QUICK DISCHARGE: Dumb Question of the Day!!

[Shooter]

So, the biggest thing that bugs me about FE is the fact that if it rains on practice day, I have to discharge ALL my batts back to storage. It takes as much as 1-2 hours on most chargers with limited discharge rates. I've heard various other complain about this.

So here is the proposal.... Can we discharge as usual thru our existing chargers (uses the voltage monitoring system of the charger for safety), and connect another load in parallel (ex: light bulbs) to speed things up a little. I'm not talking about speeding it up to 50amps or anything, just a little faster.

Will this work?? Is it safe?? Anyone?? Thanks!!

[Brushless55]

I use a 50size outrunner plane motor with a 18x8 prop and a 200a esc on a stand to pull my packs down after racing for packs not getting used during race day..
I can pull my packs down fast with this setup
I also use a parallel board to run down 6 packs at the same time if needed
also use this setup to break in my packs

[Doug Smock]

So, the biggest thing that bugs me about FE is the fact that if it rains on practice day, I have to discharge ALL my batts back to storage. It takes as much as 1-2 hours on most chargers with limited discharge rates. I've heard various other complain about this.

So here is the proposal.... Can we discharge as usual thru our existing chargers (uses the voltage monitoring system of the charger for safety), and connect another load in parallel (ex: light bulbs) to speed things up a little. I'm not talking about speeding it up to 50amps or anything, just a little faster.

Will this work?? Is it safe?? Anyone?? Thanks!!

Hey Pete,
Remember that the charger at that point would just be a monitor, no safety. It won't terminate the additional load.
There was just a thread here on a bulb discharger. I bet it's considerably quieter than a 18x8 although a load is a load.
Here you go. I would opt for something like this and a volt meter.
http://forums.offshoreelectrics.com/...g-in-batteries

[Brushless55]

Hey Pete,
Remember that the charger at that point would just be a monitor, no safety. It won't terminate the additional load.
There was just a thread here on a bulb discharger. I bet it's considerably quieter than a 18x8 although a load is a load.
Here you go. I would opt for something like this and a volt meter.
http://forums.offshoreelectrics.com/...g-in-batteries

my setup is way easier and much more fun IMO
plus I can throttle up just how many amps I want to pull or not, plus I does not make all that heat from the bulbs
and makes one heck of a fan during the summer months!!

[Shooter]

Hey Pete,
Remember that the charger at that point would just be a monitor, no safety. It won't terminate the additional load.
There was just a thread here on a bulb discharger. I bet it's considerably quieter than a 18x8 although a load is a load.
Here you go. I would opt for something like this and a volt meter.
http://forums.offshoreelectrics.com/...g-in-batteries

Ay yi yi!!!! Of course. So, the alarm will go off, but nothing to stop the load.

Thanks for the link!

[bozo586]

pete----i use #1157 tail light bulbs and using bullets wired(+ -) to them ---discharge the batt's to were i want them---quiet and quick!

[Brushless55]

Ay yi yi!!!! Of course. So, the alarm will go off, but nothing to stop the load.

Thanks for the link!

Pete, I'll take some pictures of my setup this weekend after racing
took maybe 15min to make and works like a champ!
and with the small throttle increases you can put as much load on the packs as you want to bring them down as fast as you need.. I've pulled upto 70amps with it, and it still had room

[jfrancisco892]

[DRMead]

pete----i use #1157 tail light bulbs and using bullets wired(+ -) to them ---discharge the batt's to were i want them---quiet and quick!

This is what I have also. I have a 10 bulb set-up,and another add-on of 5 bulbs approx 2 amps per bulb. 20-30 amp discharge. I use a volt-meter or the Hyperion EOS Sentry checker to monitor.I have a set of 4 inch fans to keep things cool.

[NativePaul]

Some Schulze and MFA chargers can be set to charge your leisure battery with the energy you make discharging your LiPo, which allows far higher discharge rates then most chargers that use internal resistors to discharge your LiPos.

[kenrid]

Similarly, the Revolectrix Celpro Powerlab Battery workstation features regenerative discharge (recharges lead acid source battery) up to 40 amps. This charger would appear to obviate the challenge of all those fully charged cells we are stuck with when it rains on race day. See http://www.revolectrix.com/pl8_specs_tab.htm

[Spartanator]

I had a discharger built... Works great! My specific model brings a 2s/3s 5000mah pack down in 25 minutes!

[pescador]

There is a thread to build an auto disconnect for a lightbulb discharger on RCGroups

Not sure maybe my link is not allowed its not showing up but search for "best-yet auto disconnector for lipo storage "
I'm using two Powerlab 8's with two parallel boards which are capable of discharging 6 packs each at 40 amps into a lead acid car or marine battery.
The internal discharge is 10 amps per charger.

[Brushless55]

There is a thread to build an auto disconnect for a lightbulb discharger on RCGroups

Not sure maybe my link is not allowed its not showing up but search for "best-yet auto disconnector for lipo storage "
I'm using two Powerlab 8's with two parallel boards which are capable of discharging 6 packs each at 40 amps into a lead acid car or marine battery.
The internal discharge is 10 amps per charger.

Now that is sweet!