Charging multiple battery's at once

[Biggreen]

What are the thoughts on charging multiple battery's at once? Can we do this with a Hitech charger or something?

 

[erikgraham]

What are the thoughts on charging multiple battery's at once? Can we do this with a Hitech charger or something?

This is entirely possible. But the balancing circuitry is built into the battery, so you wouldn't need a Hitech charger (which does the balancing). Anything that can provide the right DC current would work. I was planning on figuring something out, but now I have 3 Solo battery chargers and so I just do it that way.

 

[SteveReno]

It's been done successfully.

 

[erikgraham]

It's been done successfully.
Facebook

Do you have a link that doesn't require Facebook login?

I've avoided Facebook all these years, but now it seems these damn Solo mods are going to force me to join.

 

[SteveReno]

Do you have a link that doesn't require Facebook login?

I just added a pic

 

[SteveReno]

He's says works prefect. He also printed the plugs

 

[erikgraham]

He's says works prefect.

I wonder where he found connectors. That was my first stumbling block. I suppose if you can just get something metal jammed into the battery it could work. Even some thick gauge wire - probably not to safe. But I also wonder how he configured each. I'll have to look at my HiTech, but I've always used it to balance and didn't realize it could be configured to bypass its balance circuitry and just feed DC directly.

 

[Biggreen]

Nice!!! I would love 4 of those... I was thinking of getting a 3D printer just to make some thing like that. Or making some out of UHMW.

 

[SteveReno]

I wonder where he found connectors. That was my first stumbling block. I suppose if you can just get something metal jammed into the battery it could work. Even some thick gauge wire - probably not to safe. But I also wonder how he configured each. I'll have to look at my HiTech, but I've always used it to balance and didn't realize it could be configured to bypass its balance circuitry and just feed DC directly.

He printed them. The files may be available, I'll ask tomorrow

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[erikgraham]

He printed them. The files may be available, I'll ask tomorrow

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Thanks, that would be great.

 

[RolandS888]

I have noticed something while charging multiple batteries at the same time using 2 different LiPo chargers in "LiPo Charge (no balance)" mode.
( I use a Vista D610AC (2 x 100W) and an Ultrapower UP400AC (2 x >200W))
The Lipo charger will take the Solo battery up to 16.8 volts (as expected) and when the charging current drops off to close to zero the charger switches off, (also as expected).
Then when I put the battery on Solo it shows maybe 94 or 95% full, especially if the battery has been sitting for a while.
If the battery was charged by the Solo charger it finishes at 100% full and stays there.
And the difference is in the final 20 minutes or so.
The solo charger sits at 16.8 volts, flashing the last led for seems an eternity, but during this time it is topping up the last bit of the battery and final balancing..
So, back to my Lipo charger, it also has a "digital power supply" function which can be used to set a fixed voltage at whatever current maximum limit you choose..
Now when I charge my Solo batteries, I charge them on "Lipo Charge" as usual until they get to 16.8v, then change the charger to "Digital power supply" and let it supply 16.8 volts until the last LED stops flashing. This tops up the battery and lets the internal balance board do its thing.
Batteries are then at 100% and stay that way, even overnight.
If im in a hurry or out flying I'll just charge them until the charger stops, if I've got time I'll change the charger to DPS and let them sit at 16.8v and top up fully.

Storage is of course at half full, usually 4 or 5 LEDS.
Also, you cant just power these batteries with any unregulated 16.8v supply and expect them to charge, they dont.
The charging current must be regulated. More investigation needed on this. But i have a sacrificial battery now, so this is coming.

 

[Jubalr]

I have noticed something while charging multiple batteries at the same time using 2 different LiPo chargers in "LiPo Charge (no balance)" mode.
( I use a Vista D610AC (2 x 100W) and an Ultrapower UP400AC (2 x >200W))
The Lipo charger will take the Solo battery up to 16.8 volts (as expected) and when the charging current drops off to close to zero the charger switches off, (also as expected).
Then when I put the battery on Solo it shows maybe 94 or 95% full, especially if the battery has been sitting for a while.
If the battery was charged by the Solo charger it finishes at 100% full and stays there.
And the difference is in the final 20 minutes or so.
The solo charger sits at 16.8 volts, flashing the last led for seems an eternity, but during this time it is topping up the last bit of the battery and final balancing..
So, back to my Lipo charger, it also has a "digital power supply" function which can be used to set a fixed voltage at whatever current maximum limit you choose..
Now when I charge my Solo batteries, I charge them on "Lipo Charge" as usual until they get to 16.8v, then change the charger to "Digital power supply" and let it supply 16.8 volts until the last LED stops flashing. This tops up the battery and lets the internal balance board do its thing.
Batteries are then at 100% and stay that way, even overnight.
If im in a hurry or out flying I'll just charge them until the charger stops, if I've got time I'll change the charger to DPS and let them sit at 16.8v and top up fully.

Storage is of course at half full, usually 4 or 5 LEDS.
Also, you cant just power these batteries with any unregulated 16.8v supply and expect them to charge, they dont.
The charging current must be regulated. More investigation needed on this. But i have a sacrificial battery now, so this is coming.

Hey Roland, I too use a small LiPo charger I had for other equipment and a plug I made. But mine appears to charge to the full amount. The difference is my charger does not cut off the charge, the battery does. The display on my charger shows 'check connection', just as it would if you unplugged a battery while charging. Difference in chargers maybe?

 

[RolandS888]

Hey Roland, I too use a small LiPo charger I had for other equipment and a plug I made. But mine appears to charge to the full amount. The difference is my charger does not cut off the charge, the battery does. The display on my charger shows 'check connection', just as it would if you unplugged a battery while charging. Difference in chargers maybe?

Yes. When I am using the DPS function it runs until the battery cuts it off.
One of my chargers wont do a discharge to storage level without cell balancing connected.
So there are differences even between the two chargers that I have.

 

[Jubalr]

Yes. When I am using the DPS function it runs until the battery cuts it off.
One of my chargers wont do a discharge to storage level without cell balancing connected.
So there are differences even between the two chargers that I have.

That makes sense and what I assumed. On mine, I just set it to LiPo, 5200ma 4s and 3.3a charge. Takes about the same time to charge as the stock charger, but now I'm charging 2 at a time.

 

[Dash Hewes]

I have seven 3DR chargers, I snipped one to put on a 7 amp charger mostly for field use if I need to. I can hook it up to the ZDX and charge if needed, it charges at 5.2 amps versus the 3.1 amps the 3DR charges at.
It's charges quicker but not enough to ditch my other six 3DR chargers even though I have six - 7 amp chargers. I've got 12 batteries and no matter what I use it's a long process.

 

[Maddog]

Here's some pix-

 

[SteveReno]

Thanks, that would be great.

Sorry, but seems like he may making them to sell, So he removed the STL files for printing.

 

[Soloing]

I wonder where he found connectors. That was my first stumbling block. I suppose if you can just get something metal jammed into the battery it could work. Even some thick gauge wire - probably not to safe. But I also wonder how he configured each. I'll have to look at my HiTech, but I've always used it to balance and didn't realize it could be configured to bypass its balance circuitry and just feed DC directly.

I took a battery apart once, and was able to locate a serial number for the connector. The connectors are made by Molex. If someone needs it, pm me. I have to find it again. Anyhow, franknitty69 on rcg contacted Molex and they quoted him $2500 bucks. Don't remember for how many connectors though.

I have noticed something while charging multiple batteries at the same time using 2 different LiPo chargers in "LiPo Charge (no balance)" mode.
( I use a Vista D610AC (2 x 100W) and an Ultrapower UP400AC (2 x >200W))
The Lipo charger will take the Solo battery up to 16.8 volts (as expected) and when the charging current drops off to close to zero the charger switches off, (also as expected).
Then when I put the battery on Solo it shows maybe 94 or 95% full, especially if the battery has been sitting for a while.
If the battery was charged by the Solo charger it finishes at 100% full and stays there.
And the difference is in the final 20 minutes or so.
The solo charger sits at 16.8 volts, flashing the last led for seems an eternity, but during this time it is topping up the last bit of the battery and final balancing..
So, back to my Lipo charger, it also has a "digital power supply" function which can be used to set a fixed voltage at whatever current maximum limit you choose..
Now when I charge my Solo batteries, I charge them on "Lipo Charge" as usual until they get to 16.8v, then change the charger to "Digital power supply" and let it supply 16.8 volts until the last LED stops flashing. This tops up the battery and lets the internal balance board do its thing.
Batteries are then at 100% and stay that way, even overnight.
If im in a hurry or out flying I'll just charge them until the charger stops, if I've got time I'll change the charger to DPS and let them sit at 16.8v and top up fully.

Storage is of course at half full, usually 4 or 5 LEDS.
Also, you cant just power these batteries with any unregulated 16.8v supply and expect them to charge, they dont.
The charging current must be regulated. More investigation needed on this. But i have a sacrificial battery now, so this is coming.

Have you tried using only the digital power supply?