Safety

General safety

  1. Put on propellers LAST: There is no reason whatsoever to put on propellers until right before you start flying. They should not be on at all during the build or testing and should only put on when you decide you want to fly. Wrong wiring or accidental powering can cause the motors to spin up suddenly which may cause injuries. We do not want any injuries as these motors are very powerful and can easily cause non-fatal and in some special circumstances fatal injuries.
  2. If you are unsure what whether you are doing the right thing, DOUBLE CHECK OR ASK FOR HELP: Lithium polymer batteries can be very unstable and although most of the electronics have some kind of protection circuit, you can still fry electronics with wrong wiring. Please make sure you double check with this manual or feel free to email Chris or ARC.

LiPo Safety

Storage:

  • Battery should be stored in stable environmental conditions.
  • Battery should be stored in LiPo battery bag or surplus ammo case.

-Make sure the LiPo battery charge is at 3.8 V per cell. You can do this through the LiPo charger discharging setting.

Charging:

  • Battery should not be left unattended for extended periods of time.
  • Battery should be charged only with a balance charger.
  • Follow the instructions to charge given in the charger manual. Make sure the correct cell number and current are set before charging.
  • Full charge is 4.2 V per cell. Make sure all cells are balanced/same voltage ( see charger manual on how to check).

Damage:

If any damage is visible to the battery, the battery should not be used! Using the battery increases the risk of fire/explosion. Possible damage includes:

  • Dents, punctures
  • Puffiness of battery (this is hydrogen gas causing the expansion which is flammable)

If any LiPos are damaged, please contact ARC for specific instructions on disposal and handling. Do not use the LiPos if you feel it is damaged.

Fire Procedure:

These batteries do sometimes ignite when damaged and can cause a fire. Do not use standard fire extinguishing procedures; rather use the following set of instructions. Attempt to contain fire in metal container or a non flammable surface. Douse with water (constantly) Use fire extinguishers to help contain Battery will eventually burn itself out when chemical reaction is complete