Originally Posted by KAW_Concours

I don't see why I should even set it to 4P. Might just as well leave it as 1P I guess.

When you set it to 4p, the mah display during the charge is divided by 4.

I would like to know what their logic is in setting it up this way. I have a preset for each lipo. So my 4S3250 I want to charge at 3C. The preset is set to 10 amp. Then I might be charging anywhere from 1 to 4 batteries. I tell it 4P and it brings the amps down to 2.5 amps. Then I have to bring it back to 10 amps per battery.

I do love the charger. I even bought a second one.

In the last 3 months I have tested about 15 PB batteries using the regen discharge.

Originally Posted by KAW_Concours

I would like to know what their logic is in setting it up this way. I have a preset for each lipo. So my 4S3250 I want to charge at 3C. The preset is set to 10 amp. Then I might be charging anywhere from 1 to 4 batteries. I tell it 4P and it brings the amps down to 2.5 amps. Then I have to bring it back to 10 amps per battery.

I do love the charger. I even bought a second one.

In the last 3 months I have tested about 15 PB batteries using the regen discharge.

Hi:

As I mentioned, my preference is to set charge current at the PL8 directly when charging parallel. It takes 10 seconds. When you set the current during the Start Charge questions, it saves it down to the preset automatically. Admittedly, it is not as easy to do using the CCS because you can not alter the preset on the Start Charge screen there.

Tim Marks

I agree it is easy. I did not even notice it was dividing the amps for 4 months. I don't use it much for Lipo's in the winter though.

I just think this could be better.

I don't know of anything that is 100% perfect.

I just got my PowerLab 8 and am in the process of setting up the presets. At first I was a little confused by the division of the charge rates.

If I have the charger set to charge one 5000 mAh battery at 5 amps then I get a 1C charge. However, if I am paralleling two 5000 mAh batteries do I need to up the charge rate to 10 amps to maintain a 5 amp charge per pack?

As a small workaround I made several sets of presets. One preset is setup for a one pack charge and another is set to a two pack charge, one 5 amps and the other 10 amps (Assuming I am charging the 5000 mAh packs at 1C).

Thanks for any info.

SunDevilPilot

Originally Posted by SunDevilPilot

However, if I am paralleling two 5000 mAh batteries do I need to up the charge rate to 10 amps to maintain a 5 amp charge per pack?

SunDevilPilot

Simple answer - Yes. The preset charge rate that you set is divided by the number of packs.

Originally Posted by BVH

Simple answer - Yes. The preset charge rate that you set is divided by the number of packs.

Thanks, Just needed to be sure.

SunDevilPilot

This still is not clear to me...I think an example in the manual would clear it up(one for now as well please)...

If I am using "generic faster lipo charge" with 2 batteries...do I change the preset to 2C if I have two batteries in parallel?


My packs are 6000mah...

Originally Posted by lipper2000

This still is not clear to me...I think an example in the manual would clear it up(one for now as well please)...

If I am using "generic faster lipo charge" with 2 batteries...do I change the preset to 2C if I have two batteries in parallel?


My packs are 6000mah...

Hi:

If you have 1 6000 mAh pack connected, and you want to charge it at 2C, either set the AUTO to 2C, or select a manual charge rate of 12A.

If you have 2 x 6000 mAh packs connected in parallel, and you want to charge at 2C, either set the AUTO to 2C, or select a manual charge rate of 24A. When you connect packs in parallel, you double the capacity.

Does this answer your question?

Tim Marks

Yes...that is what I have been doing and am glad it's right.

What is the point to using the "C"...does it calculate the current automatically?

Originally Posted by lipper2000

Yes...that is what I have been doing and am glad it's right.

What is the point to using the "C"...does it calculate the current automatically?

Hi:

For information about AUTO charge, please check page 61 of the user guide:

http://revolectrix.fmadirect.com/sup.../item_1369.pdf

Tim Marks

Originally Posted by Gregor99

When you set it to 4p, the mah display during the charge is divided by 4.

I'm used to setting the total charge rate for parallel charging having come from an icharger but the logic behind the number of packs setting seems strange.

If the pl8 divides the mah for display during charging (i.e. a per pack rate) then surely it should multiply the set charge rate as well otherwise it just leads to confusion?

Originally Posted by 2bob

I'm used to setting the total charge rate for parallel charging having come from an icharger but the logic behind the number of packs setting seems strange.

If the pl8 divides the mah for display during charging (i.e. a per pack rate) then surely it should multiply the set charge rate as well otherwise it just leads to confusion?

Hi,

Customers have already requested a change to how parallel charge rate calculation works. Currently, it divides the set rate by the number of packs in parallel. But customers want it to multiply the preset’s charge rate by the number of packs in parallel. So, we like this idea. We’re going to change it. We hope to release a substantial firmware/CCS revision in 2 weeks or so. I think you will like how the new firmware will operate with regard to parallel charging. Please be patient for a little bit longer.

Originally Posted by Howard Matos

Hi,

Customers have already requested a change to how parallel charge rate calculation works. Currently, it divides the set rate by the number of packs in parallel. But customers want it to multiply the preset’s charge rate by the number of packs in parallel. So, we like this idea. We’re going to change it. We hope to release a substantial firmware/CCS revision in 2 weeks or so. I think you will like how the new firmware will operate with regard to parallel charging. Please be patient for a little bit longer.

That's great news.

This is one of the main reasons why i've just bought a pl8 - there does seems to be a willingness to take suggestions from users on board and make changes where appropriate.

How about this one. I'll be using at least 6 parallel balance boards at once, how about making them interlock physically in order to bring some order to my charging station?

Originally Posted by 2bob

That's great news.

This is one of the main reasons why i've just bought a pl8 - there does seems to be a willingness to take suggestions from users on board and make changes where appropriate.

How about this one. I'll be using at least 6 parallel balance boards at once, how about making them interlock physically in order to bring some order to my charging station?

Hi,

That might be kind of tough from where we are now, but I have seen photos from customers who made up their own charging boards and mounted the Safe Parallel Adapters to it. Pretty slick too!