Airsoft Canada - View Single Post - LiPo Ready

m102404 · March 8th, 2010, 09:31

I've gotten these types question over and over.

"Is my rifle LiPo ready?"
"I want to run a LiPo...will that destroy my mechbox?"
"What do I need to do to my rifle so that I can run LiPo Batteries?"
"Is this rifle or that rifle ready to run LiPo's?"

And the only definitive answer I can give at that moment is...I don't know.....with the following explanation

1. You need to decide what you want to do with your rifle and what you're trying to achieve.
- LiPo's are great for stuffing a lot of power into a small space/package
- you can often get lots of Voltage and Amps out of a LiPo to build up really fast Rate Of Fire (ROF) rifles

2. You need to understand batteries and some particulars of LiPo's
- I'm not going to rewrite it here...there's already at least 2 good threads on this forum and some other great write ups out there. If you can't use the search feature and Google...you are too lazy to use LiPo's

3. Bigger isn't alway better, you need to match the battery to what you're trying to achieve.
- a 7.4v 2000mAh 20C battery isn't a "crazy" battery....it's like a large 8.4v 3000mAh NiMH (guesstimation)
- a 11.1v 1100mAh 15C battery isn't all that "crazy" either...it's like a large 8.4v 3300mAh NiMH (guesstimation) as well
* see point two if you don't understand why
* now the two batteries will perform very different. The 11.1v will seem a bit "spiffier" but is not suitable for long burst in a high powered rifle. It's better suited to semi-auto with a mid level powered rifle. If you don't know why...see point 2. But...the 11.1v will tuck into a M4 stock tube

4. Here it is...the answer to the big question...
Any AEG is LiPo ready. But you need to understand what's going on in an AEG and why that statement is true. Forget the externals of the rifle...that's just a shell holding all the mechanical bits in place. The mechbox is made up of a bunch of gears, driven by an electric motor, spinning around against spring pressure. At best, the whole system starts to wear out as soon as you start to use it. Good quality parts, assembled well...wear out slower and can operate at higher forces (i.e. faster, stronger).

So a LiPo is just a battery...a source of power to drive the motor, which turns the gears against a spring. If your mechbox is buit nicely...it'll work and it may last for as long as it would with a "normal" battery as it would with a properly sized LiPo. If your mechbox is shit...it'll work/last as long as a shitty mechbox would with a "normal" battery. If you "super-size" your LiPo to the mechbox...then you'll increase the risk of toasting it quickly (maybe even just 1 trigger pull). If you way under spec your LiPo to your mechbox...then you'll starve the system of power and run into the same problems as you would with an under powered "regular" battery.

*********
So...clear as mud? If you find yourself asking the questions at the beginning of this post...do everyone a favour and think through the rest of it and rephrase your question with more detailed information.

You might even answer your own question.

Tys

March 8th, 2010, 09:31	#1
m102404 Tys Trader rating Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Toronto	LiPo Ready - Is My Rifle LiPo Ready? How can I tell? I've gotten these types question over and over. "Is my rifle LiPo ready?" "I want to run a LiPo...will that destroy my mechbox?" "What do I need to do to my rifle so that I can run LiPo Batteries?" "Is this rifle or that rifle ready to run LiPo's?" And the only definitive answer I can give at that moment is...I don't know.....with the following explanation 1. You need to decide what you want to do with your rifle and what you're trying to achieve. - LiPo's are great for stuffing a lot of power into a small space/package - you can often get lots of Voltage and Amps out of a LiPo to build up really fast Rate Of Fire (ROF) rifles 2. You need to understand batteries and some particulars of LiPo's - I'm not going to rewrite it here...there's already at least 2 good threads on this forum and some other great write ups out there. If you can't use the search feature and Google...you are too lazy to use LiPo's 3. Bigger isn't alway better, you need to match the battery to what you're trying to achieve. - a 7.4v 2000mAh 20C battery isn't a "crazy" battery....it's like a large 8.4v 3000mAh NiMH (guesstimation) - a 11.1v 1100mAh 15C battery isn't all that "crazy" either...it's like a large 8.4v 3300mAh NiMH (guesstimation) as well * see point two if you don't understand why * now the two batteries will perform very different. The 11.1v will seem a bit "spiffier" but is not suitable for long burst in a high powered rifle. It's better suited to semi-auto with a mid level powered rifle. If you don't know why...see point 2. But...the 11.1v will tuck into a M4 stock tube 4. Here it is...the answer to the big question... Any AEG is LiPo ready. But you need to understand what's going on in an AEG and why that statement is true. Forget the externals of the rifle...that's just a shell holding all the mechanical bits in place. The mechbox is made up of a bunch of gears, driven by an electric motor, spinning around against spring pressure. At best, the whole system starts to wear out as soon as you start to use it. Good quality parts, assembled well...wear out slower and can operate at higher forces (i.e. faster, stronger). So a LiPo is just a battery...a source of power to drive the motor, which turns the gears against a spring. If your mechbox is buit nicely...it'll work and it may last for as long as it would with a "normal" battery as it would with a properly sized LiPo. If your mechbox is shit...it'll work/last as long as a shitty mechbox would with a "normal" battery. If you "super-size" your LiPo to the mechbox...then you'll increase the risk of toasting it quickly (maybe even just 1 trigger pull). If you way under spec your LiPo to your mechbox...then you'll starve the system of power and run into the same problems as you would with an under powered "regular" battery. ********* So...clear as mud? If you find yourself asking the questions at the beginning of this post...do everyone a favour and think through the rest of it and rephrase your question with more detailed information. You might even answer your own question. Tys Last edited by m102404; June 20th, 2012 at 15:27..