lipolys- anybody run them out?

This is much harder to pin down for Lithium systems as they are more sensitive to depth of discharge and discharge rate than are either Ni-Cd or Ni-Mh. Also unlike Ni systems they don't normally just die after long service. Their capacity seems to be somewhat of a linear decay while their ability to deliver higher currents fades away. I have 2s 1100 pack that I have been running in a Lite Stick for over two years and it has about 1/3 or the run time it had originally. Discharge capacity when measured at 500 mA discharge to 2.7 volts/cell is down to about half of original.

-- Red S. Red's R/C Battery Clinic

It totally depends on how hard you run them.

Running at continuous 8C+ levels and running them down to the cut off seems to result in < 50 cycles.

On the other hand, I ruined a year old pack after > 100 cycles by leaving it up a tree switched on for three weeks. :-)

Run gently, never more than 5C, never to more than 1/3rd full, it was as good as the day I bought it. Up till then.

Never ran out of balance, never had ANY problems at all.

Downrate from claimed performance by 50%, and they last forever. Well 2-3 years of reasonable flying anyay.

Worst lifetimes seem to be from choppers, where they run em more or less full power for extended periods.