losifan21

Sorry up front for the length, just really confused

I had posted a thread a few days ago about my lipos charging way over capacity and thanks for the feedback you guys said this is nothing to be worry about. I ran both batteries today till the LVC kicked on on traxxas vxl3s (red light and 50% drop in performance) I stopped right then and let the batteries sit for a few hours. I went to charge them both, I have 2 hobbyking eco6 chargers and am using 2 laptop power supplies (1 that puts out 16V @ 4.5 and one that puts out 16-24V and max 65W, it is a targus universal adapter). I used to have the cutoff capacity on the chargers set to 5000mah so when the charger reached that it would cut off, i turned that off and started the charge at 5amps. Both chargers screen showed they were putting out between 5.0 and 5.2 amps for quite a while and then dropped to 0.3 -0.4. The first charger kicked off at 120 minutes (safety timer was set on this one) and showed it has put 5738mah back into the battery and the voltage was at 8.40 and both cells (measured from the balance plug) were at 4.20 each. I started the charge balance charge cyle again since it was the timer that cut it off and it ran for another 17 minutes and showed it put 8mah back into the battery. When I checked the voltage this time the charger showed 8.40 with each cell @ 4.20 but my meter showed 8.42 with one cell @ 4.19 and one @ 4.22. Did i mess up my battery? The 2nd cahrger (did not have safety timer turned on) is still running. It is up too 161 minutes, shows it has put 5671mah into the battery with 8.4 and both cells @ 4.20 but it is still running. I know these are not the best chargers but should charging take this long?

AnGeRz

First you said that you have a VXL ESC. The Lipo cut off on that should have the green light on. Red is for NiMH. Your batteries are fine your meter is probably more accurate than your charger.

You are charging your Lipo's at 1C it is going to take a while on 5 amps. You get plenty of run time so it makes up for the charge time.

losifan21

It starts out with the green light on, but when the LVC kicks on it turns the light to a flashing red.

losifan21

2nd charger just finished - 171minutes, says it put 5680mah back into battery. The charger shows final voltage as 8.40 (4.20 and 4.20) but meter reads 8.44 (4.22 and 4.22) I just want to make sure I am not damaging my batteries here or being unsafe

AnGeRz

It's been a while since I drove my Slash VXL. I'm stuck on my SC10.

Razathorn

iTrader: (2)

The actual maximum voltage for a lipoly cell is 4.23 - 4.25. You're fine. Even if it was 4.2 exactly, I wouldn't sweat it.

AnGeRz

If you over charge the cells they can damage your batteries and un safe. That's not to bad of what your meter is saying in relation to your charger. If you keep it with 1-2mv you should be ok.

losifan21

Actually running it in Losi XXXt

OK thanks. I will probably check with another meter and if both meter read the same I will try to recalibrate the charger. They have the how-to posted at the HK website.

Thank you. I was thinking it would not be dead on since each measuring device differs a little bit but was not 100% sure.

Minga

iTrader: (1)

I have a question. I have noticed that you charge the battery twice. one is a reg charge then second a balance charge. I was curious why don't you balance charge the battery right off the bat?

losifan21

Thanks, I always run it as a balance charge. So i am really running the blance charge cycle twice. I am of the camp that balance charging every charge it the best. The reason I reran the balance charge cycle the first time was because charger cut off at 5000mah but the battery was not charged all the way. Second time charger kicked off because the 120minute safety timer was done but again it was not fully charged.

bigben1165

iTrader: (9)

i also balance my packs every single charge, always have. also, you made the right choice switching to lipos, just a new technology thats not very forgiving!!

Duster_360

iTrader: (21)

If you're just charging lipo, set the capacity setting on your charger off, thats really for NiMh or NiCds. The CC/CV charge routine for lipo will terminate on voltage as long as its not ternminated by something else before the CV phase finishes.

This is the 2nd under rated lipo I've run into this week. The cells are higher capacity that the label says they are. Factory must have run short of the right size and grabbed the next biggest capacity. Sounds like they may be 6000mah cells.

I know the Accucel-6 chargers have a calibration menu (hold both + and - down when turning on) but I don't know if the EC06 does or not.