Tests and reviews of different batteries to help you find the Right One…
The 2S 6.6V 700 mAh Zippy Flightmax LiFe batteries are intended for use as a receiver battery packs in remote control models using nitro engines, but they can also be used as a main battery in other remote control cars and other RC models. The Zippy brand is used by one of the largest Chinese online stores for radio controlled models and is considered to offer good quality at a good price, but as with other cheaper Chinese lithium-based rechargeable batteries we are expecting to get results a bit lower than advertised, but let us see if we might be pleasantly surprised this time…
Official Battery Specifications:
– Capacity: 700mAh
– Voltage: 2S1P / 2 Cell / 6.6V
– Discharge: 5C Constant / 10C Burst
– Weight: 41g (including wire, plug & case)
– Dimensions: 53mm x 30mm x 15mm
– Balance Plug: JST-XH
– Discharge Plug: Standa JR Servo plug
We have started the tests with a 1C discharge rate (0.7A) for the 2S 6.6V 700 mAh Zippy Flightmax LiFe battery and we’ve managed to get 653 mAh as a maximum capacity, a value that is a bit shorter than the official rating of the battery of 700 mAh. So the battery should’ve been labeled 650 mAh instead of 700 mAh as apparently it cannot provide 700 mAh at 1C discharge rate, but the interesting thing is that this battery can provide the same capacity with a discharge rate of up to 3C and going to the maximum rating of 5C as a constant discharge rate we are seeing a bit of a decrease in the useable capacity where we got 599 mAh. So the discharge rating is Ok, the capacity however is labeled with 50 mAh more than it should’ve been, in the end these batteries are handling pretty well, so if a 650 mAh LiFePo4 battery is what you need at a good price, then you might consider getting these Zippy Flightmax batteries.
The performance of the 2S 6.6V 700 mAh Zippy Flightmax LiFe Battery in our tests:
– 653 mAh at 0.7A load (1.0C)
– 653 mAh at 1.4A load (2.0C)
– 653 mAh at 2.1A load (3.0C)
– 599 mAh at 3.5A load (5.0C)
What you should have in mind here as well as with other small batteries that use thin cables passing higher current such as 10A (the burst load rating of this battery) or even higher as a constant load is not a good idea as they will get hot and may melt and short the battery, and that is definitely something you don’t want!
The 2S 7.4V 350 mAh Zippy 20C LiPo batteries are small Lithium Polymer batteries mostly used in remote controlled planes and are available at really bargain price from Hobby King. They are 2S1P batteries with a capacity of 350 mAh and should be able to handle 20C discharge rates (20 times their capacity) according to the official specifications. These specifications seem quite reasonable, however we are still going to check if they are true in reality or not.
Official Battery Specifications:
– Capacity: 350mAh
– Voltage: 2S / 2 Cell / 7.4v
– Discharge: 20C Constant
– Weight: 21g (including balance & discharge plug)
– Dimensions: 40x20x15mm
– Balance & Discharge Plug: JST-XH & Mini JST plug
We’ve started the capacity tests of the 2S 7.4V 350 mAh Zippy 20C LiPo batteries with a discharge rate of 1C which was handled without any issues, though the maximum capacity we got was 337 mAh or a bit short of the 350 mAh that they should provide. Then moving to higher discharge rates of 5C with no problems, next was 10C discharge rate that the battery still managed to handle without issues even though the temperature got a bit high at 62 degrees Celsius at the end of the discharge test. Moving to 15C and 20C discharge rates the the battery still handles quite well, but the real problem is that it gets way out of the safe operational zone with temperatures of 78-79 degrees. These temperatures are way too high for constant discharge of at 15C or 20C rates, though the battery should be able to handle well momentary peaks of up to 20C.
The performance of the 2S 7.4V 350 mAh Zippy 20C LiPo Battery in our tests:
– 337 mAh at 0.35A load (1C)
– 332 mAh at 1.75A load (5C)
– 329 mAh at 3.50A load (10C)
– 305 mAh at 5.25A load (15C)
– 275 mAh at 7.00A load (20C)