Kraton Can I Run Two Different Brand Lipos in my kraton?

[jaro's rc yt]

I Juts got a 6s kraton, and i have two 3s lipos to fit, they both are the same capacity, 3s, 5000 mah 50c, but they are differnt brnds, is it still safe to run those batteries together ? or should i invest in the same ones, i just don't have the $$$ to get more and more batteries...?

 

[crimsonfancy]

I Juts got a 6s kraton, and i have two 3s lipos to fit, they both are the same capacity, 3s, 5000 mah 50c, but they are differnt brnds, is it still safe to run those batteries together ? or should i invest in the same ones, i just don't have the $$$ to get more and more batteries...?

Most would say to avoid this and there's plenty lists of side by side lipo "rules" all over. I'd for sure do it though but I'd also probably keep in mind that if we by chance damage electrics, it's not a suggested good practice. Probably no honest warranty claim.
Nonetheless, run what you got! Maybe keep an eye on things and check often at first. It's your stuff, friend. Do what you wanna do.

 

[arrmadillo]

Probably can but the rule is same exact packs bought new and used as pairs. One reason to run bricks.

 

[SrC]

If same mah and c rating yet different brand and amount of used cycles, you may get away just fine. I would bench mark the two Lipos after a full charge to see how balanced they are across all 6 combined cells. Check the IR's. If they are close. It is fine. You will probably only get a performance hit as compared to 2 fresh and like cycled packs. Compeche?

 

[slick2500]

General rule of thumb when running 2 or more lipos in series, both batteries MUST be the same age, the same capacity, the same C rate and from the from same manufacturer.

The problem here lies in the C rate, neither battery is actually 50c(just Google lipo c ratings are fake and enjoy the reading). Battery A could be 30c and battery B could be 20c you never really know without finding out what the true C rate is of both packs. Now mixing 2 batteries with different C rates will cause the lower C rated battery to swell and puff as it will try to keep up with the higher C rated battery but can't.

Running an old battery with a new one will kill the old battery because it will deplete faster than the new one do to the fact that as batteries age they lose capacity(MAH not volts) and you risk running the battery below LVC. Remember the esc detects total voltage not individual cell voltage, so the newer battery could be at 3.7v per cell while the older one is sitting at 3.0v per cell.

That being said I personally would not risk doing this.

 

[jondilly1974]

I Juts got a 6s kraton, and i have two 3s lipos to fit, they both are the same capacity, 3s, 5000 mah 50c, but they are differnt brnds, is it still safe to run those batteries together ? or should i invest in the same ones, i just don't have the $$$ to get more and more batteries...?

 

[SrC]

Most would say to avoid this and there's plenty lists of side by side lipo "rules" all over. I'd for sure do it though but I'd also probably keep in mind that if we by chance damage electrics, it's not a suggested good practice. Probably no honest warranty claim.
Nonetheless, run what you got! Maybe keep an eye on things and check often at first. It's your stuff, friend. Do what you wanna do.

I don't see any adverse ESC issues with running non like brands. The only hit would be on overall performance and more frequent LVC issues. As long as the lipos are viable and not swelled or abused in any way, it should be just fine to run them. Just make sure they are always balanced, like with all lipos.

 

[crimsonfancy]

I don't see any adverse ESC issues with running non like brands. The only hit would be on overall performance and more frequent LVC issues. As long as the lipos are viable and not swelled or abused in any way, it should be just fine to run them. Just make sure they are always balanced, like with all lipos.

My only concern is the lack of unified standards across lipo brands. False claims etc. Not all brands test for quality and performance on the same universal scale. I would run it anyway but I won't assume that two different brands of say 3s 5000mah 50c will be equal. This is why so often we see model manufacturers suggest to avoid this practice.

 

[SrC]

I have done this many times.Using diff brand packs of same mah. It's not just a lipo rule but common battery sense to not mix differing batts. Of any type. And quite honestly,I have purchased two matching lipos together for paired use twice And when they were new, they weren't that well matched or even close in IR or c rates. Alot of lipos even well known brands are not that well matched cell wise. But I have been using them paired for more than a year. When lipos peter out, it is always one cell that falls first. So whether there are 6 cells in one brick or 6 cells in a double pack, the ESC doesn't see any difference except for the LVC threshold voltage combined across all 6 cells. Any lipo whether a single brick or in series will fail at some point. Just don't attempt to pair non matching mah rates. I.e 2600mah with 5000mah. Obviously.

Many model brands support tandem battery packs. It allows for better balance and weight distribution. What you are construing are statements by some brands that fear liability. Atty. Jargon.A liability that they yet don't understand.