Airsoft LiPO

[Sharon]

I found this one with very good review: 7.4V Airsoft LiPO ( Tenergy LiPO 7.4V 1600mAh 20C Airsoft Battery Pack ), is this a good purchase?

[efferman]

welcome on eurobricks. have you a link for us?

[DLuders]

I did a Google search for that battery, and found this article on the Airsoft Megastore, which says:

"The all-new Tenergy 7.4v ultra high discharge (20C discharge rate!) 1600mah mini LiPO battery represents the next generation of Airsoft power sources. Because of its sky-high discharge rate and compact size (smaller than an 8.4v mini), it is able to offer MORE POWER than a 12-Volt NiMH battery with HALF the size and a THIRD of the battery cells. It features a competitively high storage capacity as well at 1600mah."

"While the common misconception is that Lithium Polymer batteries will wear out a gun more quickly and with higher severity than a standard NiCad or NiMH battery source, this is not true, as LiPO batteries simply allow your rifle to have a faster rate of fire, (i.e. 20 rounds per second vs. 12 rounds per second running on standard battery packs), and therefore you will reach the effective life of your gears much FASTER than running on stock. A perfect metaphor is:

- Car A has a 300 HORSEPOWER motor, which allows it to go constantly at 100 miles per hour [THIS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF AN AEG RUNNING ON A STANDARD POWER SOURCE]

- Car B has a 500 HORSEPOWER motor, which allows it to go constantly at 150 miles per hour [THIS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF AN AEG RUNNING ON A LIPO POWER SOURCE]

- If both cars had the same tires (both guns have same quality gears/gearbox), car B would be able to wear out the tires faster because it is running at a much faster rate."

@ Sharon: If one used this Airsoft LiPO battery on Lego Power Functions motors, it could void the warranty (since they may be running at (20/12)ths faster rpms). If you are making a Lego Dragster, I suppose that short bursts of speed would be OK. What do you want to use this LiPO battery for?

[Vincent Kessels]

... it could void the warranty (since they may be running at (20/12)ths faster rpms).

That makes no sense to me. If the nominal voltage is the same the motor will not run faster.

However, if you stall the motor it will draw more current because of the higher discharge rate.