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Do some chargers balance better than others?


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Do some chargers balance better / quicker than others at the end of a charge?? ...... I've seen a few comments recently inferring that they may be.

 

I've an old Ansmann that can seem to take ages to finish a charge sometimes as the battery's still balancing, I've even taken it off there occasionally to finish it on my iCharger which then does it fairly quickly ..... although I've no way of telling if that's because it was nearly done or if the iCharger is better.

 

I know I semi retired the Ansmann quite a few years back as I felt something wasn't "quite right" about it but I can't remember what it was, maybe it was this and if it is "iffy" would just junk it.

 

If one is better than another, is there any way I can tell from the specs and if so how as I'm about to buy a new one? 

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If the specs mention the "balance current" then the higher the balance current the quicker it should balance.

Many chargers use a balance current of about 0.3A, but the ones I use these days have a balance current of 1.3A and balance quite quickly. I always use a balance charge because it doesn't seem to take much longer than without balancing.

 

Dick

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15 minutes ago, Dickw said:

If the specs mention the "balance current" then the higher the balance current the quicker it should balance.

Many chargers use a balance current of about 0.3A, but the ones I use these days have a balance current of 1.3A and balance quite quickly. I always use a balance charge because it doesn't seem to take much longer than without balancing.

 

Dick

 

I've just had a look through specs on a few and the ones I immediatley came across are 0.8A to 1.6A .... I wonder how much difference it makes.

 

I've also checked my Ansmann which is 0.3A but the iCharger is only 0.5A so not a huge difference.

 

Must admit I'm keeping an eye on a few of my batteries as well as they're old and left at storage charge for a few years and will replace any if needs be. 

 

 

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The other point that may make a difference is how the charger software handles the balancing. Some may start balancing fairly early on in the charge process, while others may wait until closer to the end of charge. That may be mentioned in the spec. or the charger manual.

The display on some chargers show the individual cell voltages and may also show balancing activity in progress on individual cells.

 

Dick

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5 hours ago, Witterings said:

Do some chargers balance better / quicker than others at the end of a charge??

 

Yes, but, good luck extracting this info from the manuals... It is certainly possible to start balancing right from the get go, while the high current charge is happening. But cell chemistry dictates that you get better balance with lower currents toward the end. Whether the charger has the "finesse" to do all of this, with gradually reducing balance current, as the balance gradually improves, is another question 😄

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My humble 4 button IMAx certainly starts of a balance charge with the set charge rate. It gradually drops the charge rate and starts "balancing" (it appears to cycle around the cells) when at about 4V per cell. I too always balance charge.

 

As towards the end of a balance charge the charger is using the balance plug to  measure tiny voltage differences any slight contact resistance variation in the plug contacts can upset the end of the balance charge. Sometimes just a "jiggle" of the balance plug can result in a really slow balance charge suddenly being completed. 😄  

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I've been doing some more googling / reserach and and as you say @Nigel R  I think you can change the settings to stat balancing from earlier on but I guess I've got to have faith that iCharger and most other charger manufacturers would use the best setting as the default so probably won't mess with.

 

At least I know now, I'll keep an eye on the Ansmann for a bit longer as it may be an issue with the charger itself but of I get a new as I've never been unhappy with the iCharger which uses 0.5A anything with more than that has got to be OK. 

 

Cheers for everyone's help!

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10 hours ago, Simon Chaddock said:

As towards the end of a balance charge the charger is using the balance plug to  measure tiny voltage differences, any slight contact resistance variation in the plug contacts can upset the end of the balance charge. Sometimes just a "jiggle" of the balance plug can result in a really slow balance charge suddenly being completed. 😄  

 

Makes absolute sense.  When balance dis/charging to storage after use (rather than charging up to full) my set of three older 3s 900mAh lipos I use in an electric-launch thermal soarer, one or sometimes two always goes on for much longer than the others before the charger stops, sometimes it doesn't stop automatically at all - the charger displaying mere fractions of an end-voltage between cells which jump around and never quite settle.

 

Re not balance-charging, what possible reason is there for anyone to do this?

 

Edited by Jonathan M
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9 hours ago, Witterings said:

charger manufacturers would use the best setting as the default so probably won't mess with

 

At the end of the day, the charger will usually show the cell volts, you can always halt the charge early if you feel balancing is going on too long, especially if the cells are looking pretty close already.

 

 

2 hours ago, Jonathan M said:

Re not balance-charging, what possible reason is there for anyone to do this?

 

Field charging? Maybe you want a quick turnaround for another flight? You can certainly reduce the charge time by a lot, if you push the rate beyond 1C and don't bother with a balance. 

 

 

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