3.7V 1200mAh LiPo Battery (103040) - High Capacity Lithium Polymer Cell with Protection PCB

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

1. What does "103040" mean? It signifies the standard dimensions of the bare internal cell: approximately 10mm thick, 30mm wide, and 40mm long.

2. What is the nominal voltage of this battery? The nominal (average operating) voltage is 3.7V.

3. What is the voltage when fully charged? A fully charged 1S LiPo battery will read exactly 4.2V on a multimeter.

4. Does this battery have built-in protection? Yes, a miniature protection PCB is hidden under the yellow Kapton tape at the top of the battery.

5. What does the protection circuit actually do? It protects the battery chemistry from catching fire due to overcharging, prevents permanent damage from over-discharging, and cuts power instantly if a short circuit occurs on your output wires.

6. Are the wires open-ended or do they have a plug? This battery ships with 50mm open-ended (bare) wire leads. It does not come with a pre-crimped plastic connector.

7. Which wire is positive? The red wire is Positive (+), and the black wire is Negative (-).

8. What does "discharge at 0.2C" mean? "C" represents the total capacity of the battery. 0.2C means 20% of 1200mAh, which is 240 milliamps (240mA). To get the absolute maximum lifespan and extract the true 1200mAh capacity out of this battery, your circuit should optimally draw around 240mA continuously.

9. Will it break if my project draws more than 240mA? No. 240mA is just the optimal rate for maximum chemical efficiency. A 1200mAh battery can easily supply 1 Amp or more for bursts (like running small motors or cellular modems), but pulling very heavy currents constantly will drain it faster.

10. Can I charge this with a standard TP4056 module? Yes, perfectly! A standard TP4056 module pushes 1000mA (1A) by default. For a 1200mAh battery, 1A is roughly a 0.8C charge rate. This is an extremely safe, ideal charging speed for this specific battery size. You do not need to modify the TP4056 at all!

11. Can I wire this directly to a 5V USB cable to charge it? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Applying raw 5V directly to a LiPo battery will cause it to swell, vent toxic gas, and catch fire. You must use a dedicated Lithium-Ion charger IC.

12. Can I power a 5V Arduino Uno with this? A standard Arduino Uno expects 5V. This battery only outputs 3.7V. You will need a "Boost Converter" module to step the 3.7V up to a stable 5V.

13. What microcontrollers work best with this? Low-power 3.3V boards like the ESP32, ESP8266, Raspberry Pi Zero W, and 3.3V Arduino Pro Minis are ideal companions.

14. How long are the wires? The flexible wire leads are approximately 50mm (about 2 inches) long.

15. Can I cut the wires to make them shorter? Yes. CRITICAL WARNING: Always cut the wires one at a time. Cutting both the red and black wires simultaneously with metal snips will instantly short-circuit the battery!

16. Can I wire two of these in series to get 7.4V? It is highly discouraged to wire individual, internally protected LiPo cells in series. The two independent protection boards can conflict and cause charging and discharging failures.

17. Can I wire two in parallel to get 2400mAh (2.4Ah)? Yes, but only if both batteries are measured with a multimeter and are at the exact same voltage (e.g., both exactly 3.8V) before connecting them together.

18. Is this battery waterproof? No. The silver foil pouch is sealed, but the top circuit board and the wire connections are fully exposed to the elements.

19. Why does my battery look puffy or swollen? LiPo batteries puff up when damaged, old, or severely over-discharged. If your battery swells like a balloon, stop using it immediately and safely recycle it.

20. How should I store this battery if I am not using it for a while? Never store LiPo batteries fully charged (4.2V) or fully dead (3.0V) for long periods. Store them at a "storage charge" of roughly 3.8V in a cool, dry, fire-safe location.