Airsoft Batteries

Airsoft Batteries

What is an airsoft battery charger?

An Airsoft battery charger is used to charge your rechargeable airsoft batteries. Many airsoft guns may not include a charger but typically the ones that do, will more often than not, include a basic wall charger, or what we refer to as a "dumb charger" as opposed to the aftermarket/upgraded "smart charger". The "dumb" wall charger, charges at a very slow rate and does not automatically shut off when the battery reaches peak current and can overcharge your battery. For this reason, we highly recommend a smart charger. A smart charger automatically detects when the battery reaches the peak charge/voltage and automatically shuts off, preventing your battery from being damaged or even worse, starting a fire. All of the chargers we sell in this category are smart chargers. Within the smart chargers, there are 2 types: NiMh and LiPo battery chargers. LIPO batteries include a balancing plug which is essential to charge a LIPO battery safely. If you are attempting to charge a LiPo or LiIon Battery and your charger does not have provisions to plug in the small balancing port, DO NOT CHARGE your battery on that charger. Another indicator to look out for is to make sure the batteries you are charging are a compatible voltage with your charger. LiPo batteries will typically come in 3.7 volts (nominal) increments, such as 3.7v, 7.4v, 11.1v, etc. Typically NiMh and NiCd batteries will come in 1.2 volts (nominal) increments, such as 8.4v, 9.6v, and above.

Q & A

Q: How long do I charge my battery?

A: With a standard charger you'll have to do some math. Look at the charger plug for a marking that says OUTPUT. It will be in ma (milliamps). This is the amount that your charger will output per hour. Next, you will look at your battery pack for mAh (milliamp hours). Think of this as your capacity. Take this number and divide it by the output of the charger. This will give you roughly the number of hours to charge. For example, your charger has a 500mAh OUTPUT and your battery is 1500mAh. 1500mAh/500mAh = 3hours.

Q: What charger do I get?

A: You must get the correct charger to charge your battery otherwise you will risk damage to your battery pack or a fire. Use a NiMH charger (nickel metal hydride) for a NIMH battery. Use a Lipo (Lithium Polymer) battery charger with your LiPo battery. How do you know what kind of battery you have? Look very carefully at your battery packaging. Also, NiMh batteries have one set of plugs coming out of the pack and LiPo batteries have two. Some chargers can charge more types of batteries. If you are using this kind be extra careful to use the correct setting. This is easily overlooked and can be dangerous. Though a standard charger works fine, for peace of mind especially for parents who know their kids better than anyone that possibly getting an easier to use and more convenient charger setup will remove some headache from the experience of using an airsoft gun.

Q: What is a smart charger?

A: A smart charger is a charger that will stop charging once it detects the battery is fully charged. There are different ways this is done. Some chargers operate on a simple timer while others monitor voltage and shut off once the battery pack returns a certain voltage reading. The ones we presently offer are the latter style which is more accurate and much safer.

Q: What happens if I use the wrong charger?

A: If you use the incorrect charger with your battery pack (like a Lipo battery with a Nimh charger or Nimh battery and a lipo charger) you risk damaging the battery pack. Lipo batteries are especially volatile and making a mistake with this type of battery could mean risking a fire.

Q: Does every airsoft gun require a battery and charger?

A: No, Airsoft Handguns and Pistols are typically gas-powered.  Airsoft Sniper Rifles are also typically spring powered.