Charging Solo batteries to storage level??

SurfnSkate81 · Mar 15, 2016

Something about the chemical reaction. I wouldn't have a clue, I just listen to the smart boffins on here and run with what they say.

Maddog · Mar 16, 2016

Here's some information about lipo batteries y'all might find useful:
Electric RC info, how-tos and such - TJinTech

divemasterphil · Mar 17, 2016

I just set the charger to storage.

SurfnSkate81 · Mar 17, 2016

What connectors did you use there @divemasterphil ?

Do you have a web link for them?

Pedals2Paddles · Mar 17, 2016

I just ordered 6 of the Molex Ten60 connectors so I can make some Solo-to-XT60 pigtails. Then I can plug all my solo batteries into a parallel charging board and charge them all at once. Or discharge to storage. Or anything else.

Phil, What's the highest rate you've been able to charge these batteries at? Do the smart batteries self-limit themselves to a certain rate, or will they take whatever you can give them.

SurfnSkate81 · Mar 17, 2016

@Pedals2Paddles Do you have weblink for the source of those Ten60 connectors? What parallel charging board are you planning on using?

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Pedals2Paddles · Mar 17, 2016

https://www.verical.com/pd/molex-power-connector-46437-1087-369766. It doesn't have the blank plastic pin or data connectors. So clearly mark positive and negative to avoid reversing it.

I have a 6 port parallel balance charging board from Hobby King that I use on my regular LiPos. And a 30 amp 16.8v power supply.

SurfnSkate81 · Mar 17, 2016

Thanks for the link and info!

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divemasterphil · Mar 17, 2016

Pedals2Paddles said:
Phil, What's the highest rate you've been able to charge these batteries at? Do the smart batteries self-limit themselves to a certain rate, or will they take whatever you can give them.

The highest it will take is 5.2 amps, 1c I believe. I can go to 6 amps on the charger but it never takes more than 5.2 amps. So a 80 watts single or 320 watts quad charger is all you need.

Charging time is almost half and it alarms to tell you it's done. And of course it does a storage charge as well.

SurfnSkate81 said:
What connectors did you use there @divemasterphil ? Do you have a web link for them?

It's the factory plug off the 3dr charger, I cut if off and added xt60 connectors to it so I can still use either charger. You could use any connector like EC3 or Dean's.

Pedals2Paddles · Mar 17, 2016

divemasterphil said:
The highest it will take is 5.2amps, 1c I believe. I can go to 6 amps on the charger but it never takes more than 5.2 amps. So a 80 watts single or 320 watts quad charger is all you need. Charging time is almost half and it alarms to tell you it's done. And of course it does a storage charge as well.

Excellent. I was worried it would take whatever you throw at it and could overheat if you allow it too much. I could charge 6 solo batteries at once with the power supply and charger I have. I can also run the charger off a car battery or lighter plug since it will step the voltage up as needed. I think I'll be using the the provided little 3DR charger very little if ever.

Rusty Jones · Mar 17, 2016

divemasterphil said:
The highest it will take is 5.2 amps, 1c I believe. I can go to 6 amps on the charger but it never takes more than 5.2 amps. So a 80 watts single or 320 watts quad charger is all you need.

Charging time is almost half and it alarms to tell you it's done. And of course it does a storage charge as well.

It's the factory plug off the 3dr charger, I cut if off and added xt60 connectors to it so I can still use either charger. You could use any connector like EC3 or Dean's.

So you say charging time is about 1/2 the regular time with the 3DR charger, what settings are you using on the Lipo charger. I need to do something like this, it takes over 6 hours to charge 4 batteries

on a psitive note, I think my Turnigy Accucell 6 has polarity protection and will alarm if hooked up backwards.

PdxSteve · Mar 17, 2016

Pedals2Paddles said:
Excellent. I was worried it would take whatever you throw at it and could overheat if you allow it too much. I could charge 6 solo batteries at once with the power supply and charger I have. I can also run the charger off a car battery or lighter plug since it will step the voltage up as needed. I think I'll be using the the provided little 3DR charger very little if ever.

Same here

My 600 watt 12v power supply just got here

Got it extra beefy in case the rumors are true and they come out with a higher capacity pack. It will run off 120/240v AC, as well as 12v DC car battery without needing an inverter. I'm just working on the 3d printed housing now that mimics the battery tray in the Solo so I can just slide the batteries into the charger instead of having to plug them in. I'm lazy lol.

divemasterphil · Mar 17, 2016

I have a second 3dr charger I'll be doing the same mode to it and getting another 80w Lipo charger. I too can't see using the original charger much either. I've got three batteries.

This thing is also AC/DC. $56 shipped.

Thunder AC680 Professional Dual-Power LiPo Balance Charger/Discharger w/ AC Adapter for 1-6 Lipo/ 1-15 Nimh + USB to PC Software

What type of power supply/charger you going to use?

Pedals2Paddles said:
Excellent. I was worried it would take whatever you throw at it and could overheat if you allow it too much. I could charge 6 solo batteries at once with the power supply and charger I have. I can also run the charger off a car battery or lighter plug since it will step the voltage up as needed. I think I'll be using the the provided little 3DR charger very little if ever.

divemasterphil · Mar 17, 2016

PdxSteve said:
Same here My 600 watt 12v power supply just got here Got it extra beefy in case the rumors are true and they come out with a higher capacity pack. It will run off 120/240v AC, as well as 12v DC car battery without needing an inverter. I'm just working on the 3d printed housing now that mimics the battery tray in the Solo so I can just slide the batteries into the charger instead of having to plug them in. I'm lazy lol.

You'll have to market those trays!

divemasterphil · Mar 17, 2016

You can only use charge and storage for Lipo 4s, not balanced. The Accucell is a 50w charger so you will not gain much time if any.

I use to use the modded 120v plug

Rusty Jones said:
So you say charging time is about 1/2 the regular time with the 3DR charger, what settings are you using on the Lipo charger. I need to do something like this, it takes over 6 hours to charge 4 batteries on a psitive note, I think my Turnigy Accucell 6 has polarity protection and will alarm if hooked up backwards.

Pedals2Paddles · Mar 17, 2016

I have a 500 watt 16.8v power supply (30 amps, it's a beast). Since the solo batteries have the charge controller built in, you could just connect the batteries directly to the power supply and they'll charge at 5.2 amps all by themselves. You could hook 6 of them up to this power supply and charge them all at max rate, empty to full in probably less than an hour.

My LiPo charger can do 20 amps at 16.8 volts as well. It's not really needed since as mentioned above, the smart batteries do all the smart regulating themselves. But, I can use the LiPo charger in the Jeep since it will step the voltage up from 12 to 16.8.

Both the power supply and LiPo charger are hobby king, but I will look up the products when I get home.

PdxSteve · Mar 17, 2016

It's not just a power supply...whatever is charging the battery must do CC/CV or it won't charge all the way.

Pedals2Paddles · Mar 17, 2016

That $5 switching brick that 3DR sells as a charger certainly isn't doing CC/CV. And from what I've read, the smart batteries shut themselves off when fully charged. All the charging regulation and balancing is done by the battery's built in controller.

Maddog · Mar 17, 2016

Pedals2Paddles said:
I have a 500 watt 16.8v power supply (30 amps, it's a beast). Since the solo batteries have the charge controller built in, you could just connect the batteries directly to the power supply and they'll charge at 5.2 amps all by themselves. You could hook 6 of them up to this power supply and charge them all at max rate, empty to full in probably less than an hour.

My LiPo charger can do 20 amps at 16.8 volts as well. It's not really needed since as mentioned above, the smart batteries do all the smart regulating themselves. But, I can use the LiPo charger in the Jeep since it will step the voltage up from 12 to 16.8.

Both the power supply and LiPo charger are hobby king, but I will look up the products when I get home.

Have you actually hooked a Solo battery directly to your power supply? I would be interested to know how it works out.

There seems to be no consensus on whether Solo needs a "charger" or just a "power supply".

Does anybody have definitive information that would settle this?

Pedals2Paddles · Mar 17, 2016

No. I'm going by what other experts here have said and shown. There is a consensus on that though. The 3DR "charger" is nothing more than a 16.8v 3.3 amp switching power supply. It does literally nothing but supply 16.8v at a maximum of 3.3 amps.