Lipo C-ratings and Airsoft
We get many questions asking us what does “C” mean in “C” ratings. Then the other questions is why do some gun manufacturers limit the “C” rating a particular gun can use.
Both of those are very important and we will attempt to simplify both here.
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What does “C” in “C”rating mean?
“C” simply stands for “Capacity”. As in the capacity of the battery pack. So if you get a 1100mah 11.1v lipo pack then “C”is 1100. That is it. Simple as that. So when you see a pack rated as 15C, for example, it simply means 15 x “Capacity”. Take 1100mah x 15 = 16500ma. (note we drop the “h” of “mah” andnow call it “ma”). So that is a large number but it is also talking about milliamps not amps. So divide by 1000 to get amps (ordrop off the right most 3 digits). In this case we get 16500/1000 =16.50amps (note: 1000ma = 1amp).
So take the capacity x number in front of the C and divide by 1000 = max constant discharge rate.
I know what a math lesson. Some examples below:
20C 1000mah packs max constant discharge = 20 x 1000 = 20,000ma/1000 = 20amps
45C 3300mah packs max constant discharge = 45 x 3300 = 148500ma/1000 = 148.5amps
Simple as that
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Why do some manufacturers limit the “C” rating I can use.
This is another great question and we can really only speculate why. First off it is important to know that a “C” rating of a pack does not mean the pack will always discharge that max current. It simply means it is the max rating. What determines the amperage your pack outputs is your motor, spring tensions, and pinion. Those 3 things will tell the battery how much energy to release and how quickly (amperage). So a 50c battery pack can also discharge at 10c if that is all it is going to take.
So why then would it matter? In a word it should not matter if you use a 50c pack on a gun that says to only use a 15C pack max.
But there is a reason. The reason is the higher “C” packs will maintain a higher average voltage but not exceed the nominal voltage(3.7v per cell) for a given pack. So if a manufacturer states to not use anything over 25c then in means they need you to use a pack that will have lower average voltage so it does not damage the motor. In a sense they are telling you to use a lessor battery simply because using a better battery is too much power. What? Really? YES! So the question is why use a lipo at all in this case? Perhaps nimh isjust as good? In some cases it is. In others no.
The truth is a very good nimh pack, like the Elite airsoft batteries, really are a great high power Nimh product for your airsoft gun. Many people are seeing poor performance from stock packs that come with their guns and think all nimh is the same. That is not true. Far from it. Nimh can also provide higher “C”types and don't suffer the same issues as Lipo does. So keep that in mind when selecting a pack for your airsoft needs. Sometimes lipo isthe best choice. Sometimes it just does not make sense. We are here to help you decide what the better choice is. That is what we do.
Thanks for reading our short bit of info. If any of this is still unclear or you have more questions please send your emails to us. Please go to contact us area to send us an email. In an attempt to keep spam to a minimum we do not use our emails in blogs.
Thanks,
EAB Staff.