Charge through discharge
05-19-2008 | 03:04 PM
#1
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From: Saratoga Springs, UT
Charge through discharge
So I have a Towerhobbies Lipo, it warns to not charge though the discharge port. The equinox charger/balancer will not charge it for some reason. I think the cells may have been over-discharged. Is it possible gently bring it up to the min voltage though the discharge wire? Hey, I know it's proably a bad idea, but has anyone tried it?
05-19-2008 | 03:54 PM
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From: Emmaus,
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RE: Charge through discharge
I'd try it. I know of at least one guy that got his LiPo back up and running doing that. You can check the balanced charge lead with a voltmeter and measure the cell voltages to see what you have. If you haven't discharged it enough to puff up the pack, it might be OK. Definitely watch it for puffing (swelling), and monitor the temp if you try it. If it gets hot and/or starts to puff up, disconnect it and dispose of it.
05-19-2008 | 05:23 PM
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From: Minneapolis,
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RE: Charge through discharge
ORIGINAL: acejinx
I think the cells may have been over-discharged. Is it possible gently bring it up to the min voltage though the discharge wire? Hey, I know it's proably a bad idea, but has anyone tried it?
I think the cells may have been over-discharged. Is it possible gently bring it up to the min voltage though the discharge wire? Hey, I know it's proably a bad idea, but has anyone tried it?
The first thing you need to do is check the voltage of each cell. Then depending on their condition you might be able to restore life to the LiPo by slowly charging it at 0.2C. So, for example if its rated at 1000mAh you would set your charger to 0.2 amps and measure each cells voltage every 15 minutes the first hour and then every hour keeping tabs on any noticeable temperature or cell puffing until the LiPo hopefully reaches 12.4v-12.5v, then STOP!
FIRST CHECK EACH CELL'S VOLTAGE WITH A VOLT METER. If the voltage of even just one cell is below 2.7v you are best adviced to discard the LiPo. If you don't get any voltage reading you may want to first hook it up to the charger at 0.2 amps for 1-2 minutes and then check each cell again to see if they fell asleep and if they are all now above 2.7v.
THERE IS NO REASON WHY YOU CAN'T CHARGE A LIPO VIA THE DISCHARGE CONNECTOR IF ALL THREE CELLS ARE OF EQUAL VOLTAGE/QUALITY.
