Title: Impressive Voltage Sag Performance Under Heavy Loads
I tested two CNHL Lightning 6S 6000mAh LiHV batteries against four ManiaX 6S 5800mAh HV packs in my SAB ilGoblin 590, equipped with a Scorpion motor, Tribunus III ESC, and VBar telemetry logging.
Both battery types were purchased new for this helicopter and had undergone several charge/discharge cycles before testing. Their manufacturing dates were unknown, so previous storage-related aging could not be determined.
Internal Resistance
* CNHL: approximately 3.5mΩ/cell
* ManiaX: approximately 1.9–2.1mΩ/cell
Based on these readings, I initially expected ManiaX to perform better under heavy loads. However, the actual flight logs showed some surprising results.
High-Load Test Results
CNHL Lightning (October 13):
* Pack #1: 158.8A / 19.9V (1,492mAh discharged)
* Pack #2: 150.3A / 19.9V (984mAh discharged)
ManiaX HV (October 28):
* Pack #1: 146.4A / 19.4V (422mAh discharged)
* Pack #2: 150.0A / 19.8V
* Pack #3: 143.7A / 19.6V (425mAh discharged)
All voltage/current pairs are simultaneous measurements from the VBar logs.
Interestingly, the CNHL packs maintained 19.9V at approximately 150–159A, despite having already discharged around 1,000–1,500mAh.
The ManiaX packs experienced greater voltage sag at similar current levels, even though the selected high-load events occurred relatively early in their discharge cycles.
Low-Load Performance
At moderate loads of approximately 30–50A, ManiaX generally maintained slightly higher voltage, consistent with its lower charger-measured internal resistance.
However, this advantage was less apparent during the highest-current events. State-of-charge differences also affect these comparisons.
Important Test Conditions
The CNHL tests were conducted at approximately 18°C, while the ManiaX tests were performed at approximately 10°C.
These were estimated ambient temperatures, not measured battery temperatures. Lower temperatures can significantly increase voltage sag, so the results cannot establish that CNHL is inherently superior under identical conditions.
The tests were conducted on different dates with different flight profiles.
Weight and Usable Capacity
* CNHL: approximately 710g / 6000mAh
* ManiaX: approximately 820g / 5800mAh
The CNHL is about 110g lighter per pack.
Using my normal discharge limits, both batteries provide nearly identical practical usable capacity of approximately 3,950mAh, targeting around 3.80V per cell after resting.
Final Verdict
Despite its higher measured internal resistance, the CNHL Lightning delivered excellent high-current performance in my actual flight tests.
While ManiaX generally showed slightly better voltage retention under moderate loads, CNHL remained highly competitive during aggressive collective pitch maneuvers.
The temperature difference prevents a definitive conclusion about which battery has intrinsically lower voltage sag. Nevertheless, CNHL’s combination of strong high-load performance, significantly lower weight, and excellent value makes it a very impressive battery.
I’m extremely satisfied with the CNHL Lightning 6000mAh and would definitely buy it again.
Full VBar telemetry graphs showing RPM, voltage, current, and ESC PWM are attached for reference.
