FWIW, i've had 2 lipo packs damaged to destruction and neither of them vented flames. Both were damaged in crashes. They don't always explode.. they explode under certain circumstances (shorting them out, for example.)

Originally posted by tmproff
I was doing some modifications on my new foamy and unplugged my TP 2100 3s and placed it on the table next to where I was working. I moved my plane a bit to reach a servo and my Deans Ultra plug touched an allen wrench for about 4 seconds. Battery started to get hot and I knew what was comming...placed it out on the driveway to watch the show. About 3 mins later the smoke bomb exploded......a little fire and the sound of $74 flying on the breeze. A hard lesson to learn....keep your batteries safe till you're ready to plug em in

Bad day all right. I've briefly shorted a pack or two while checking voltage with my DMM set to 10 amps. DOH!

Kurt

Thanks for the info, I'm new to Li-Po's and after reading all this I will be veeerrry careful with my new batteries. I charge them in an old crock pot my wife donated to help prevent the house burning down. Decent of her ,huh? I use a Triton and re-read directions everytime I charge a battery. From the output I get with my plane I feel it's worth the slight risk. I had to buy a new esc to prevent over discharging but the plane flies better than it ever has.
Jim

There's lots of things going on in Copenhagen that we might frown on in the USA!!

From time to time it's fun to peak in on the battery section of this site. It really amazes me that some folks are dead set against lipos. When I started to move to the electric side of flying, I skipped over the nicads and went straight to lipos.

My LHS owner gave me some good sound advice about the batteries(battery female dean connectors) and helped me pick out a good charger (triton). To this date I've never experienced any problems. I fly my plane by sound. When I hear the rmps drop I know its time to bring it in. Afterwards I check my voltage, set the battery aside to watch it for a while before packing up. Once home I recheck it, charge it in my garage, away from the wifes car. I check in on it as it charges. Never have I had any problems with them.

Quit being so negative about the lipos. They work, and the work well.

Jason

LIPOs and GUNs R not dangerous, just some FOOLs using them R dangerous

Right, everyone who has ever had an accident of any kind is a fool. So we're all fools. Some are just less aware of it.

There are hundreds of items we use routinely or are exposed to daily that has the potential to be dangerous if misused/abused. Motor vehicles, household chemicals, ovens, gas ranges, firearms, aircraft, computers, knives, hand tools, power tools, baseball bats, frying pans, medications, electrical appliances, etc. etc. I guess to be safe I should just go live in a cave somewhere....

Be sure to take the lipo's to the cave.. you may need to start a fire to cook!

U R DANGEROUS!!

*sigh* To see you use the word "fool" amongst all the U and Rs is a bit scary.

It looks like we have a new trend in "Batteries and Chargers" that is bumping up years old threads on Lipo problems ........... This is at least the third multi-year old thread I have seen bumped to the top in the recent days.

Brad

ARGHGH... I hate when that happens!

This isn't even a lipo problem lol....
He had male deans installed on a battery... What the heck do you expect! You are guaranteed to short them out.

That is true, this isn't a lipo problem as much as it is a user fault. Frank doesn't like lipos based on things he has read, so he too worried about them to use them. I agree then, he shouldn't use them. A user must have a sense of understanding of how they work, how to handle them properly, etc, etc...and this requires reading and studying the lipo traits. Now a user will have a level of confidence in the battery, respect them, and work with them safely and properly.
Now...Frank, I dare hope you don't make an assumption that lipos are just too unsafe for anyone to use, but say your nimh or nicads are no problem??!
How 'bout you take that charged nimh pack out to your driveway and short out the plug on the end. Report back how much THOSE batteries liked it. I will guess you will report stuff like, "glowing hot" melting battery wrap, burning wires, melted plug, etc. It might not have exploded, but the lipo didn't either.
One other thing...you talk about lipos like they are all out there spontaneously combusting in everyone's cars and houses. They are not going to just pop like the 4th of July any more than your ultra safe nimh packs. They ARE inclined to rupture and burn if abused through a crash, rough charge, etc... but those are not normal situations. THESE circumstances require the extra procedures you mention like transporting in fireproof containers. I don't haul mine around in anything but my flight box to and from the field. Now...if I have crashed one, then yes, extra precautions are used. I only see this type of activity as being safety conscious rather than a statement of how volatile the packs are.
Frank, try to have a more open mind to learning about the real qualities of lipo packs. You will find a lot of things you have thought were true were more based on misinformation and folks fanning the fires of their self-agendas.
Again, as stated before...if someone is that worried about using a lipo battery, then he/she should not use one.
Ken

As I read in one of these threads a while back, LiPo's and gasoline are both dangerous to store/use. They both have rules for safe handling. The rules for LiPo's are known. And one should include; no accidental short circuits under any circumstances and a mis applied Dean's ultra connector violates that rule.

Frank, do you use gasoline? Do you think it dangerous? fish