lipo4 lithium battery

Has anyone adopted the K2 brand lithium as a ship battery?
Praise or Problems? the reduced weight appeals to me.
Scott.

Haven't tried K2 but Stark Power from Knauff & Grove works a treat. Can't find a single bad thing to say about them.

Case
B3

The K2 is an excellent battery. Make sure you get the one with the battery management system that protects the cells from over charge and discharge. The bms also balances the cells. K2 states the 10 amp hour rating is an actual rated capacity. Many other manufactures state pb equivalent, there is a formula for calculating actual capacity. If you purchase a different brand make sure you check the actual capacity.

A very good point made my the poster above, perhaps I should have elaborated:
- Internal battery management comes as standard. Voltage & charge control, cell balancing, etc.
- These batteries were given to an electronics but (said with love Frank!) to deliberately abuse. He did all he could to them and they just kept bouncing back.
- A skeptical friend frtested them himself for capacity and found they supplied the advertised current to within 2%
- You'll need a new battery charger. It's a different cell chemistry that requires different charging (no trickle/float)
- You'll get best storage retention when not in use at 50% capacity in a cold environment (fridge is good, freezer is not)

A very good point made my the poster above, perhaps I should have elaborated:

Stark
- Internal battery management comes as standard. Voltage & charge control, cell balancing, etc.
- These batteries were given to an electronics nut (said with love Frank!) to deliberately abuse. He did all he could to them and they just kept bouncing back. Nil faults found and this the decision was taken by K&G to stock them
- A skeptical friend frtested them himself for capacity and found they supplied the advertised current to within 2%

General
- You'll need a new battery charger. It's a different cell chemistry that requires a different charging method (no trickle/float)
- This is not the battery chemistry for engine starting. It's too high a current draw; avionics only (though JS runs their jet on them)
- You'll get best storage retention when not in use at 50% capacity in a cold environment (fridge is good, freezer is not)
- Personally, I've flown 4hrs with LX9000/V9, Trig VHF, Trig XPDR, PowerFLARM & FlarmView and am yet to drain 1.
- Equally, I'm yet to learn of a bad experience with K2

We began to cautiously use the new Lithium battery last year at The Seniors contest in Florida. We have now sold several hundred of the new Starkpower Lithium batteries without a single problem. They are remarkable in every way.

You must use a special, inexpensive battery charger.

Tom Knauff

Web orders: www.eglider.org
Phone (814) 355 2483

I've flown a full season with the Starkpower

Very pleased with them, $99 is a deal for them.

On Thursday, January 1, 2015 6:31:10 AM UTC-8, joesimmers wrote:
I've flown a full season with the Starkpower

Very pleased with them, $99 is a deal for them.

Some details on the LiPO4 Batteries.

Graphs experience.

http://www.craggyaero.com/lifepo_battery.htm

I flew about 200 hrs last summer with LiPO4 batteries.

Richard
www.craggyaero.com

On Thursday, January 1, 2015 12:49:40 AM UTC-8, wrote:
A very good point made my the poster above, perhaps I should have elaborated:

Stark
- Internal battery management comes as standard. Voltage & charge control, cell balancing, etc.
- These batteries were given to an electronics nut (said with love Frank!) to deliberately abuse. He did all he could to them and they just kept bouncing back. Nil faults found and this the decision was taken by K&G to stock them
- A skeptical friend frtested them himself for capacity and found they supplied the advertised current to within 2%

General
- You'll need a new battery charger. It's a different cell chemistry that requires a different charging method (no trickle/float)
- This is not the battery chemistry for engine starting. It's too high a current draw; avionics only (though JS runs their jet on them)
- You'll get best storage retention when not in use at 50% capacity in a cold environment (fridge is good, freezer is not)
- Personally, I've flown 4hrs with LX9000/V9, Trig VHF, Trig XPDR, PowerFLARM & FlarmView and am yet to drain 1.
- Equally, I'm yet to learn of a bad experience with K2

"- This is not the battery chemistry for engine starting."

Not really true, LiFePO4 batteries will work fine for engine starting. You must pick one designed for the high current that that requires, Stark (and others) make them.

I used a Stark power instrument battery all last season and also haven't a single complaint.

For now, I hesitate installing a very large amp hour LiFePO4 battery required in starting a self launch glider engine. It is a lot of energy in case of a short circuit.

Just for clarity, I am not an expert on this matter, however, it is the advice I have received from people I respect.

Tom