Trying to understand charging
#1
Hello guys,
I have an ICE charger and a 17amp power supply, does it take 2 hours for a 4000 pack to charge @ 4 amps?
Also the charger starts at 4 amps then it starts going down as the pack charges like one amp- every hour, when the battery is almost done it is charging at .18 amps. Is this the way it is?
I was thinking my power supply was bad , got a new one still same. Maybe charger is bad?
thank you for looking
I have an ICE charger and a 17amp power supply, does it take 2 hours for a 4000 pack to charge @ 4 amps?
Also the charger starts at 4 amps then it starts going down as the pack charges like one amp- every hour, when the battery is almost done it is charging at .18 amps. Is this the way it is?
I was thinking my power supply was bad , got a new one still same. Maybe charger is bad?
thank you for looking
#2
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 4,337
From: Northern & Central Illinois
Have you even read the instructions?
A 1C charge is where the charging amperage matches that of the battery. ie, a 4000mah battery = 4 amps therefore theoretically it should take one hour to charge. However the charger is programed to start reducing the current once the battery voltage reaches 4.2v/cell. That is typical of a constant current constant voltage charger.
Usually once the 4.2 volt threshold is detected the battery is 90% charged. The last 10% could take as long as the first as the charger balances each cell if you are balance charging.
Now add to that the fact that you will not be discharging a lipo below 3.0 volts/cell means that the battery has charge left in it so in your example it could hace 1 to 1.5 amps left so you are only putting in less than the total capacity of the pack.
See how easy that is and it;s all in the manual too for your future reference.
A 1C charge is where the charging amperage matches that of the battery. ie, a 4000mah battery = 4 amps therefore theoretically it should take one hour to charge. However the charger is programed to start reducing the current once the battery voltage reaches 4.2v/cell. That is typical of a constant current constant voltage charger.
Usually once the 4.2 volt threshold is detected the battery is 90% charged. The last 10% could take as long as the first as the charger balances each cell if you are balance charging.
Now add to that the fact that you will not be discharging a lipo below 3.0 volts/cell means that the battery has charge left in it so in your example it could hace 1 to 1.5 amps left so you are only putting in less than the total capacity of the pack.
See how easy that is and it;s all in the manual too for your future reference.
#3
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 5,174
From: a very small town in wisconsin that is in the middle of absolutely no where
Hello guys,
I have an ICE charger and a 17amp power supply, does it take 2 hours for a 4000 pack to charge @ 4 amps?
Also the charger starts at 4 amps then it starts going down as the pack charges like one amp- every hour, when the battery is almost done it is charging at .18 amps. Is this the way it is?
I was thinking my power supply was bad , got a new one still same. Maybe charger is bad?
thank you for looking
I have an ICE charger and a 17amp power supply, does it take 2 hours for a 4000 pack to charge @ 4 amps?
Also the charger starts at 4 amps then it starts going down as the pack charges like one amp- every hour, when the battery is almost done it is charging at .18 amps. Is this the way it is?
I was thinking my power supply was bad , got a new one still same. Maybe charger is bad?
thank you for looking
Have you even read the instructions?
A 1C charge is where the charging amperage matches that of the battery. ie, a 4000mah battery = 4 amps therefore theoretically it should take one hour to charge. However the charger is programed to start reducing the current once the battery voltage reaches 4.2v/cell. That is typical of a constant current constant voltage charger.
Usually once the 4.2 volt threshold is detected the battery is 90% charged. The last 10% could take as long as the first as the charger balances each cell if you are balance charging.
Now add to that the fact that you will not be discharging a lipo below 3.0 volts/cell means that the battery has charge left in it so in your example it could hace 1 to 1.5 amps left so you are only putting in less than the total capacity of the pack.
See how easy that is and it;s all in the manual too for your future reference.
A 1C charge is where the charging amperage matches that of the battery. ie, a 4000mah battery = 4 amps therefore theoretically it should take one hour to charge. However the charger is programed to start reducing the current once the battery voltage reaches 4.2v/cell. That is typical of a constant current constant voltage charger.
Usually once the 4.2 volt threshold is detected the battery is 90% charged. The last 10% could take as long as the first as the charger balances each cell if you are balance charging.
Now add to that the fact that you will not be discharging a lipo below 3.0 volts/cell means that the battery has charge left in it so in your example it could hace 1 to 1.5 amps left so you are only putting in less than the total capacity of the pack.
See how easy that is and it;s all in the manual too for your future reference.
as for his comments he is just trying to let you know that the manual does cover the things you are asking.. jeremy
#4
personally I.M.O. this charger isnt going to do it in under and hour and my reasoning is odd. This charger does not anywhere that i looked on the site or in the manual declare the watt capability of this charger. what are they hiding or afraid of buyers finding out?? Watts=VoltsxAmp
for your application to get to one hour will need 4 amp x ~8 volts= 32 watts given no resistance or fluctuations.
i use chargers that fit multiple applications i.e. 8s 5000 for a plane, 6s3000 for heli and then cars. to me watts are important on a charger
the charger isnt bad, it just wont cut the mustard regardless of the power supply you get
for your application to get to one hour will need 4 amp x ~8 volts= 32 watts given no resistance or fluctuations.
i use chargers that fit multiple applications i.e. 8s 5000 for a plane, 6s3000 for heli and then cars. to me watts are important on a charger
the charger isnt bad, it just wont cut the mustard regardless of the power supply you get
#5
Tech Champion

Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,341
Hello guys,
I have an ICE charger and a 17amp power supply, does it take 2 hours for a 4000 pack to charge @ 4 amps?
Also the charger starts at 4 amps then it starts going down as the pack charges like one amp- every hour, when the battery is almost done it is charging at .18 amps. Is this the way it is?
I was thinking my power supply was bad , got a new one still same. Maybe charger is bad?
thank you for looking
I have an ICE charger and a 17amp power supply, does it take 2 hours for a 4000 pack to charge @ 4 amps?
Also the charger starts at 4 amps then it starts going down as the pack charges like one amp- every hour, when the battery is almost done it is charging at .18 amps. Is this the way it is?
I was thinking my power supply was bad , got a new one still same. Maybe charger is bad?
thank you for looking
personally I.M.O. this charger isnt going to do it in under and hour and my reasoning is odd. This charger does not anywhere that i looked on the site or in the manual declare the watt capability of this charger. what are they hiding or afraid of buyers finding out?? Watts=VoltsxAmp
for your application to get to one hour will need 4 amp x ~8 volts= 32 watts given no resistance or fluctuations.
i use chargers that fit multiple applications i.e. 8s 5000 for a plane, 6s3000 for heli and then cars. to me watts are important on a charger
the charger isnt bad, it just wont cut the mustard regardless of the power supply you get
for your application to get to one hour will need 4 amp x ~8 volts= 32 watts given no resistance or fluctuations.
i use chargers that fit multiple applications i.e. 8s 5000 for a plane, 6s3000 for heli and then cars. to me watts are important on a charger
the charger isnt bad, it just wont cut the mustard regardless of the power supply you get
Cool charger in it's day, and it at least provided for some transition to lipos, but it's heyday has passed.



