So, maybe you are in a hurry and need your lipo fully charged as quick as possible. Here, only charging at 2C can give you that.
But your charger manual says it is not safe charging at a higher rate than 1C. And you are now confused.
In this guide we have cleared your confusion about charging lipo at 2c.
Yes, it is possible to charge lipo at 2C and it is safe. Some users actually verified it is even more worthwhile. As at 2C charge rate, you will need way less time than 1C. Just give it a try by setting your charger at 2C. Unless you feel it getting hot which is rare, you are good to go.
Not sure yet? Well, do not worry! In this guide we have explained why it is okay to charge lipo at 2C. Plus, included some additional information that you will find useful!
Keep scrolling to find out!
Is It Possible to Charge at 2C?
Yes, it is possible to charge at 2C.
As for 1C manufacture recommendations, that it is not safe to charge at 2C or 3C. That is only for their own benefit. Perhaps they might use it for ducking out of the warranty obligations.
Also, it is clearly a safe statement. Because this way they won’t have to perform any testing to prove otherwise.
Various other items also have such restricted warnings on them. Let’s take the 325 mm CF blades for example.
All of these are mostly rated for a maximum rate of 2800 RPM. Yet people operate them up to 3500 RPM without any problems.
A lipo battery will literally always degrade anyway, no matter what.
But some people have something else to say. That anything you do out of the ordinary will affect the rate in which it happens. So, they say charging at a higher rate raises the rate of its degradation.
However, in practice, it does not make any noticeable difference. Many users have verified doing it for several years. That too, without any noticeable rise in degradation. So, there is no need to be concerned.
Also, from a practical viewpoint, charging at 2C is way more preferable than 1C. As the process of charging at 1C is way too slow.
We are not doing a 1C vs 2C charging here, just stating the fact.
Lipo Charge Rate Chart
Getting a reasonably accurate assessment of the remaining capacity of LiPo is very important.
Here we have referred to this chart for exactly that purpose. Have a look at it!
Go through this and it will be super helpful!
How to Check If Your Charger Is Compatible with 2C?
Most cells that have been tested are reported to take 2C at the middle section of the cycle.
Check whether your charger starts as well as terminates the cycle with relatively low current. For example, depending on the cutoff voltage of lipo, below 100 mA. If that is the case, you may give it a try.
You may perform testing lipo battery pretty safely. Just like this:
First of all, just set your charger for 2C. Then hook up the battery. Wait till the current rises to 2C. Starting from then, you can check the temperature of your cell.
If you notice it getting hot, you need to stop the cycle. To check, try feeling it using the back of your hand.
It implies that your charger has lost some of its energy in heat. Not in the chemical process. And thus promoted anode oxidation. And you do not want that.
However, no battery cell is supposed to explode just like that. Because, there has to be a significant buildup of energy or heat before that.
In case the pack remains cold, then you achieved what you wanted.
Or you can field test your lipo battery, as well.
LiPo storage voltage works differently than the LiFe storage voltage. So, it is safe to say, 2c charge rate works on lipo.
How to Charge LiPo at 2C?
Firstly, let’s start with what is 1c charge rate in lipo batteries?
1C charge rate implies that the current is going to charge the whole battery in 1 hour. For instance, suppose you have a 1000 mAh lipo. For charging at 1C, set the charger for 1 Amp. In case of a 500 mAh battery, set it to 0.5 Amps.
We also need to do a bit of math here. The calculation is quite simple actually.
Charging at 1C implies charging at 1× the capacity of the battery.
For example, suppose the battery is 7.4 V 4000 mAh LiPo. And charging it at 1C implies that you are setting the current charge to 4A.
So, now you wish to charge it even faster, let’s say, at 2C. In that case, you need to set your charging rate to 8A.
As simple as that.
However, you may see the charger is not catching up to the new 2C amp setting. In that case, you have to get a more powerful charger.
Perhaps the 4800 mAh pack of yours is a two cell LiPo battery. So, you will be needing a charger with ≥ 81 watt charger. This will get the 9.6 Amp setting at 2C charging rate.
You can check latest price this Venom Pro Duo LiPo Battery Charger.
Or maybe you are using a 4800mAh pack that is a four cell LiPo pack. In that case, you will be needing a charger of ≥ 162 watts of power. So you can hit the 2C charge rate amperage. Using DJI Phantom 4 Pro/Adv Battery Charger will work just fine.
These are the instructions you can follow to charge lipo at 2C rate. And you are not supposed to face any further difficulties.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I charge LiPo at 3C?
Yes, it is possible to charge LiPo at 3C. Check the battery label if it says it has “3C Charge Rate”. If so, the battery’s capacity will be 5000 mAh. Or 5 Amps. And it means you can safely charge the battery at up to 15 Amps!
What is C rating on LiPo?
The C rating of the LiPo battery implies the energy capacity the battery will safely discharge. It is presented as a multiple of the overall capacity. The battery with a higher C rating provides more energy. That clearly means a higher performance.
Is higher C rating LiPo better?
Yes, a higher C rating is relatively better. A higher C rating gives a better performance. Plus, a higher reliability for the ESCs. Just survey the temperature at any change in your setup. This way you can confirm that it is within the spec and ensure reliability.
