Dumb lipo charging question

[Doozie870]

Do the balancers/guards stop the whole charging process when one of any cell reaches a certain voltage or do they drop the cell or cells that have peaked and keep charging whats remaining?

[JimClark]

Most balancers I think bleed off voltage to a certain numberto match cells. If you get a charger that also balances then it will cut off charging individual cells when they reach a certain voltage.

[Darin Jordan]

Jim is correct... The balancer, in "active", or "Connection" mode (in use while charging) will continue charging until each cell is at it's designated charge, stopping them individually as they reach this point...

In "Disconnect" mode, they work the opposite, slowly discharging the higher cells until they all are at the same potential...

Oh, and certainly not a dumb question... Just data gathering along the road to a better understanding!

Hope this helps...

[Doozie870]

This is GREAT info thanks.

[Darin Jordan]

In "Disconnect" mode, they work the opposite, slowly discharging the higher cells until they all are at the same potential...

Oh, and I should clarify... "Diconnect" mode is when you use the balancer as a stand-alone... sans charger... Just plug it into the pack and let it work...

Some may not have understood that...

[SJFE]

So whats the prefered mothod of charging? Directly from the chager then balance or through the taps?

[JimClark]

Darin is only talking about the Hyperion LBA Balancers if you get something else they just bleed voltage either during charge or after charge is done. With the Hyperion you also get voltage protection so they can not over charge.
Jim

[Darin Jordan]

So whats the prefered mothod of charging? Directly from the chager then balance or through the taps?

What several of us do is this...

Prior to a race weekend, we charge all our cells through a balancer (Jim may right.... I use Hyperion balancers... perhaps others don't work the same way??)... then on race day, we just charge the cells straight up in Lipo mode without the balancers... Then rebalance after the race weekend...

To this point, I haven't had ANY cells go even slightly out of balance over the course of 3 or 4 race cycles... When I balanced them on Monday after the race weekend, only one pack needed it, and it only took about 30-seconds before it was balanced... (meaning it was basically already balanced...)...

It would seem odd to me that a balancer that allows you to charge through it would "bleed off" voltage while charging, but I suppose it's possible... Speaking then of Hyperions only, they cut off the charge to each individual cell as it reaches it's peak...

[JimClark]

Read your manual it talks about discharging the highest cell but it isn't real clear if that is in all 3 modes.

Jim

What several of us do is this...

Prior to a race weekend, we charge all our cells through a balancer (Jim may right.... I use Hyperion balancers... perhaps others don't work the same way??)... then on race day, we just charge the cells straight up in Lipo mode without the balancers... Then rebalance after the race weekend...

To this point, I haven't had ANY cells go even slightly out of balance over the course of 3 or 4 race cycles... When I balanced them on Monday after the race weekend, only one pack needed it, and it only took about 30-seconds before it was balanced... (meaning it was basically already balanced...)...

It would seem odd to me that a balancer that allows you to charge through it would "bleed off" voltage while charging, but I suppose it's possible... Speaking then of Hyperions only, they cut off the charge to each individual cell as it reaches it's peak...