[Lee]

I have never cycled my new batteries. I just take it easy on them for the first few flights. Not flying hard and not discharging them to far ( 3.8V/cell)
I have had batteries charged for a couple of weeks. They seem to be ok. If it was going to be a month or more i would put them on storage charge.
My batteries are all cheap Turnigy and Zippy ones, so i just use and abuse them. Had 3 2200mah 3S batteries for over a year now of hard use, and they are just starting to show signs of deteriorating power and charge capacity.