Capt Kremen Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Anyone using the 'Battlife Guard' units advertised by PowerBox Systems (P39 latest RCM&E)? I'm a bit puzzled why you would want these. Assuming you have a quality LiPo charger with discharge & storage facility settings, what do these units do that a decent charger unit cannot???? They require an addition 'adaptor' too, so they are not cheap, assuming you have a few LiPo packs to put into 'store/discharge'. They are for 2S & 3S only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bennett Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 As you surmise, they don't seem to do anything a decent charger can't do. Their spec bullet-points says 'virtually zero idle current', then later they say 'The Battlife Guard can be left plugged into the battery even when the discharge process is complete; as soon as the battery has reached its storage voltage, the Battlife Guard switches itself off and consumes no further current.' So which is it? 'Virtually zero' current, or 'no' current? I suspect the former, for all devices relying on electronic on/off switches must consume some current when 'off'. That being the case, a LiPo could be destroyed by completely discharging if left connected to the device for a long period. Edited By Allan Bennett on 14/05/2019 19:47:16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 We are all suckers. We have all befallen the lies of suppliers, and marketing departments. We do, in time get, more cynical, (some of us). This is, something for the aspirant, with a few quid to spare. I note they don't bother with a 6s version, because there will be no market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engine Doctor Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 This sounds very similar to the so called "Intelligent chargers" used for car /motorcycle batteries when vehicle is in storage or laid up. Fine for a lead acid type battery but don't fancy leaving a lipo plugged into a charger if I'm not there keep an eye on charging and battery is in a safe place for charging ! The tech blurb will probably say it's super safe etc etc but we all know these units are built to a price and failures happen . Fail on a pb would mean a ruined battery but fail on a lipo means in all likelyhood a fire . Is it tech for tech sake? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 I have two concerns with these purely based on the advertising blurb. As Allan said, no solid state switch has zero current draw so they will drain the pack if left connected for days or weeks. The second point is that they connect to the main battery plug, not the balance lead, so they will discharge an out of balance pack will end up more out of balance. I guess they are a quick fix for those who feel strongly about keeping packs at storage level. Note packs, not cells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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