Airsoft FAQs: Airsoft Batteries

All
are battery operated. The performance of an AEG is heavily dependent on
the quality of its battery, and the type of battery used. Before we
dive into what type of battery is best for your particular AEG, it is
important to understand the terminology used when talking about
batteries.
Battery: This is a container which holds chemicals carrying an electrical charge and is used as a power source.
Battery Pack: This is a collection of batteries wired together to increase the overall energy output/ voltage.
Voltage: Voltage is the potential energy output
per unit. There are two types of voltage used to describe airsoft
batteries. The first is the voltage of the individual battery cell. The
second is the total voltage of the entire battery pack. (Generally the
higher the Voltage number, the higher the rate of fire (speed) will be
for your airsoft gun. However, higher voltage batteries can reduce the
life of the airsoft gun by causing excessive wear on the gears, though
many higher end airsoft guns are built to withstand this wear.)
MilliAmp Hours (Mah): MilliAmp Hours determine
how long your battery will be able to power your airsoft electric gun
before needing a charge. The higher this number, the longer you can use
the battery without needing a charge.
Discharge: Discharging is the process of
expending all energy within a battery or battery pack. This is done to
maintain certain types of batteries.
Charger: A charger is used to transfer electricity into a battery.
Balancer: A balancer is a device that evenly
distributes energy to all battery cells and draws energy from stronger
cells into weaker cells to keep all cells balanced. These are required
if charging Lithium Polymer batteries.
There are three main types of airsoft batteries: Nickel Metal
Hydride (Ni-Mh), Nickel Metal Cadmium (Ni-Cad), and Lithium Polymer
(Li-Po).
Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-Mh) Batteries: These
are the most gemon batteries in airsoft. They are easy to maintain and
charge, and generally have a higher MilliAmp Hour rating than other
batteries. They can be charged without a balancer, but a smart charger
(a charger which determines if the battery has reached its energy
capacity) is highly regemended. These batteries gee in a variety of
configurations and can be used to power any airsoft gun. It is important
to note that not all Ni-Mh battery cells are the equal, it is always
beneficial to purchase top grade Ni-Mh batteries to increase the life
and output of your battery.
Nickel Metal Cadmium (Ni-Cad) Batteries: These
batteries are generally considered obsolete because they contain very
toxic chemicals and do not hold their charge for quite as long as Ni-Mh
batteries. The Ni-Cad batteries also require much more maintenance
because they can begee useless if not fully discharged between use.
Lithium Polymer (Li-Po) Batteries: These
batteries are taking the airsoft world by storm, partly because they
provide very low resistance power to the airsoft gun, which increases
performance, and also because they can last much longer between charges
than standard Ni-Mh batteries. However, Lithium batteries do require
care and safety when charging. Li-Po batteries must be charged using a
balancer, because if a single cell overcharges it can quickly overheat
and cause the battery to catch fire. Li-Po batteries do increase the
rate of fire of most airsoft guns, however the increased speed can lead
to faster wear. It is important to make sure that your airsoft gun can handle a Li-Po battery before use.
Charging: The standard wall chargers that gee
with airsoft guns are never an optimal way to charge your airsoft
battery, and if left unsupervised, can cause harm to your battery
rendering it useless. To avoid damaging you battery it is important to
use a good charger. Generally a smart charger is the best choice when
charging Ni-Mh batteries, because it charges the battery in less than
half the time and prevents the battery from over charging.