BATTERIES
LIPO:
DOS AND
DON’TS
T
here is a lot of stigma about
this type of battery, mainly
about how dangerous they
can be. When I first started
airsoft my friend Chris insisted
I switch to these batteries, but after hearing
about the dangers I decided to steer clear of
them. This was a mistake as it would have
solved so many problems back then. Now I
use LiPos exclusively and over the
next few issues we will show you
precisely what these batteries are
capable of.
Barry Collins takes a look at
LiPo batteries, and the various
safety issues they present
is a solid polymer-based composite which
means that the battery can be moulded to
any shape. It’s also more rugged (as LithiumIon is a solvent) and generally more reliable.
What this means for airsofters is a host of
different sized batteries for different purposes
– but most notably the stock tube battery. In
the last few years people have been able to
maintain their awesome and
cool carbine looks due to
stock tube LiPos, which
was difficult to do a few
years ago.
Two leads?
The most obvious thing about the LiPo
family of batteries is the fact that there are
two leads coming from it. The first is your
standard connector, which in most cases is
a mini-Tamiya/standard Tamiya or a Deans
connector. There are a fair few more but for
now that is the industry standard. The Tamiya
or Deans plugged lead is the power lead –
the gun plugs into it and
away you go.
History
So let’s look at what
the battery actually is.
The LiPo, or LithiumIon Polymer battery,
is a rechargeable
battery derived from
the Lithium-Ion family.
The main difference (and
advantage) is that the LiPo
www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
077