Li Ion Battery questions

[Ricktur]

so after several member recommendation and input from Deep himself, i decided to go with the Li Ion setup on my new sabers.  i have never dealt with these types of batteries before (that i know of) and so i have a few questions:

1) how long does one typically last with a full charge, specifically on a saber without sound?

2) How long does it take to fully charge the battery?

3) is the universal charger that comes with the saber a smart charger?  meaning, does it automatically stop charging the battery once the battery reaches full charge or is it one of those chargers that will burn your battery up if you leave it on there too long?

4) and lastly, when i receive my saber, should i charge the battery before i use it? if so, for how long must it stay on the charger from receiving the saber?

i do apologize for all the questions lately, im kinda new to the whole saber ownership thing.  i appreciate any assistance the community can provide, thank you!

[BenPass]

There's not a whole lot I can tell you, but from what I've read on here, no one has clocked the times for charging or continual use of the Li-Ion batteries. I DO know that they last quite a few days if you just use the saber casually to show off to people. As to the charger, you'll know the batteries are done when the light/lights turn green. I've left my batteries in the charger for a day or so and had no problems with them. If like to point out something that was said elsewhere on the forum that I thought was neat: you can charge one battery at a time as well as both together! Simply put, you don't need them both in the charger at the same time if one finishes and you are scared of overcharging. I know that didn't answer everything but I hope it helped!

[Ricktur]

thank you!  i wont turn down any helpful responses! 

and yes i am very scared of over charging.  i am willing to pay more for a smart charger but idk what the "universal" charger is really :/

[qroon]

In airsoft (I'm also an airsofter, though not active now), we use lipoly chargers with balancers. Search for those chargers. Be sure to have the correct battery voltage and mah. I hope that this one helped.

[Master Nero Attoru]

so after several member recommendation and input from Deep himself, i decided to go with the Li Ion setup on my new sabers.  i have never dealt with these types of batteries before (that i know of) and so i have a few questions:

1) how long does one typically last with a full charge, specifically on a saber without sound?

2) How long does it take to fully charge the battery?

3) is the universal charger that comes with the saber a smart charger?  meaning, does it automatically stop charging the battery once the battery reaches full charge or is it one of those chargers that will burn your battery up if you leave it on there too long?

4) and lastly, when i receive my saber, should i charge the battery before i use it? if so, for how long must it stay on the charger from receiving the saber?

i do apologize for all the questions lately, im kinda new to the whole saber ownership thing.  i appreciate any assistance the community can provide, thank you!

Well I don't use this setup per se (my main sound-equipped saber has in hilt recharge) but I'll do my best to answer your questions.

The Li-ion cells will last for a good long time when fully charged, I'd say an hour or two of actual "on" time at least.  To charge them is sorta dependent on how much juice they have left - when they're near death it could take a couple hours for a full charge.

I'm not 100% sure if the charger is a smart one, perhaps Artorius can answer that better for you.

When you get your saber you should definitely charge the cells.  Ultrasabers just ships them out, they don't charge them for you, so most of the time they have very little life in them to start.  Believe me, a full charge will make all the difference in the world as far as performance!

[Master Artorius Vidnyl]

The charger that Ultrasabers ships with the batteries is indeed a smart charger.  The lights will turn from red to green and should stop sending current if working properly.  As a side note when you are not using your saber it's a good idea for you to take out at least on battery to break the circuit.  If you don't the sound board will slowly but surely drain the batteries.

Cheers.

[Ricktur]

EXCELLENT!! thank you US community! and Artorius, that was exactly what i was looking for and hoping!  because of my experiences with airsoft, smart chargers are a MUST when it comes to rechargeable batteries.  i am so pleased to hear that US does indeed include smart chargers with their Li Ion battery setups!

[Gaius]

Running time in my experience depends on whether you have a two Li-ion battery setup or a one battery setup.  I think Ultra only made the one Li-ion battery setup for a limited time.  I have two sabers with it and they date from about November.  When I picked up another saber for my son  in January it had the two Li-Ion battery setup.  There seem to be multiple generations of the Obsidian board.  One generation reportedly lacked a "deep sleep" mode, reportedly resulting  in a substantially shorter life when the saber is off.  I have one such saber and unlike other hilts I have received, the battery was spent when it arrived.  I believe the current generation of Obsidian has the deep sleep mode.  So I think to some degree, the answer to the battery life question is "it depends."