The Best Way to Charge and Storage your LiHV battery

The Best Way to Charge and Storage your LiHV battery

Charging

When charging, connect the charge lead to the charger first, then connect the battery to the charge lead. Avoid removing the charge lead from the charger while the battery is plugged in. It's recommended to charge at a rate no more than 1C, which can be calculated by dividing the battery's milli-Ampere hours (mAh) capacity by 1000. For example, a 500mAh battery should be charged at 0.5A, while an 850mAh battery should be charged at 0.85A. Charging at a 1C rate can help the battery last longer.

Storing

For best results, Storage charge under the regular lipo setting, which is 3.8v. LiHV are essentially lipo batteries that are made so well they can handle 4.35v per cell. This means that you store them at 3.8v per cell. This is known as "storage voltage". To achieve this, you can use a modern LiPo charger to balance charge or discharge the battery until it reaches the correct voltage. You can also charge batteries that are already under 3.8 volts to bring them up to this leve.

LiPo vs LiHV - What's the difference?

Voltage
The primary difference between LiHV and LiPo batteries is the maximum voltage. LiHV cells charge up to 4.35V compared to 4.2V for LiPo cells. In FPV drone motors, the maximum RPM is proportional to the voltage applied. LiHV batteries provide a higher voltage, leading to increased thrust and faster speeds. For racing drones or high-performance acrobatic drones, this can be a significant advantage, offering quicker response times and more powerful maneuvers.

Weight and Capacity
LiHV batteries tend to have a slightly higher energy density, which means they offer more power without a significant increase in weight or size compared to equivalent LiPo batteries, potentially translating to longer flight times. Additionally, due to the higher voltage, the C rating of LiHV tends to be slightly higher than LiPo for the same size battery.

Compatibility
Despite the difference in maximum voltage, LiHV batteries are generally compatible with most FPV drones that use LiPo batteries. This makes it simple for drone pilots to switch to LiHV without needing to upgrade hardware.

Charging Requirements
Charging LiHV batteries requires a charger that supports the higher end voltage. While many modern chargers do, it’s essential to verify this before attempting to charge LiHV batteries. You can safely charge a LiHV with LiPo settings, but you won’t be using the LiHV battery to its full potential.