The Lithimon FAQ  

A. The answer has to do with the energy storage capacitors that Lithimon uses to neutralize the Peak Pulse Effect. The energy stored depends on both the voltage and the 'capacitance' of the capacitors, and the physical size of a capacitor depends also on both factors. The capacitors on the LM-9012 have less capacitance than those on the LM-234, for example, but work at a much higher voltage -- and the higher voltage means that equal (or greater) power is stored, despite the smaller capacitance. In effect, there is a trade-off between voltage and capacitance which has to be optimized to ensure adequate energy storage in a given size and weight of unit, and the three models of Lithimon are optimized respectively for their own voltage ranges. This allows us to offer the optimum amount of energy storage (and hence best cancellation of the Peak Pulse Effect) for each voltage range given the size constraints. If we were to make a "one-size-fits-all" Lithimon, it would have to be much bigger than the existing models to maintain adequate energy storage across such a wide range of voltages.

A. First of all, does your battery pack normally run down in 30 minutes or less? If it lasts longer than this, you'll probably want Medium, although if there is significant residual charge in the battery when the Lithimon indicates "discharged" (see below) you could switch to Heavy. Otherwise, and usually the case for electric flight, it's a choice between Heavy and Extreme. Start with Heavy, and move to Extreme if there is significant residual charge in the battery when the Lithimon indicates "discharged". You can tell this either directly, if you have a smart charger that can measure residual charge, or indirectly by measuring the off-load (i.e. with motor(s) off) voltage of the battery after you have landed -- if it measures over 3.0 volts per series cell (i.e. 9V for a 3S pack), you can switch to Extreme and make the battery last a little longer.

A. The minimum voltage per cell refers to off-load voltage, ignoring the 'sag' that occurs owing to the internal resistance of the battery when current is drawn by the motor. The discharge profile is selected to compensate for this sag so that the equivalent off-load voltage is maintained at 3V or above. This 'sag' can be very significant, often as much as 0.6V per cell in electric flight applications. As long as you have selected the correct discharge profile, you won't over-discharge your battery by waiting for the Lithimon to bleep.

A. No problem. This figure is a purely nominal voltage, as the actual voltage of the battery will vary with changing load and state of charge. Some companies quote the nominal voltage of Lithium cells as 3.6V and some as 3.7V; it makes no difference. The actual terminal voltage of the 4S battery in the example could range from below 10V to above 16V depending upon operating conditions, and the Lithimon will handle the full range.

A. It's fully compatible and can be left in circuit. In fact it will improve Ni performance because Ni batteries do also experience the Peak Pulse Effect, just not as severely as Li. If the Ni pack has a substantially higher voltage than the Li pack, the Lithimon might flash green to indicate "wrong battery voltage" but you can quite safely ignore this when in Ni power mode.

Ordering and Commercial Questions

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A. We offer industry-standard dealer margins and an attractive quantity pricing structure to bona-fide model trade retailers and distributors worldwide, making our products profitable to stock. We also supply free-of-charge promotional material to our stockists. Our products are fast-selling, highly reliable, and attractively packaged for retail. Please email us for more details and trade pricing: sales@dawnmist.demon.co.uk.