On December 31, 2023 I ordered 3 of the Vapcell INR10440 320mAh 3A High Discharge Button Top batteries from ILLUMN. They arrived on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. They were tested for several months by running them in the IHC 2-8-0 Consolidation, but were never tested using the SkyRC MC3000. On March 3, 2024 they were tested, using charges and discharges with the SkyRC MC3000. They had been resting, at a storage charge, for a couple of weeks. They were charged at 0.16A, a 1/2C (0.5C) charge rate to 4.2V. Each battery's Internal Resistance (IR) (Batt.Res), as noted by the SkyRC MC3000, during the initial charge was noted in milliohms (mΩ).
The batteries were rested for 40 minutes after the charge. The Discharge
Each battery's Internal Resistance (IR) (Batt.Res), as noted by the SkyRC MC3000, during the discharge was noted in milliohms (mΩ).
The Charge After the Discharge The batteries were rested about an hour and then charged at 0.16A to 4.2V. The starting voltages, after resting, were; #1 3.54V, #2 3.53V and #3 3.52V. They had been discharged to 3.4V under load. The starting voltages demonstrated the voltage "bounce back" once the load was removed. Each battery's Internal Resistance (IR) (Batt.Res), as noted by the SkyRC MC3000, during this recharge was noted in milliohms (mΩ).
Returned mAh: #1 267mAh, #2 282mAh and #3 277mAh Each battery's Internal Resistance (IR) (Batt.Res), as noted by the SkyRC MC3000, during the discharge was noted in milliohms (mΩ).
03/04/2024 To verify the actual prototypical run time, the batteries needed to be tested on the actual layout. The batteries sat over night for about 17 hours. Their voltages, before the prototypical run time test started were; #1 4.162V, #2 4.163V and #3 4.166V. The battery's labeled 320mAh capacity suggested a maximum allowable discharge mAh of 256mAh, which is 80% of the labeled capacity. Since I had been using these batteries for awhile now, I knew that I should be able to get about an hour of prototypical run time. They were placed in the gondola battery car behind the CSX and run for one hour and 2 minutes. The time was split into two thirty-one minute sessions. The batteries were rested for an hour, to allow for the voltage "bounce back" when the load was removed. Their voltages all read 3.60V when placed in the MC3000. (That was a fluke and doesn't happen very often. The recharge, on the MC3000, was set at 0.16A to 4.2V.
The highest mAh, returned by battery 2, was 241mAh or 0.241Ah. 0.241Ah divided by 1.03 hours equals an average amp draw of 23.4A. These batteries worked fine and are acceptable. They provide an hour of prototypical run time for all three of my locomotives.
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