All LiPoly Users Please Read This Post!!!!! Don't Let This Be You

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Home › ✈️Aircraft › 🚁Helicopter › e-Electric General Discussion › All LiPoly Users Please Read This Post!!!!! Don't Let This Be You

07-18-2005 06:23 AM 15 years ago

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Rcbry

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USA

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All LiPoly Users Please Read This Post!!!!! Don't Let This Be You

I've been flying Lipo's for about a year and to be honest was starting to think the explosion and fire warning were a little over rated.

Well I'm here to tell you I could not have been more wrong. Check my gallery for the picture, here is the story.

Friday night I put a 2s2p 4000mA battery on my Astro 109 charger as I've done a hundred times before. I checked the charger after attaching and it showed a 2c pack as it should have and I was charging at 3amps, 1 amp less than I could have been charging it! By the way, the charger was in the back of my van and the battery was just laying beside it on a wooden table.

My wife and I went to dinner and returned about an hour and a half later to find black smoke rolling out of the windows. When I opened the back door there was a fire where the battery had been but also in other places in the van so the pack evidently exploded. You can see from the picture that there is nothing left of the van or the van sitting next to it as well as 5 airplanes, 20 LiPo packs, computer radio etc., etc., etc.

Don't trust these packs, chargers or anything!!!!!!! This could easily have been my house and not just my van. I will be charging all packs from now on in a fire safe believe me!!!!!

Bryan

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07-18-2005 06:41 AM 15 years ago

0Post 2

Sar

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Saugeties, NY

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Holy smokes! I'm glad no-one was hurt in the incident, but it looks like a lot of property damage. Thanks for the reminder and I hope you get things sorted with minimal hassle.--
Jon

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07-18-2005 06:48 AM 15 years ago

0Post 3

Rcbry

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USA

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Thanks, if we hadn't been home it probly would have gotten to the house.

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07-18-2005 06:52 AM 15 years ago

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rc-whirlybird

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Shelby Twp, Michigan,USA

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Sorry about that, hope no one was hurt !
From the story...that's was your fault I think...?
Don't you read all the Lipo safety that usually come with the betteries or the Lipos charger ?
"Use a safe surface to charge your batteries on ..."
"Never charge the Lipo in the vehicle..."
"Never charge the batteries unattended..." something like that...

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07-18-2005 02:10 PM 15 years ago

0Post 5

sbalder

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Brighton, Michigan

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Ouch!!!!!! I'm sorry for your loss. I've recently gone all electric and have been charging my batteries on a steel workbench in my garage, checking individual cell voltage before and after, and not leaving the room. I could see myself getting more comfortable over time and not watching the batteries. Your unfortunate experience are a strong reminder to the rest of us!

-Steven Balder

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07-18-2005 03:03 PM 15 years ago

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cudaboy_71

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sacramento, ca, u.s.

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sorry to see those pictures bryan. at least everyone's safe and it wasnt your house.

seems it is human nature to get comfortable around something dangerous when nothing bad happens for a while. i know a guy who runs professional fireworks shows and he sees people get sucked into complacency all the time. only takes one mistake and you DIE in that business.

next time (if there is a next time

) go down to the army surplus and get a 50cal ammo can. cost like $3. cut a notch in the lid for the wires go feed into so you can latch it shut. i did that and i still haul my stuff outside to the concrete patio to charge. these things are not to be trusted.if it ain't broke, break it.

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07-18-2005 03:08 PM 15 years ago

0Post 7

deafheliflyer

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Arizona

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Or if you have a fireplace, charge it in there..

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07-18-2005 03:37 PM 15 years ago

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pyrographix

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the Nasty 'Nati

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Charge all of my Li-polys in a "battery bunker"
Check out the web site.....

Battery Bunkerwww.PYROGRAPHIX.net

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07-18-2005 03:51 PM 15 years ago

0Post 9

rckrzy1

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Hurst Texas

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forget auto MODES in lipo, get a charger where YOU decide the cells and one that uses a temp probe that will shut down the charger.

Wildcat Fuels

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07-18-2005 04:50 PM 15 years ago

0Post 10

Saob

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Stood behind you

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BEjaysus, doesnt anyone read safety instructions these days?

DONT LEAVE ANY BATTERY CHARGING UNNATENDED!

Truly sucks that you lost the van but you wont be leaving it charging again will you?

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07-18-2005 05:08 PM 15 years ago

0Post 11

Jgiang

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Raleigh, the city in the park.... :)

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DONT LEAVE ANY BATTERY CHARGING UNNATENDED!

so if the battery take several hours to charge then you mean grap a chair and stare at it and baby sit it until it done?

dawn that take the fun out of the hobby..

It was in the air, but now it's on the ground. :)

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07-18-2005 05:16 PM 15 years ago

0Post 12

cudaboy_71

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sacramento, ca, u.s.

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so if the battery take several hours to charge then you mean grap a chair and stare at it and baby sit it until it done? dawn that take the fun out of the hobby..

it is what it is.

if you wanna make that call, then that's your prerogative. but dont make excuses for not respecting the technology, and heeding the warnings.

if you want someone to tell you that it's ok to charge unattended because it's no fun to baby-sit the charger i think you're gonna be waiting a while. if it ain't broke, break it.

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07-18-2005 05:21 PM 15 years ago

0Post 13

Rcbry

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USA

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To answer several comments about not reading instruction etc etc.

That is the whole point of this post is to alert people to not get too comfortable with these packs!!

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07-18-2005 06:02 PM 15 years ago

0Post 14

darrens

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United Kingdom

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Sorry to see that. Thanks for the warning and good luck with insurance etc. At least nobody was hurt.
To Soab and rc whirlybird, so pleased to see that you "paragons of virtue" managed to resist the urge to be smug with your "I told you so" comments. Constructive?.........no!
Let's hope the rc community share the same compasion with you two when you make a mistake!He who dies with the most toys is the winner!

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07-18-2005 06:47 PM 15 years ago

0Post 15

Quick Worldwide

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Coopersburg, PA

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LI PO SAFETY

Hi,

Sorry to read about loss. Good thing you were not upstairs sleeping...

We are charging li-po's every day to fly of test our helicopters. We have also had to experiences both were totally our responsibility. The charging parameters must be double or triple checked for make sure.

One thing also is to smell the batteries to make sure there are no breaks in the seals around the positive & negative materials.

If there a break in the seal from a crash this could be the cause of a battery to explode. Also I suggest 2.0-2.5 max AMP charge.....

What we have done is to use a big old pot to place the battereis in during charging. I would also place an auto cut off for the charger by time because if the batteries go so could the charger....

make sure the handles are on te side & there is a cover or lid....

Keep a chemical fire exstingisher hand AT ALL TIMES.....

iRWIN

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07-18-2005 07:00 PM 15 years ago

0Post 16

Sar

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Saugeties, NY

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They should have seen he was trying to point out his own mistake of becomming complacent and trusting the equipment. And hoping to save other people the whole insanity of the same thing occuring. All it takes is one person to decide to charge outside or in a safe location tonight because of his message.

Guys, lets be sure to abuse people and make them feel even worse, that way no-one will ever want to share their stories here and help other people out. :P

A while back I posted a message with a bunch of links to other RR threads about exploded LiPo threads and burnt houses, etc. The next day a guy said his house was saved because he read a bunch of messages about LiPo's and decided to charge in a safer fashion, the cells caught fire, but nothing was damaged. I'd like to think he linked to those threads from my message the day before, but even if he didn't he got the information here because people weren't afraid to share their story.

Take some time to think about the 'We got lucky, my house was fried, but we got out OK' type threads and then think about how many folks might not get the chance to post those kind of messages because their in the hospital or burned up.--
Jon

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07-18-2005 07:12 PM 15 years ago

0Post 17

tsitalon1

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Montgomery AL

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I'm sorry, but as a newcomer to electric flight and heli's for that matter, it seems that the benefits of these Lipo's do not outweigh the risks.

If I have to constantly watch a battery for signs of damage, age, and heat or my house, car, and family could all be injured, killed or destroyed all so I can fly for 5 more minutes... I'm sorry, It doesn't seem worth it.

How about Lion batteries, are they safer? if not give me 20 Nimh batteries and I'll call it a day.

James

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07-18-2005 07:45 PM 15 years ago

0Post 18

cub2000

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Massachusetts

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How about Lion batteries, are they safer?

Actually, I haven't seen any incident of Lion batteries. Maybe we should all try out Lion then, if it is infact safer. It may hold a bit less juice, but still is better than Nimh or Nicad.

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07-18-2005 10:42 PM 15 years ago

0Post 19

Sar

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Saugeties, NY

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If you charge them outside in a container and they blow, you're out the cost of the pack, nothing else. Aside from a trickle charge, I wouldn't even leave a nicad pack charging in my vehicle if I weren't going to be close by. Any time your pumping juice into a chemical energy storage vessel you should be a little more aware.

As far as watching your packs... you maintain your helis, right? Check the packs too

--
Jon

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07-19-2005 01:21 AM 15 years ago

0Post 20

Thomas L Erb

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Alliance ohio

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This was a unfortuniate ACCIDENT for him and i'm sorry it had to happen to such a great guy but i think it is very carring of him to pass this info to all of you here. He lost over 4500.00 worth of equipment not counting the 2 vans yet took the time to let you all know what can happens if we let our gaurd down for just a miniute. THANK YOU BRY!!!!!!!!!!!!
As for the few of you who HIDE behind your screen name and spread manure the winds will change and you will have to eat the manure you have spread some day. Oh and by the way one of you needs to change his location because you will never stand behind me.

Thomas L Erb Alliance ,Ohio

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