Lipo breaking in.

[Arwel]

How do you break or run in your lipos? I gave been hovering my 800 at 1750 rpm and taking them down to 50%. I'll do this three times then gly normally and then down to 20% ish.

[GIXERMAN]

i would say another, without heavy loadings i.e. general flight.to 50 percent

[Grumpy]

I just fly them but without going nuts and making double sure not to over discharge for the first couple of flights.

[AliHumphrey]

5 cycles making sure I don't do anything that involves a lot of collective and without discharging them any less than 50%.

[cjcj1949]

I've not seen any evidence that breaking in a lipo does any good. Lipos do get worse with every flight.

[NiceBlades]

I thought that breaking in a lipo prevented it from puffing and gives more mah for longer? I saw that when the 570 came out Chris Riebert made a vid with Kyle Stacey stating he was still "breaking in" his new lipo's, this prompted me to be kinder to my hk Zippys that I just bought.

[ChrisB]

I beat mine hard from flight one and they last fine to date some 4 years old.

Took my recent new Haiyins down to 3v per cell on their 3rd cycle doing several autos after timer went off,Jive low voltage cutoff stopped me.

[Toolman]

I have found that the IR can drop a bit after a few cycles.
I don't have any data to hand to support this but, I have found that it is best not to trust the results till you have used a pack for a few flights.

As to to the break in, I try not to go below 30-40% for the first few flights. As to taking it easy it depends on if you are pushing the packs with your setup, I make sure they don't get too warm.

Tim.

[Grumpy]

I've not seen any evidence that breaking in a lipo does any good.

Neither have i, but i figure that taking it a little easier for a couple of flights and landing a minute earlier than normal isn't such a great hardship, and cant do any harm, so if I remember thats what I'll do, but half the time to be honest i forget and just fly them like any other pack.

I do check IR and I've never noticed a decrease after the first few flights.

[SaneAdam]

I guess it is also difficult to be sure, unless we know exactly what happens to the packs when they are made. Maybe it is common knowledge… but i have no idea. Do they create cells, stick em together, then just charge them to storage and box em? Will brand new packs have ever had a full charge when we get them? Or full discharge? I presume they will QC check a small amount in terms of rigorous testing. Maybe 1 out of every 50? More? Less?

I thought (subconsciously assumed) that the breaking in process was to get the chemistry active at a slower rate as to not reduce its optimum performance\ability… But surely the chemistry IS the chemistry and can only ever react in one way?! Thinking more about it, i would imagine if you stick to the normal guidelines lipo wise (1c charging whenever possible and 20% discharge) even with a brand new pack you would probably be fine?! It is very difficult to even guess without an expert or some concrete info

Maybe it is a bit like full on strength training for humans. It is difficult initially and leaves you sore… but gets easier even time to do it as your body adapts to the strains on the muscles, neurologically and physiologically . That is how i thought of it anyway…..

[Grumpy]

I did read somewhere that LiPos ship in a sort of 'hibernation' state to prevent them deteriorating in storage before sale, and it took a couple of cycles to bring them fully out of that hibernation state, hence the break in advice.

This sounds quite plausible, but there again most myths also sound quite plausible to the non-subject matter expert. I've got no idea if this particular explanation has any truth in it.

[acidla]

Also read somewhere that Lipo packs are in a hibernation state when brand new.

Personally, I usually break them in about 3 gentle cycles(low governed headspeed), using 10%, 20% and 30% respectively. On 4th and 5th flight i increase HS significantly using 40 and then 50%.
Charging them at .5C