I'm tired. I'm worn out. My lipo test rig is tired, and after 1,980 cycles this new battery has finally worn out.
Wait, did you read that correctly? 1,980 cycles? Yes, 1,980 cycles. And not limp, half-arsed cycles either but hard discharge cycles at 30C/15amp discharges. Which battery pack can achieve this? The battery I was asked to cycle test is the new Graphene 500mah, 3S, 75C pack. I always cut off cycle testing once capacity testing shows a loss of 20%. For most brands this happens as early as around 75 cycles, some survive to around 300 cycles and a couple of brands have pushed the 500 mark. I expected this pack to get very hot as it neared its end of life, but at cycle 1,982 I discharged it at 40C (hey, what did I have to lose?)! The new Graphene did better than any other brand battery I have ever tasted and I’ve been asked to test scores of other brands, over the past five years. The Turnigy Graphene 65C was the only one that ever came close. Imagine that. A worn-out pack is still better than almost every other brand of the battery pack when new. The measured ESR (Internal Resistance) variation over a temperature range of 5-52°C (41-126°F) was incredibly positive. Over the whole range, the Graphene 75C had a lower IR than any other battery packs I’ve tested. With less performance sag, the battery is probably great for racing drones and EDFs. One thing that I am sure will stir criticism is the new fluorescent green positive wire on the discharge lead and balance tap. Personally, I like this. My guess is other battery sellers will insist on how terrible it is but within a year I suspect they will jump on board offering other colors of positive leads. It is different and some people just don't like changes. Written by Rampman
