Gens ace (Marke von Grepow) 1100mAh 3S 60C 11.4V HV Air Classic

The Gens ace 1100mAh 3S 60C HV Air Classic is a small high-voltage LiPo battery from Gens ace, a Grepow brand, for light FPV and RC aircraft. Three cells in series store little energy; the pack is meant for aircraft in which every gram counts.

LiPo HV means the cells are charged to 4.35 V instead of 4.2 V; hence the nominal 11.4 V instead of the 11.1 V of a standard 3S. 11.4 V and 1.1 Ah give 12.5 Wh; at 66 g that is about 190 Wh/kg. The 60C figure is quoted without saying whether it is continuous or peak; on 1.1 Ah it would be 66 A, more than an XT30 connector with roughly 30 A continuous rating carries. The value is therefore to be read as the current strength of the cells in short peaks.

12.5 Wh is far below 100 Wh: under the IATA leaflet (February 2019 edition) the battery may travel as a spare in hand baggage, protected against short circuit, for example with taped terminals. UN 38.3 applies here as well, and airlines may apply stricter rules. For aircraft meant to stay under 250 g take-off mass (EU class C0) the weight is decisive: 66 g of battery is more than a quarter of that limit.

The charger must be set to LiPo HV: in HV mode it charges to 4.35 V per cell, in standard mode only to 4.2 V, and a standard pack in HV mode would be overcharged. What counts is the connector on the pack as delivered (here XT30); it must match the wiring of the aircraft. On packs this small wear shows early as voltage sag; swelling and cell drift at the four-pin balance lead follow. Storage is in the middle of the charge range as the maker specifies.