ManiaX Power 4S FPV LiPo review

Before we get into details in our ManiaX Power FPV LIPO review, let’s talk about some general things you should consider before purchasing a drone battery.

When choosing a drone LiPo, the first things to look at are cell count, capacity, and C-rating. Cell count (xS) is how many cells are connected in series inside the pack. Each cell has a nominal voltage of 3.7V. Hence a 2s pack has 7.4V respectively a 6S has 22.2V. While standard LIPO cells can be charged up to 4.2V, the high-voltage LiHv cells can take up to 4.35V. 4.4V, or even 4.45V. Commonly, 1-3″ drones use 1S-4S packs, the 5″ and bigger drones use 4S and 6S packs.

Battery capacity is defined as the total amount of electricity generated due to electrochemical reactions in the battery and is expressed in ampere-hours. When it comes to flying objects, in order to get the best results, you can keep a balance between weight and capacity. For example, on a 3″ FPV drone, the 1000mAh battery could give about the same flight time as a 2000mAh. You should also consider that the extra weight dramatically affects flight performance and agility.

The C rating for a LiPo battery refers to the maximum discharge rate of the LiPo. A battery that has a higher C rating delivers more energy, and that means higher performance. By comparison, a 45C 1000mAh can deliver 45A, and a 130C with the same capacity 130A. These values can be delivered constantly, but for a short time, most of the LIPOs can deliver up to two times the nominal C-rating.

ManiaX Power 4S 1300mAh and 1500mAh 130C FPV batteries

Disclosure: I received these two 4s packs as part of a product review collaboration with ManiaX Power. Although the batteries were offered for free, all opinions in this article remain my own, and the sponsor in no way influenced me.

ManiaXpower is specialized in the production and R&D of Lithium-ion, Lithium-polymer, and LiFePO4 Batteries. They also supply battery chargers/adapters, power banks, and other accessories. ManiaX has four main battery categories: Heli/Airplanes, FPV racing, UAV/Drone, and Car Racing. The FPV series includes 75C (black), 100C (white), and 130C (red) LIPO packs. They cover 3S, 4S, and 6S drones with a capacity of up to 1800mAh.

About a month ago, I received an introduction email from Alex, a member of ManiaX Power Tech TEAM. They were looking for distribution partners across the world. They sent me two pairs of 4S 130C packs (1300 & 1500 mAh) for evaluation.

At a glance

All four batteries were packed in the same not-too-stylish cardboard box. For further protection, everything was wrapped in a bubble bag. The 1300mah and 1500mah have only a slight difference in size. Both have thick 12AWG drone (discharge) cables with XT60 plugs and stickers that claim a 130 C rating. The cable length is about 8 centimeters, which is suitable for most of my drones. The orange color makes them easy to spot after a crash.

Before testing the batteries, I did five complete charging cycles to achieve their top performance. To find out the actual charging capacity, I discharged the batteries to 3.2V/cell and fully charged them again. Max. temp during discharge (150w load) was around 40 °C on top of the pack.

Technical Details

ManiaX Power 4S 130C 1300mAh

The 4S 1300mAh roughly measures 26x39x75mm and weighs 165 grams. By comparison,  my existing 4S pack measures 35.5X34.5X75mm and weighs 170 grams. The ManiaX 1300mAh packs have a 0.1166 Wh/Gr power/weight ratio.

This battery is suitable for 3.5″ CineWhoops and 5″ freestyle FPV drones. It gives enough punch for most skilled pilots.

ManiaX Power 4S 130C 1500mAh

Measuring 29x39x75mm, the 1500mA battery is slightly thicker than the 1300mA pack. It weighs 185 grams and has a power-weight ratio of 0.1210 Wh/Gr. It has an 8cm 12AWG with XT60 discharge cable. 

During the discharge tests, one of the cells became unbalanced. The voltage dropped much more than on the other cells (3.42V|3.29V|3.43V|3.36V). As this happened when the battery was near empty, and you should already have landed at this time, it is not necessarily a problem.

This battery is suitable for 5″ freestyle FPV drones. The 1500mAh pack provides about 4-6 minutes of flight time. If the claimed C rating is correct, the max discharging current should reach 130C*1500mah = 195A, so the thick 12AWG wire is welcomed.

Price and availability

ManiaX Power has Chinese (Worldwide), European and US warehouses for faster processing orders. When I published my review, the 14.8V 4S 1300mAh LIPO was priced at 31,90 €, and the 1500mAh pack at 32,90 €. The 130C FPV series also includes 3S and 6S with up to 1800mAh capacity.