Introduction
A Fat Shark VR can be the newest and most valuable upgrade in your FPV collection. You must want to do a lot of new things with your VR toy. Obviously, you don’t want it out of power.
This makes us question, how to charge a FatShark battery?
You can charge a FatShark battery at home. For that, you’ll need a balance charger. However, balance charging error is a common issue for fat shark batteries. You’ve to turn off balance charging on the charger before charging a FatShark battery.
Still confused about the way to charge that battery? Don’t worry about it. You can follow the step-by-step guide we have for you right here! So let’s begin-
What Tools Do You Need to Charge A FatShark Battery?
Before we start, let’s introduce you to the tools you’ll be using. You’ll have to buy some tools to charge a FatShark battery if you haven’t already.
For starters, you need a balance charger. Usually, you also need to buy power cords and other extensions for the balance charger separately.
You can charge lipo batteries without a charger. But we won’t be doing that here, we’ll use a balance charger. On that note, here are some balance chargers we recommend for lipo batteries.
The FatShark batteries have a charging cable included with them. It has two male bullet connectors on one end, and a port on the other end.
An optional extension is a parallel charging board. You don’t need it unless you’ve modified your battery for balance charging.
How to Charge A FatShark Battery In 3 Steps?
You know what you’ll be using now. So, let’s take a look at how you’ll be charging the battery.
This process is for batteries that have not been modified for balance charging. Moreover, check and ensure your battery is in good condition. The following process will not help with charging a dead lipo battery.
Step1: Set Up The Balance Charger
Turn on the balance charger. From the main menu ‘BATT/PROGRAM’ go to ‘SYSTEM SETTING’. Then, navigate through the menu to find, ‘Bal. Connection’. It’s usually turned on, so you need to turn it off.
After turning off ‘Balance Charging’ go back to the main menu. Navigate to ‘LiPo BATT’. Set it to 1.0A and 7.4V(2S).
Step 2: Connect Battery to Charger
Insert the two male bullet connectors to the ports on your balance charger. Connect them according to their colors. Don’t mix them up.
After that, insert the battery’s connector into the port on the other side of the cable. This should connect your battery with your balance charger.
Step 3: Charge The FatShark Battery
After connecting your FatShark battery to your balance charger, press ‘Enter’ twice on your charger. This will immediately start charging your battery since the charger was set already.
If you follow the instructions properly, your balance charging error should be solved. These steps will not solve any issues with cell battery connections.
In case your Fat Shark battery was completely out of charge, charging will take time. It should take around 1 hour to fully charge the battery. It might take up to an hour and 20 minutes as well. After charging is complete the charger will show ‘[END: FINISH]’ on the screen. Along with that, it will show the output of your battery.
The output should be around 8.40V and 1002mAh. If it’s not close to the mentioned value, there might be some problems somewhere. It could be your battery or the charger.
Please note that with this process, we’re not balance charging the Fat Shark battery.
Things You Need To Keep In Mind
We’ve collected some tips on charging LiPo batteries for you. Keep these in mind while doing the charging. They will come in handy even with an Arrma Granite BLX battery as long as it’s a LiPo battery.
Tip 1
Store, charge, and discharge your battery in a fireproof case. This will give you time to identify and handle a lipo fire better. A metal ammo box or an explosion-proof lipo bag are good options.
Tip 2
The battery charging, discharging and storage area should store a fire extinguisher. Also, avoid storing any flammable objects nearby in the area.
Tip 3
If you want a healthy battery, don’t go below 3.2V per cell. Don’t discharge or go below 3.0V per cell.
Tip 4
Don’t overcharge your battery. The fat shark battery is a type of lipo battery. Overcharging a lipo battery can cause it to swell up. That will hinder your FPV’s performance. Moreover, you might have to replace your battery.
Tip 5
Don’t leave your battery unattended while charging. Lipo fires are rare but can spread very fast. If the battery starts to smoke or catch fire, you need to be there to handle it.
Tip 6
Don’t leave your battery fully charged for over 2-3 days. Either use it or discharge it to 3.6-3.8V per cell.
FAQs
Question: Why can’t I directly charge my FatShark battery?
Answer: Fat shark batteries don’t support balance charging, to begin with. They have an incomplete balance connection, which is why you can’t balance charge them.
Question: Can I use a parallel charging board for non-modded fat shark battery?
Answer: Yes, you can use a parallel charging board even if your battery is not modded. However, it will not make any difference and your battery will not balance charge.
Question: Can I charge my fat shark battery without its case/holder?
Answer: Yes, you can charge your fat shark battery without a case. However, it’s quite risky as the battery might heat up and will be left exposed.
Conclusion
With that, we shall be parting ways for today. Hope you’re clear on how to charge a fat shark battery after reading this article.
Hopefully, the balance charging error you’ve been facing is solved. Follow the instructions properly and you should be good to go.
Until next time, see you!
