"Node only" LiPo charging. Advantages or dissadvantages?
 

I undetstand that you don't use the discharge wires or "big" wires for node charging of LiPo batteries and rely only on the balancing connection. What are the advantages or dissadvantages of this approach? Can you pump 5amps through those small wires? Is it the better or worse for accurate balancing?

Few chargers these days support it, most need the main wires connected.

Depending on whom you listen to it‘s limited to 1 to 4 amps.

I’d say it’s less accurate, because with larger currents comes more voltage drop between battery and charger. The balancer wires can provide more accurate cell readings if the large charge currents are kept on the main wires.

Towards the end of a charge the current drops though. For the sake of this argument, let's say that at 2amps node balancing is OK. It appears to be easier to hook up (although connecting the main wires is not a large burden). Does someone out there have current experience with node charging and what charger do you use? Has anyone tried node charging as an experiment and they like/dislike it. For some reason, I have it in my mind that the small wires might provide more accurate balancing.

2 amps is the limit I seen recommended, but the charger I have that charges only thru the balance wires goes to 2.5amps.

It will vary depending on what capacity you're charging, but large capacity like 5000mah will obviously be slow to charge compared to a full 1C rate. The cells will be balanced, but I doubt any better than with most balancing chargers where the typical balance tolerance is < 10mv. I've seen no hard evidence offered that charging as low rates extends or enhances lipo life so the extra time is not really justified.

I use my charger to deal with prob cells only. I use one of my other balancing chargers otherwise. I've never checked the voltage other than to be sure the charger has finished, mine doesn't have a display, just changes light colors representing individual cells as they finish. Its the Hexatronic charger sold at HobbyCity by HobbyKing. If you use HK lipos, its a handy charger to have, sooner or later you'll have a weak or low voltage cell(s) and this charger will extend that kind of lipos useful life.

FMA Direct makes several chargers that only use the balance wires. They have models that charge up to 10 amps, the 10S. Their Multi 4 charges up to 4 amps and can charge multiple battery chemistries. Check them out online, they are big in the airplane world.

The CellPro 10s won't charge at 10amps through the balance wires. The online manual says 3 max. After that, you must also use the main wires.