Pictures are worth a thousand words. Again, the only difference in these graphs is which adapter was used to do the balance connections. The main leads were always connected to the MPA. All charges were a single battery at a time. I changed balance ports on the MPA with each battery to show that it is not a single port on the MPA. In order:

1) JST-XH adapter charging at 1C on a brand new battery I just received today
2) Same battery using MPA adapter charging at 1C
3) JST-XH adapter charging at 2C on a battery with about 5 cycles
4) Same battery using MPA adatper charging at 2C

EDIT: These are two different brands of batteries.

Well, charging the same single 6s 5000 mAh battery under the same ambient temperature yielded interesting results.

Using my MPA, IR on Cell 1 was 3.8 with IR on Cells 2 through 6 ranging from 1.8 to to 2.3.

Using my Progressive RC parallel charging board with the same single 6s 5000 mAh battery, IR on Cell 1 was 2.2 with IR on Cells 2 through 6 ranging from 2.0 to 1.9.

All other equipment being the same it "appears" that there is either a problem with the MPA or the balance adapter cable from the MPA to the PL8.

Of course the problem could also be firmware or internal to the PL8. Again these are initial IR comparisons charging a 6s 5000 mAh battery using the MPA that came with Combo 6 and a new ProgressiveRC parallel charging board.

Originally Posted by Trill

OK, I'll check the IR using my ProgressiveRC parallel adapter board. I'll charge one battery at a time.

You are right. We need to get to the bottom of this and correct the error(s), if any.

I've got the junsi 8s parallel board which the MPA balance cable can plug in to so ill check it out when I get home.

I've also got the icharger 208b -
This way I can definitively isolate the problem to PL8, the cable, or the MPA.

I might post a video of my testing too for Tim so it clarifies what the issue is.

I tested another battery and got results similar to the first test. The IR on Cell 1 (IR 3.8) with the MPA is much higher than the IR on Cell 1 (IR 2.3) using the ProgressiveRC parallel charging board.

On the chance that the adapter cable for the MPA was the cause for the higher IR with the MPA than the lower IR with the ProgressiveRC parallel charging board, I switched the adapter cable from the ProgressiveRC parallel charging board to the MPA. The results were similar. Cell 1 continued to have a high IR on the MPA.

Prima facie evidence suggests that the MPA is behind the higher Cell 1 IR readings. Of course my tests are not conclusive.

Well, it's late here and it's time to start resting and stop testing!

I'm eager to read and see the results of your tests.

Wow! I'm involved in all this just because I wanted the best and most powerful charger on the market!

Originally Posted by rchelijc

I've got the junsi 8s parallel board which the MPA balance cable can plug in to so ill check it out when I get home.

I've also got the icharger 208b -
This way I can definitively isolate the problem to PL8, the cable, or the MPA.

I might post a video of my testing too for Tim so it clarifies what the issue is.

Originally Posted by Trill

I tested another battery and got results similar to the first test. The IR on Cell 1 (IR 3.8) with the MPA is much higher than the IR on Cell 1 (IR 2.3) using the ProgressiveRC parallel charging board.

On the chance that the adapter cable for the MPA was the cause for the higher IR with the MPA than the lower IR with the ProgressiveRC parallel charging board, I switched the adapter cable from the ProgressiveRC parallel charging board to the MPA. The results were similar. Cell 1 continued to have a high IR on the MPA.

Prima facia evidence suggests that the MPA is behind the higher Cell 1 IR readings. Of course my tests are not conclusive.

Well, it's late here and it's time to start resting and stop testing!

I'm eager to read and see the results of your tests.

Wow! I'm involved in all this just because I wanted the best and most powerful charger on the market!

Facia, facie, it's still the best and most powerful!

Originally Posted by ReddiK

it's still the best and most powerful!

Agreed!

Jeez, I wish I could still decline Latin!

Originally Posted by ReddiK

Facia, facie, it's still the best and most powerful!

Yes, agreed!

Same, agreed. And way faster at balancing than my icharger

Originally Posted by ReddiK

Jeez, I wish I could still decline Latin!

Start majoring on the majors (solving the PL8 IR problem) and stop majoring on the minors (a dead language).

Originally Posted by ToBeFrank

Pictures are worth a thousand words. Again, the only difference in these graphs is which adapter was used to do the balance connections. The main leads were always connected to the MPA. All charges were a single battery at a time. I changed balance ports on the MPA with each battery to show that it is not a single port on the MPA. In order:

1) JST-XH adapter charging at 1C on a brand new battery I just received today
2) Same battery using MPA adapter charging at 1C
3) JST-XH adapter charging at 2C on a battery with about 5 cycles
4) Same battery using MPA adatper charging at 2C

EDIT: These are two different brands of batteries.

Hi:

I need you to post the best photos you can of the adapter you list as JST-XH in your bullet one, as well as the interconnect cable that goes between the adapter and the PL.

Tim Marks

Originally Posted by Tim Marks

Hi:

I need you to post the best photos you can of the adapter you list as JST-XH in your bullet one, as well as the interconnect cable that goes between the adapter and the PL.

Tim Marks

Sure thing, Tim. I'll post up some pics when I get home this evening. Thanks for continuing to investigate.

Dear Tim Marks

Unfortunately all your answer and highlights are not applicable to our case.
My MPA come with a MFA connector with 8 white wire and 1 black wire in perfect condition.
The other end is 11pin connector with 1 black wire and 8 white wire with 2 pin not used

The problem is "real" , "exist" and "repeatable" !

My MPA board is brand new with good soldering job done.
MY PL-8 is working well with old HX adapter.
Problem only happens while changing to use MPA board.
Problem cured immediately after change back to old HX board.


================================================== ==============
For people that try to redirect the topic, Please note that this is an topic of MPA board "IR reading incorrect issue ", not favoring or un-favoring FMA issue.

PL-8 is the best charger I have ever use, and if I need another one I will still buy one more PL-8 or PL-6.

But, I do hope that MPA board and it's related firmware will be fix or clarified soon.

================================================== ============

I have run a full test of all my 6 good battery packs with both MPA and old XH adapter again,with checking the adapter selection on PC correctly.

My graph chart is mimic to what Mr. "TO BE FRANK" posted.
i.e.With MPA board, IR of Cell 1 is consistently much higher then the rest cell.
It's in the ball park of 50% to 120% higher. i.e. cell-1 is 4.2~3.8 m-ohm while others are 2.0~2.5m-ohm

With old XH board the IR is around 2.5m-ohm for almost every cell and randomly.
Cell 1 can be higher or lower then any other. no more consistently high

I can not post the chart because I don't know how to get the chart from my PC and posted it here.

Can any body teach me how to post picture on this web.

================================================== ==============

The battery charged with MPA adapter seem last shorter on the air if charged under cold weather (below 10 degree centigrade by default or setting on PC screen.)
I know there is low temperature protection mechanism to drop 0.1V (100mV) cell voltage on cold weather, which makes set voltage drop from 4.2 to 4.1V

But there seems an complex between "MPA" ,"wrongly reported IR on cell 1", "cold weather protection" and "not fully charged Cell 1"

================================================== ========================

I sincerely hope MFA engineer and high rank officer to look into this issue seriously.
If you fell this claim is ridiculous and ignorable.

Please note that 4 people from different place are reporting same problem.

I am used to be top management of 10,000 employee electronices OEM manufacturer.
I was an electronics engineer for 20years till become management.
I and others spend energy typing and post chart.
English is not my mother tone. I have to type character by character with my broken gramma.
It's my early morning in Taipei Taiwan 04:15 AM

We are not joking !!!

================================================== ================

Please ask your engineers to read the famous story that one of the model of Chrysler car broken every time while customer drive to buy vanilla ice cream and never broken if buy chocolate ice cream.


================================================== ================

PL-8 is my dream machine for recreation, It make my life much easier.
With it there is no more up and down till mid-night to replacing charging battery.
no more 4 hours charging time with old gear (40minutes X6 pack=240minutes =4hours )

In fact PL-6 is more close to my need, because I don't charge more then 6 cell.
I may need 12 cell for big plane , but I will then use two 6S pack in series to get 12S.
I never charged with balance wire on 1~3 Amp
I am enjoying full 40A for 6 pack to be paralleled charged in 12 minutes and go.
with 6S 25V charging on 40A ,the max power is 1000W , hence 1344W of PL-8 can never be needed by me.
Hence PL-6 will be my next one .

Thanks for marketing PL-6 on a more compatible price.

Hi, Ralph-reasonable people can disagree or get differing results, and laud the product, all without "redirection," intentional or negligence-based.

One of FMA's "great traits," observed over years, is to TAKE REPORTS like this SERIOUSLY, and never try to "redirect" a consumer's complaints, report or issues until its engineers can corroborate or reject the "issue."

I don't seem to have the problem with two PL-8's, master and slave, each fitted with an MPA.

Then, again, I may not be as careful an observer!

Do you have the MPA(s) that shipped to customers in January 2012 or do you have the MPA(s) from the boatload delayed by an extended US Customs inspection that shipped in Feb 2012?

My MPA and PL8 was from the shipment delayed by the extended US Customs inspection. I received both on 10 Feb 2012.

I don't seem to have the problem with two PL-8's, master and slave, each fitted with an MPA.

Then, again, I may not be as careful an observer!