30 amps. charge rate for 8 Ah
Oh and by the way it was also balancing the full 8.8Ah capacity.

OK I am running firmware which is not currently available but the charger is the same as the ones you have.. I have stated many times this charger is not being ran right on the ragged edge such as most of them are.

This close enough to 30amps. or should I kick it up a tad?

Charles

I was able to force a Error 85 and sent a dump to the man. I also noticed that just prior to the 85 Low Voltage Restore flashed by also notice Safety Charge during another attempt. Dumps sent .

this is the message on the PL8 when I charge a 6s 9000 at anything over 22.5 amps. At 30 amps it appears within a couple of minutes. At 25a it appears closer to the end of the charge.

Both my PL8's show same message. Hope patch is soon, as it's been a longer wait than expected.

Looks like a new version of the firmware has been released.

***VERSION 2.04 8-23-10*** Reduced Amps overshoot to prevent false trips.

How about a link Pete. Couldn't find it on the FMA or Revo site.

You really do not need a link. Start CCS and it will check for updates automatically.

If you have not downloaded and installed CCS as yet.

http://new.fmadirect.com/new_applica..._software.html

Thanks Everyday

Can anyone comment on how this charger compares to the Bantam BC8DX?

I typically charge 3s2200, 6s2600 and 6s5000 packs in pairs and am on the look-out for improved charging technologies.

I've also been considering buying a CBAIII to test the capacities of my packs.

I saw some people wiring up multiple packs into this charger and apparently reducing charge times and wondered if I might be able to expedite my charge times and obtain more data in comparison to my existing setup.

For power supplies, I have 3 MeanWell 600 watt 15vdc (se-600-15) units.

I charge mostly lipo, li-ion and lifepo4 batteries.

Bantam BC8DX specs:
DC Power 10V to 18V Input
9 Amp Max Charge Rate per Channel Up to 8S Lithium (Li-Po, Li-Ion, Li-Fe (A123)
200 Watts Charge Power per Channel
5 Amp Max Discharge Rate per Channel Up to 22 cells Nicad / Nimh
25 Watts Discharge Power per Channel
Balancer Bleed rate: 200 mah per cell Up to 28V Pb (SLA/Lead Acid)
Battery capacity up to 65,000 Mah
Nicad / Nimh Cycle count: up to 10 Cycles Nicad / Nimh
Trickle Charge up to 300 mah
5 Battery Memories per Program
Delta Peak Sensativity 5mV to 20mV
Nicad / Nimh Formation charging - Timed

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Originally Posted by darkfa8

Can anyone comment on how this charger compares to the Bantam BC8DX?

For power supplies, I have 3 MeanWell 600 watt 15vdc (se-600-15) units.

I charge mostly lipo, li-ion and lifepo4 batteries.

I don't have the Bantam charger so I can't give you too much insight, but I'll try to explain the major differences that I can see.

If you don't upgrade your power supply the PL8 output will be limited to about 540W so you're going from 2x200W to 1x540W which is great for LiFe but not so great for charging large numbers of smaller LiPo, unless you can charge them in parallel (there are entire threads on that topic so I'll say no more).

The PL8 has more than 3 times the output current so if you're charging a lower voltage LiFe pack, such as 2-3 cells, then the PL8 could easily deliver the full 30A charge on your current power supply.

The PL8 can also duplicate some of the features of the CBAIII to the point where you may find you don't need both.

I typically charge 3s2200,

Me too and even 4 at a time in parallel which results in 4 fully charged in approx. 12 min.after aa normal flight.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...postcount=1516

that is only approx. 360 watts but still fun.

Tim: Your current banana plug cables utilize a single 35 amp fuse. If I were to build a "Y" cable (i.e., two wires from a single banana plug), what size fuse would I use in each leg? Can I use something smaller than 35 amps. Up to 30 amps is very common at any auto parts store; however, 35 amp fuses are difficult to find locally. Regardless of the value, would it be a fast, medium or slow blow type fuse? Thanks.

Mike M

Deleted

Originally Posted by Michael Moritko

Tim: Your current banana plug cables utilize a single 35 amp fuse. If I were to build a "Y" cable (i.e., two wires from a single banana plug), what size fuse would I use in each leg? Can I use something smaller than 35 amps. Up to 30 amps is very common at any auto parts store; however, 35 amp fuses are difficult to find locally. Regardless of the value, would it be a fast, medium or slow blow type fuse? Thanks.

Mike M

Hi:

The value of the fuse you would require will depend on the maximum charge rate you anticipate using. The max output current of the PL8 is 30A. That's why we use a 35A fuse. We use the AGC Auto fuses because they are easy to solder and so we can install them without any holder. To my knowledge, these are all fast blow fuses.

Tim Marks

I am trying to charge two 6s 5000 packs at 10amps each, so 20 amps total. I am using the PL8 with FMA banana plugs and smart parallel balance cards. My power supply is an Iota DLS 55 12v. The max the chargerer is putting out is 8amp/battery or 16 amps. On my Supply tab my voltage in is 14.38v @ 33.8 amps. My Power Status says Reduced (Supply Noise). I imagine that is what is preventing me from charging at the full amperage.

What would cause Supply Noise? I have connected the PS to the charger by removing the clamps and compressing the connect tabs in the charger terminals. My PS is not hot and I really don't suspect that unit. Could it be my input voltage into the PS?

maybe because

14.38V * 33.8A = 487 W

500W limit for 12 Volt ?

Bart,