Going Lipo, but confused about balancers..

[Finnster]

After looking around, I've decided to go w/ some lipos. I've decided a 3s2p pack and 2s2p pack of 8000mah from TrueRc best fit my app. Im going to saddle them to make a 5s pack. Also, I will be charging with my Triton v1, which is limited to 2.5A and 4s max.

The question is I don't get is what balancer to get, there isn't one convention. They offer PQ or TP taps, which is more universal? PQ/Hyperion?What is a good and cost-effective balancer to use with this setup? They offer one for $30, but I've seen others such as the Astro blinky on Tower. 2.5A is low (~0.3C), so i may upgrade my charger later to a Triton V2, a Astro 109 or possibly some other. Hoping to get one that will be able to work with a ~1C charge (7-8A.)

Am I understanding this right, you charge not thru the deans, but rather thru the balancer and taps? I've seen you can use a balancer to bal 1st, then charge thru deans, but would think the other way would be less dangerous? Do you have to restart the charger every time the balancer cuts off the charge to balance?

Lastly, any recc on an LVC? I'll be using this on the MMax, so I don't think it has a 5s cutoff, so I am looking to get a 2s cutoff and a 3s cutoff (so I can use in 1/10s as well.) Looking to get one that is obvious, not just an LED that turns on that I may miss.

Thanks much!

[glassdoctor]

As for the MM cutoff... I have never tried to set it higher than 12.4 myself, but assuming it goes high enough, set it at 15.0v or a tad higher to be on the safe side.

I'm not really up on the taps issue, but what I would want in your case is a charger that can do 5s at a descent charge rate. I would not want to charge the packs separate.

Then you can use a 5s balancer like the Hyperion that balances while it charges.

The trick is getting a a charger capable of 5s+ and high charge rates....

I'm thinking down the road I will want a 6s charger at least...

[Serum]

Just checked;

You can set the MM on 15V manual. (17.1 is it's maxx) (don't know if it survives 5S though..)

[MetalMan]

If you're looking to do a single order from True RC, get the Apache SM-505 balancer. It's inexpensive and works VERY well. In fact, it has replaced my Equinox (Hyperion LBA6 clone) that costs more.
Personally I much prefer charging through the main Deans connector, and then have the balancer connected to the battery (separate from the charger). This way, you don't have to worry about wasted energy in the thin balancing wires and with other chargers that charge at higher currents you don't have to worry about melting the balancing wires.

[Finnster]

Originally Posted by Serum

Just checked;

You can set the MM on 15V manual. (17.1 is it's maxx) (don't know if it survives 5S though..)

Is this thru the computer? The highest I saw reading the manual was 12V (for 4s lipo), but I haven't been able to plug the usb port in. The MMax killed off my dying usb ports and now I have none to play with.. :(

5s will be the test, but it been lving upto 16 cells, so I feel pretty confident in the experiment.


Thanks MMan, that was the blancer I was looking at, but wasn't sure if it was any good. Could you clarify your setup tho? I too would rather charge thru the deans, but am not sure how you would properly balance otherwise, but I'm a lipo n00b, so maybe I'm missing something.

[MetalMan]

The battery is plugged into the charger like normal, and the balancer is plugged into the balancing connector on the battery (it only fits one way). Charge the battery like you normally would, and the balancer will do its thing.

But if you plan on charging your 2s and 3s packs as a 5s on the same balancer, you're going to need an adapter harness to connect the two batteries together. I've drawn a picture of what it should look like in another thread, but I'll have to look for the picture.