Li-PO battery ???

[Gryphon]

I don't have a problem with anyone using a LiPo in their gun, that's their perogative. I just don't think it's prudent to say they're virtually the same, safety-wise, as nickel based chemistries because the capacity for injury and damage is far greater, and it IS possible to screw up with a LiPo far more easily than a nickel cell.

What I'm saying is this: be cautious, be educated. That's all.

[MadMax]

Every now and then I get asked to make a LiPo kit for airsoft. Basically a kit including voltage cutoff, connectors, battery and charger to make it easy for airsofters go LiPo. In the end I decide against such a product as I've seen too many packs damaged by airsofters not careful enough to handle LiPo batteries. I've seen too many packs charged at overly high current settings or with badly damaged wire insulation to think that the general airsoft community is patient enough to safely care for LiPo cells.

There also isn't all that much benefit to using LiPo in airsoft guns. They're only an incremental improvement over high end NiMh cells. Modern high capacity NiMh performs very well and can safely withstand typical airsofter abuse. NiMh has come to the point of making the motor the limiting resistance in the AEG series so batteries with lower internal resistance do not provide much more benefit.

The only reason I use LiPo is for the high cell voltage. High voltage packs can be made compactly and reduced number of cells and charge balencers make it easy to keep packs well matched. Very high voltage Ni based packs are more easily unbalenced because it's more likely that you'll have a weaker cell (lipo has about 3x the voltage/cell). Notionally this could be dealt with with more sophisticated chargers to do cell matching, but they're only available for LiPo because of the dire consequences of charging unmatched LiPo packs.

Other than providing basic advice on integrating LiPo (basic charger reccomendations etc) I don't like to give detailled advice. You really can make a mess with LiPo packs. Truth is that the information barrier to working out LiPo forces airsofters to self educate themselves on a potentially dangerous electrical storage. I also get to absolve myself of guilt if something goes badly wrong...

If you really want to push the limit with very high output airsoft guns then you need to fully appreciate the costs of your pursuit including the risks you plan to assume.