Website Migrating

By Gabriel Staples
Written: 17 March 2015
Updated: 19 March 2015

Update: As of 19 March 2015, you should no longer be seeing the redirect page below, under any circumstances, no matter where you find a link to my site (whether in this site, on another site, or on a Google search). Old links should automatically redirect to the new domain. Please notify me via the comments below this post if you still see the redirect page as shown below. Thanks!

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I am in the process of migrating this website from http://electricrcaircraftguy.blogspot.com/ to a commercial domain: http://www.electricrcaircraftguy.com/. Please be patient as I do so. 

As you click on links, including links to my website or articles that you may find in Google searches, you may be directed to redirect pages that look like this: 

How To Use Basic HTML Text Formatting for Google Blogger Comments (add bold, hyperlinks, & italics to blog comments)

By Gabriel Staples
Written: 12 Feb. 2015
Last Updated: 10 Oct. 2017
History (newest on top):
-Added links to hostinger - 10 Oct. 2017 
-Misc. updates - 21 Oct. 2016
-Major overhaul of the table formatting - 25 April 2015
-Added "entities" and additional clarification - 14 Feb. 2015
-Added screenshot of HTML-formatted comments - 21 Oct. 2016 

Other Articles:

• Site Map/Table of Contents - link just added to the top of this website! See above.
• Using the Arduino Uno’s built-in 10-bit to 21-bit ADC (Analog to Digital Converter)
• The Power of Arduino
• Beginner RC Airplane Setup
• Recommended Soldering Kit & Tutorials (for Arduino, Electronics, & Radio Control)
• Thunder AC680/AC6 Charger & Computer Data-Logging Software
• Parallel Charging Your LiPo Batteries

Intro:

I've been wondering how to put hyperlinks in blog comments for quite some time now, so I finally did a little research to find out how!

Normally blog comments are plain text, but here's a sample screenshot of an HTML-formatted comment, just under this post, which I'm about to teach you how to do yourself.

Read on.

If you'd like to make your next comments at the bottom of an article a little more fancy, with hyperlinks, bold, or italics, for example, here's how!  Feel free to practice your new skills in the comments below this article too, as scratch space to test your syntax.

The following commands are accepted in Google Blogger comments:

HTML Commands ("tags"):

Command ("tag")	Effect
<b>...</b>	Bold text
<i>...</i>	Italic text
<a href="URL">NAME</a>	Creates a hyperlink named NAME, to website URL

Q&A: Question About Over-discharged LiPo--How do I quantify the amount of damage done to the battery pack?

By Gabriel Staples
Written: 7 Feb 2015
Last Updated: 7 Feb 2015

Related Articles:

• Restoring/Recharging Over-discharged LiPo (Lithium Polymer) Batteries!
• Parallel Charging Your LiPo Batteries
• Thunder AC680/AC6 Charger & Computer Data-Logging Software
• The Power of Arduino <-- be sure to check out the various really useful Arduino-related links at the bottom of this post!  They have helped me a ton.
• Recommended Soldering Kit & Tutorials (for Arduino, Electronics, & Radio Control)
• Beginner RC Airplane Setup

High-current bench-top battery test setup by FliteTest (source: 4:08)

Question I Just Received:
-from "Lakshman

"Hi Gabriel.
I am referring to your post http://electricrcaircraftguy.blogspot.sg/2014/10/restoring-over-discharged-LiPos.html#.VNXv9mSUcp0.

I accidentally discharged my battery to 2.8v/cell today due to a faulty lipo alarm. It did not go off at 3.6V while flying my tricopter and within a minute or so, the voltage dropped to 2.8v/cell. I recharged it back to 3.8v storage at 0.2A without any issues. This was before I read that article.

How do I quantify the amount of damage done to the battery pack? I usually stop flying at or before ~80% discharge. Will it be a lousier battery after this incident?

Thank you."

Here's what I had to say...

Restoring/Recharging Over-discharged LiPo (Lithium Polymer) Batteries!

By Gabriel Staples
Written: 5 March 2014
Posted Here: 13 Oct. 2014
Last Updated: 7 Feb. 2015
-added Q&A section & link - 7 Feb. 2015

Related Articles:

• Parallel Charging Your LiPo Batteries
• [NEW!!] Question About Over-discharged LiPo--How do I quantify the amount of damage done to the battery pack?
•  [NEW!] Recommended Soldering Kit & Tutorials (for Arduino, Electronics, & Radio Control)
• Beginner RC Airplane Setup
• Thunder AC680/AC6 Charger & Computer Data-Logging Software

Recommended Arduino Articles:

• Using the Arduino Uno’s built-in 10-bit to 21-bit ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) (via eRCaGuy_NewAnalogRead library)
• Arduino micros() function with 0.5us precision - using my Timer2_Counter Library
• eRCaGuy_ButtonReader Library for Arduino - Debounce and read the current button or switch state, & most recent action ("just pressed" or "just released") easily!
• The Power of Arduino <-- be sure to check out the various really useful Arduino-related links at the bottom of this post!  They have helped me a ton.
• Arduino Power, Current, and Voltage Limitations
• Quick Tip: 4 Ways to Power an Arduino

Though I first posted this article on my Instructables page, I decided to update it and repost it on my main website here in order to keep my articles more consolidated and easily maintained by myself.  From this point on, I will keep the most up-to-date version of this article right here, instead of on my Instructables page, so if you want the latest info, read here.  Don't forget to subscribe to receive an email whenever I post something new by clicking the subscribe link at the top-right of this page!  I will never use your email addresses for spam.

A LiPo that self-discharged, while in my plane, hanging overnight in a tree. :(

Intro:

LiPo batteries should never be discharged below 3.0V/cell, or they may be permanently damaged.  Many chargers don't even allow you to charge a LiPo battery that is below 2.5V/cell.  So, if you accidentally run your plane/car too long, you don't have your low voltage cutoff set properly in the ESC (Electronic Speed Controller), or you leave the power switch on, forget to unplug the LiPo, get your plane stuck overnight in a tree (the same tree, three separate times, for foolishly flying in areas too small because you are too excited to fly and it's almost dark), etc. etc., you may find yourself in a situation where you've discharged your LiPo down well below 3.0V/cell.  What do you do?

Many people toss the LiPos in the trash.  I don't.  I restore them.  Here's how.

Recommended Soldering Kit & Tutorials (for Arduino, Electronics, & Radio Control)

By Gabriel Staples
Written: 14 June 2014
Posted to blog: 3 Aug. 2014
Last Updated: 26 May 2018
History (newest on TOP):
-20180526: Added Velleman desoldering review & link.
-20170415: converted basic Amazon links to Amazon Affiliate links; updated many of the solder links too, and prices on many links
-20161126: updated many links, incl the broken ones from Radio Shack; also added several new sections, including bonus soldering irons, rosin flux, high-power irons & torches, acid-core solders & acid fluxes, & how to tin a soldering iron tip.
-20141008: added an advanced "drag soldering" link at bottom
-20140905: added more soldering iron links, & solder tip tinner/cleaner link, as well as quite a bit more info.
-20140830: added more info about soldering irons "for Radio Control" use; also added "intermediate" links to the soldering tutorials section at the end

Related Articles:

• Heavy Duty Connectors and Large Gauge Wire, & XT60 Soldering Experiment - using my $8, 60W Hobbico iron from Tower Hobbies
• The Power of Arduino <-- be sure to check out the various really useful Arduino-related links at the bottom of this post!  They have helped me a ton.
• The Goal of a Lifetime
• Arduino micros() function with 0.5us precision - using my Timer2_Counter "Library"
• Arduino Power, Current, and Voltage Limitations
• Quick Tip: 4 Ways to Power an Arduino
• Parallel Charging Your LiPo Batteries
• Beginner RC Airplane Setup
• Thunder AC680/AC6 Charger & Computer Data-Logging Software
• All articles on my blog with the label "Arduino" - http://electricrcaircraftguy.blogspot.com/search/label/Arduino
• Thunder AC680/AC6 Charger & Computer Data-Logging Software
• Parallel Charging Your LiPo Batteries

Here is a list I put together to help people get into soldering & electronics.

DIGITAL GENUINE HAKKO FX-888D, from Adafruit.com

Keep reading below for more info.