TB 48 Mishap/Phantom Angel Just a Beware Note

[jpalamaro]

The error message, (I can't remember the exact msg) that warns of battery problem, and battery should be discharged, etc. came up. I have a Phantom Angel (electrical device that discharges the battery via an HID auto lamp) that I have used successfully in the past (three times in fact over the course of about a year, on different batteries). All of my batteries are less than 30 charges, some with significantly less. I don't remember the number of charges on this battery but upon discharge the battery did not physically explode, but the case of the battery expanded well beyond its normal size, and the battery was rendered useless. The Phantom Angel discharge time varies by the initial charge, as I best remember the discharge took about 1/2 hour and the battery case was very warm, but not hot enough to melt plastic nor catch fire.I might add that I'm just wary of Li Ion batteries and rapid disharge, so I have a protective shield around the whole apparatus while discharging. I suspect I should be just a wary charging.
The purpose of this post is to find out if anyone else had any experience with the Phantom Angel discharge and its effect on a what appears to be 'good battery'. Or, was this just a once in a lifetime battery that somehow couldn't take the relative rapid discharge of the Phantom Angel, but my comment makes no sense to me as the motors of the Inspire deplete the battery about as rapidly?
And yes, I know how to discharge the batteries other ways.

 

[The Editor]

The error message, (I can't remember the exact msg) that warns of battery problem, and battery should be discharged, etc. came up. I have a Phantom Angel (electrical device that discharges the battery via an HID auto lamp) that I have used successfully in the past (three times in fact over the course of about a year, on different batteries). All of my batteries are less than 30 charges, some with significantly less. I don't remember the number of charges on this battery but upon discharge the battery did not physically explode, but the case of the battery expanded well beyond its normal size, and the battery was rendered useless. The Phantom Angel discharge time varies by the initial charge, as I best remember the discharge took about 1/2 hour and the battery case was very warm, but not hot enough to melt plastic nor catch fire.I might add that I'm just wary of Li Ion batteries and rapid disharge, so I have a protective shield around the whole apparatus while discharging. I suspect I should be just a wary charging.
The purpose of this post is to find out if anyone else had any experience with the Phantom Angel discharge and its effect on a what appears to be 'good battery'. Or, was this just a once in a lifetime battery that somehow couldn't take the relative rapid discharge of the Phantom Angel, but my comment makes no sense to me as the motors of the Inspire deplete the battery about as rapidly?
And yes, I know how to discharge the batteries other ways.

Very unlikely to be the Phantom Angel.
The discharge rate from the 50w lamp is far less than flying the aircraft. This is evident in the fact that a discharge takes circa 30 mins so just over 4amps and you would never get 30 mins flight time out of a TB47/48.
This is almost certainly a bad battery/cell which has simply shown up whilst using the Phantom Angel and probably would have happened if you had the flown the pack.

 

[jpalamaro]

I heartily agree that it was a coincidence and I was initially reluctant to mention the Phantom Angel as there was no reason for the discharge to affect the battery, as you indicated. I only mentioned it in the rare, and unlikely event, that it happend to others, then I'd be wary.

 

[McBuster]

Phantom Angel and Red Hot Batteries

I purchased a used PA and the included Inspire lamp was 150w 24 volt. Put it on a couple batteries and you could hardly hold them. They were hot. I put in a 100w lamp and much better. I believe heat is a problem for a battery so now, I will use a 50w lamp.

Just an fyi ...

 

[McBuster]

Very unlikely to be the Phantom Angel.
The discharge rate from the 50w lamp is far less than flying the aircraft. This is evident in the fact that a discharge takes circa 30 mins so just over 4amps and you would never get 30 mins flight time out of a TB47/48.
This is almost certainly a bad battery/cell which has simply shown up whilst using the Phantom Angel and probably would have happened if you had the flown the pack.

I was taught amps x volts = watts

A 50w lamp at 24v would be 2amps. Not 4.