Charging li-pos w/out using a balancer...can it be done?

[bl-is-future]

you can balance without a balancer. It is much more complicated than just using a balancer. here is what you could do. pull the wires out of the balancing tap careful that they don't touch. using them same leads charge the cell to 4v or so. repeat for each cell until each cell is the same exact voltage. You have just charged the cells and they are matched aka balanced.

Originally Posted by E-fanatic

I only ballanced mine about every 10 runs (before I charged). I thought it was ok b/c thats what I was told to do. I now have a cellpro 10s charger that ballances through out the charge and wow what a difference. This is the only way I will charge my expensive lipos. It a peace of mind

this is the only way i will charge mine also i love the cellpro 10s charger

[jhautz]

Originally Posted by E-fanatic

I only ballanced mine about every 10 runs (before I charged). I thought it was ok b/c thats what I was told to do. I now have a cellpro 10s charger that ballances through out the charge and wow what a difference. This is the only way I will charge my expensive lipos. It a peace of mind

+1 Been using that same charger since it came out. It costs less than an expensive Lipo and perfectly balances the pack every charge without even having to think about it. It runs an active balancing cycle rather than just your conventional extremely low bleed of the highest voltage cells. It actually varies the current to each of the cells by as much as 1amp to keep them all charging at the same rate and balanced perfectly. I'd recomend it to anyone as a very worth while investment. Its not that much more than other balancing chargers, but its by far the best balalncing charger currently available. IMO spend a few extra bucks on the one thing that actually matters when trying to maintain your expensive batteries.


But that said.... To answer the original question. Yes you can charge a lipo without balancing. Just dont expect it to last very long if you dont.

[VintageMA]

Originally Posted by E-fanatic

I only ballanced mine about every 10 runs (before I charged). I thought it was ok b/c thats what I was told to do. I now have a cellpro 10s charger that ballances through out the charge and wow what a difference. This is the only way I will charge my expensive lipos. It a peace of mind

Another +1 - When I charged without a balancer and then balanced very 5 - 10 charges my cells would be sometimes up to 0.2v out of balance. Since I've been charging with a balancer at all times I find my cell are usually within 0.015v of each other.

[TexasSP]

Originally Posted by bl-is-future

you can balance without a balancer. It is much more complicated than just using a balancer. here is what you could do. pull the wires out of the balancing tap careful that they don't touch. using them same leads charge the cell to 4v or so. repeat for each cell until each cell is the same exact voltage. You have just charged the cells and they are matched aka balanced.

For the trouble you would go through to do that, it's much easier to just buy a balancer/balance charger and do it the right way.

I do not understand why anyone would invest the money in lipo then not take the proper steps to care for and charge them.

[lincpimp]

Originally Posted by TexasSP

For the trouble you would go through to do that, it's much easier to just buy a balancer/balance charger and do it the right way.

I do not understand why anyone would invest the money in lipo then not take the proper steps to care for and charge them.

They are the same people who buy $200 worth of nimhs and a mega1 timed charger... Lipo is cheaper IMO to nimhs. Less weight, better performance, and longer pack life. If you buy matched nimhs and a decent charger it is the same cost as lipos and a charger. A balancer will add a bit of cost, but a lipo should give about 100 cycles min, and a really good nimh pack may do half that before it has a serious capacity reduction...

So factor a $80 6 cell matched 4200-4600mah nimh, a $130 ICE, $60 power supply, and then a second $80 nimh wen the first has worn out... $350

Or a $120 trakpower 4900 2s lipo, $130 ICE charger, $60 power supply, and a $40 balancer... $350

No contest...

[bl-is-future]

oh i know guys i was merely stating it CAN be done without a balancer. Are you kidding i am lazy. I don't have separate balancer. I have the Hyperion where i just plug it in and go. Balanced every charge. I totally agree lipo in the end is much cheaper than ni-mh even with a separate balancer.

[BrianG]

So, the short answer to this thread is:

Can it be done? Yes.

Should it be done? No. Not unless you want to risk overcharging high cells.

[TexasSP]

Originally Posted by lincpimp

They are the same people who buy $200 worth of nimhs and a mega1 timed charger... Lipo is cheaper IMO to nimhs. Less weight, better performance, and longer pack life. If you buy matched nimhs and a decent charger it is the same cost as lipos and a charger. A balancer will add a bit of cost, but a lipo should give about 100 cycles min, and a really good nimh pack may do half that before it has a serious capacity reduction...

So factor a $80 6 cell matched 4200-4600mah nimh, a $130 ICE, $60 power supply, and then a second $80 nimh wen the first has worn out... $350

Or a $120 trakpower 4900 2s lipo, $130 ICE charger, $60 power supply, and a $40 balancer... $350

No contest...

Preaching to the choir Brother pimp......

I would rather have a cheap set of lipo packs than a high end set of nimh any day.

Originally Posted by BrianG

So, the short answer to this thread is:

Can it be done? Yes.

Should it be done? No. Not unless you want to risk overcharging high cells.

You just made the rest of this thread pointless with that post.