LiPo chargers. What is the best?
05-07-2008, 12:38 AM
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LiPo chargers. What is the best?
I currently have the Great Planes PolyCharge Lithium Polymer DC Charger and I feel like it continuously overcharges my batteries. I don't know if anyone has had this problem or if it is even one.
Because of this, I'm looking into getting a new charger for my LiPo pack. I'm looking into getting a Great Planes ElectriFly LiPo 11.1V 1500mAh 15C BP Srs to replace my current pack. Since this has a balancing lead on it, I need a charger that it will connect to. Anyone have opinions about good chargers that will charge my LiPos to their peak capacity without damaging the pack
Because of this, I'm looking into getting a new charger for my LiPo pack. I'm looking into getting a Great Planes ElectriFly LiPo 11.1V 1500mAh 15C BP Srs to replace my current pack. Since this has a balancing lead on it, I need a charger that it will connect to. Anyone have opinions about good chargers that will charge my LiPos to their peak capacity without damaging the pack
05-07-2008, 03:17 AM
#2
RE: LiPo chargers. What is the best?
1) Why do you think your charger is over charging your packs?
2) You don't need a balancing charger to use a balancing plug. What you may need is a balancer. This Great planes balancer should work with your great planes lipo pack - $29
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXMGS7&P=ML
2) You don't need a balancing charger to use a balancing plug. What you may need is a balancer. This Great planes balancer should work with your great planes lipo pack - $29
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXMGS7&P=ML
05-07-2008, 12:19 PM
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RE: LiPo chargers. What is the best?
Let me rephrase that. I feel like the charger is overcharging at least one of the cells in my pack. The pack isn't that old though, so I don't understand how the cells can be that out of balance so far.
05-07-2008, 04:25 PM
#4
RE: LiPo chargers. What is the best?
A charger that charges through the power plug does not cause the pack to go out of balance, the pack does that to itself.
Through the power plug, the charger can only see the total voltage of the pack. For a 3 cell pack it will take it to 12.6V. It can't tell if the cells are even or not. If the high and low cell differ by only .01 volt then every charge one cell will be high and one cell will be low. Over many charges that gap will grow. Same happens on the discharge. One cell will finish lower than the others. Over time the gap grows. If it gets wide enough it can impact performance and eventually pack life. The more cells the more prone to imbalance packs can become.
A balancing charger can see the individual cells. It can either charge them individually, the way the Cell pro chargers do, or it can charge them, then balance as some of the others do. Both methods work.
Or, you can use you regular lipo charger with a separate balancer and do the balancing after the fact. That works too.
All three accomplish the same thing, just in different ways.
Through the power plug, the charger can only see the total voltage of the pack. For a 3 cell pack it will take it to 12.6V. It can't tell if the cells are even or not. If the high and low cell differ by only .01 volt then every charge one cell will be high and one cell will be low. Over many charges that gap will grow. Same happens on the discharge. One cell will finish lower than the others. Over time the gap grows. If it gets wide enough it can impact performance and eventually pack life. The more cells the more prone to imbalance packs can become.
A balancing charger can see the individual cells. It can either charge them individually, the way the Cell pro chargers do, or it can charge them, then balance as some of the others do. Both methods work.
Or, you can use you regular lipo charger with a separate balancer and do the balancing after the fact. That works too.
All three accomplish the same thing, just in different ways.
