Does the CBA still not use remote voltage sensing??

Every other high-current discharger uses remote voltage sensing leads to read the cell voltage independent of current-carrying wire...


Here's an alternate idea for medium/high-current testing, and a LOT cheaper!

see: http://www3.telus.net/super_iq/iq_booster.htm

Note the 99 amp limit, not 45A, as that applies to a 6-cell NiCd pack!



An oldie, but a goodie!

P.S. Resistance drift due to the resistor heating won't matter, as the discharge current is dynamically controlled by the charger every 1/100 of a second.

meteor,

The unit reads (+) at the cell tab, but reads (-) off the power lead.

- RD

Hi all,

The CBA does have provision for remote sensing on the positive lead and that should be used if want to know the voltage at a cell.

You understand that the CBA and the CBA amplfier do a constant current dischage, it is electronically and software regulated.

I figure if you are using that resistor to discharge a single Nickel cell it would pull 9 amps at .9 volts. The CBA amplifer will regulate a constant 160 amps all the way down to .9 volts!

You could save $25 bucks on the resistor and use the motor in your airplane, ha.

Del,
West Mountain Radio

Originally Posted by meteor

Does the CBA still not use remote voltage sensing??

Every other high-current discharger uses remote voltage sensing leads to read the cell voltage independent of current-carrying wire...


Here's an alternate idea for medium/high-current testing, and a LOT cheaper!

see: http://www3.telus.net/super_iq/iq_booster.htm

Note the 99 amp limit, not 45A, as that applies to a 6-cell NiCd pack!



An oldie, but a goodie!

P.S. Resistance drift due to the resistor heating won't matter, as the discharge current is dynamically controlled by the charger every 1/100 of a second.

Guys,

Just curious, what is your expcected sales quota per year on these 10x add-on unit? I am sure you are going to tell me it cost a lot to build one of those thing, but priced at $469 seems to suggest it's going to be a low sales volume item.

~ASM

Originally Posted by k1uhf

You understand that the CBA and the CBA amplfier do a constant current dischage, it is electronically and software regulated.

I figure if you are using that resistor to discharge a single Nickel cell it would pull 9 amps at .9 volts. The CBA amplifer will regulate a constant 160 amps all the way down to .9 volts!

You missed the point of the resistor.

The Victor IQ has six discharge FETs and can already do a 200W constant-current discharge.

The resistor is there as another dissipation point in a series circuit, you could parallel a few to dissipate more power at lower voltage levels.

The point being that there is no need to dissipate all the power through the FETs, as all you care about in testing is a constant-current drawn through the cell, not where the power is actually being dissipated!

The voltage difference shown in the curves of post #12 are apparently caused by the wiring runs connecting the amp beteen the CBA and the cell; see the photo in post #1.

So, curves generated by the amplifier-CBA combination cannot be overlaid with curves generated by the CBA alone, for cell comparisons.

Also, I'll take voltage readings at the cell tabs with my Fluke as the curve is generated, when it passes a graph voltage line near mid-curve, and publish that measured voltage along with the graph, so the curve's position can be mentally corrected.

- RD

As a practical matter, it might be useful to point out that the voltage drop caused by the test wiring runs are likely to be substantially less than those caused by the wiring in a typical model airplane.

- RD

Its been out for a while, how do you guys like it? Is it as easy to use as CBA? How does windows application know if its going through amplifier or not?

Beta software that was mentioned previously - does it show Watt hours at last?

Originally Posted by Hovertime

Its been out for a while, how do you guys like it? Is it as easy to use as CBA? How does windows application know if its going through amplifier or not?

Beta software that was mentioned previously - does it show Watt hours at last?

Hello all,

The special software written for the amplifier operates in exactly the same way as the CBA software. The diffference is there is an option which allows the user to set it for 10X operation (current times 10). If the user has the amplifier in line but turned off he may select no amp and the program runs as it did with just a CBA with the exception that the program asks when starting a test if an amplifier is connected and on.

BTW the amplifier graphs may be overlaid with CBA only graphs with the correct numbers.

Del Schier
West Mountain Radio

Works just like Del said.

For me, it's been a transparent extension of the CBA, easy to use and no more frustration trying to evaluate relatively large and/or high C-rated batteries.

- RD

Still need cycling capability, for battery life testing.

- RD

Originally Posted by RD Blakeslee

Still need cycling capability, for battery life testing.

- RD

FMA has a CBA working with their Cellpro charger to do automatic cycling. We are working with them to develop a system with their charger and our CBA to do a user selectable number of cycles but for now each full cycle requires a couple of mouse clicks to save the graph and start the next one.

Del

Del, The e-Station 902 that we distribue is capable of 5 Lipo cycles at this time. Please let us know if there is a possibility now or in the future to connect the 2 together.

The 10X been working really well for us so far, the only thing I no longer see in the update version of software is the ability to "zoom in" on the graph after the discharge.


Best Wishes,
Dan
TrueRC

Originally Posted by k1uhf

FMA has a CBA working with their Cellpro charger to do automatic cycling. We are working with them to develop a system with their charger and our CBA to do a user selectable number of cycles but for now each full cycle requires a couple of mouse clicks to save the graph and start the next one.

Del

Great news, Del!

Will the prospective automatic cycler allow incorporation of the 10X amplifier, for high amperage discharges?

- RD

Del, any news on this auto cycler from WMR or FMA?

Dan