Originally Posted by
rc_dude
The big question though is how wise would it be to wire the balance plugs between the two packs is parallel as well? To me, it seems like it would prevent one cell from dropping too low since it would start pulling more load off the other pack's cell that it's in parallel with. To me this would wire it identically to how a 4s2p battery would be correct?
That's correct. Wire the cells in parallel. If the cells are significantly different in capacity or internal resistance, you may need to increase the gauge of wire and connector current rating over that used for the balance connector.
You are probably aware of this, but make sure that the cells to be connected in parallel are within a few mV of each other when you make the connection, to avoid large currents.