LITHIUM POLYMER BATTERIES PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE USE

Lithium-Polymer cell technology is well suited to the latest range of electric models. Their ability to store and deliver large amounts of energy from light-weight packs makes them perfect for today’s flying models. In order to maintain safety, the present Lithium-Ion technology must be treated responsibly and with respect. Lithium- Polymer batteries remain inherently intolerant of overcharge, over-discharge, high current abuse and excessive temperatures, and all reputable batteries and chargers contain electronic protection circuits that are designed to protect both the battery and the user if these conditions are brought about.

Treated with respect in knowledgeable hands, Lithium Polymer batteries have been proven world-wide to be a controllable, practical and enjoyable power source for RC models.

What can go wrong:

Fire can be caused by: ‘Overcharging’ (wrong charger or charger setting, unbalanced battery load, charger fouled by poor power supply), charging a damaged cell or pack and short circuit (including crash damage).

Cells or packs can be damaged by: Over discharging (running ‘too flat’ and/or too hot, discharging an unbalanced battery load), short circuit and crash damage.

Lithium Polymer Do’s

• DO Always use a correctly specified Lithium Polymer charger. Using other appliances may cause fire, which may result in personal and property damage.
• DO ensure that your charger has a clean power supply such as a car battery that is not itself on charge
• DO read the battery label to confirm the cell count for charging shown e.g. “charge as 3 cells”.
• DO handle and transport carefully to avoid piercing, deformation or short circuit with other objects.
• DO disconnect batteries fully from model to prevent slow over-discharge after use.
• DO ensure connectors are insulated correctly to prevent short circuit in handling or storage
• DO always check that batteries are physically and electrically undamaged before charge or discharge.
• DO always allow the LIPO pack to cool before re-charging

Lithium Polymer Don’ts

• Don’t ever leave a charging pack unattended. When charging LIPO packs always remain in constant view to monitor the charge.
• Don’t expose batteries to intense heat or prolonged exposure to elevated temperature
• Don’t charge any pack containing one or more damaged or swollen cell.
• Don’t continue charging if any part of the pack is getting warm (Lipo packs should not heat up during charging)
• Don't charge a pack at sub-zero temperatures, pack swelling has been known to occur at -10 deg. C
• Don’t charge batteries on flammable surfaces.
• Don’t cut or modify the cables coming from the pack. If the bare ends of the wire touch, this may short and potentially cause a fire.
• Don’t continue charging if at any time you witness a battery starting to balloon or swell up. Stop the charging process immediately and disconnect the battery and observe from a safe distance for approximately 15mins.
• Don’t re-charge flight damaged packs. In the event of a crash, you must remove the pack and place in a safe place for observation for approximately 15 minutes.
• Don’t store or charge battery packs inside a car or building in extreme temperatures, since extreme temperatures may cause fire.