Charging 2 x 2 cell saddle lipo's

[dasbo]

Greetings,

I have raced 1/10th scale for a few years now and have a few saddle packs that I also wish to use with my new DEX408.

Is it okay to charge the saddle packs separately or do the two saddle packs (4 cells) have to be charged at the same time for balancing?

I dont have a cable for balancing 4 cells so I'm wondering if charging separately will have a negative effect. I dont want cause any damage to my precious lipos.

Thanks in advance folks.:)

[Neil Skull]

Best To Balance together if possible!

[HarlowS]

How do you balance 2 x packs at the same time with just one balance lead?? 4 cell in one pack yes as the balance lead goes to each cell but how do you balance 2 x separate packs ?

[Sheepdog]

had a quick nose on the wrongo website and see its side by side 2s, tbh if your doing what i think, (please clarify) but i guess you gonna stick a set of saddle packs in each battery tray, if this is the case you will need to charge the saddle pack (as a 7.4v 2s) separately so you can balance them as normal, just be aware of your wiring, you will need to wire them as a 7.4 pack but then link them to get 14.8v.
An excellent economical way of not having to buy more batteries, but just be wary of rushing whilst trackside changing batteries!! :)

[DaveTheRave]

Wouldn't it be easier / quicker to balance charge them together in pairs as 4s with one of these cables:

http://www.rctechnics.eu/splitter-adapter-kabel-2x2s-naar-p-4835.html?language=en

I guess you would need to charge them separately first time then once you've used them in series as 4s once then you should be ok to charge as above?

I'm not sure about all this, but that's what I was planning to do, please let me know if I'm about to set fire to my garage!

[DaveTheRave]

Morning

This is the charge lead I was planning to use to charge 2 x 2s batteries as 4s.

Its using a combination of the 2x2S to 4S JST XH adapter cable (http://www.rctechnics.eu/splitter-adapter-kabel-2x2s-naar-p-4835.html?language=en) and the cables which came with my 2 x 2s nanotech batteries (http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=17265).

Can anyone tell me if I've wired it up correctly before I give it a try?

Thanks!

http://www.immersive.eu/wp-content/dev/2x_2s_as_4s_charge_lead.jpg

[Chris Doughty]

LRP supply a pre-wired lead for this exact purpose

http://www.lrp.cc/en/products/charge/accessories/produkt/lrp-universal-ladekabel-2-x-2s-lipo-hardcase-inkl-balancing-adapter/details/

I plan on charging my batteries like this

[Cardnim]

Morning Dave,

i asked this same question in the Electrics section a few months back:
http://www.oople.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85048&highlight=charge+saddle+packs

and one user basically said I was stupid and dangerous to be around.... *sigh* amazing how fearful some people can be of things they dont understand!

It is completely possible, however, I believe (like I did) you have got your balance lead slightly wrong. As it is at the moment, I believe it will only balance each SET of saddles, and not all 4 together.
A true 4s balance lead needs linked to each individual cell (the ground wire just needs grounded once, not twice as you have it)

Heres a great website that explains it all fully:
http://www.commonsenserc.com/page.php?page=lipo_wiring.html

Hope it helps :)

[DaveTheRave]

I've bell'd my cable through and it is connected exactly the same as the wiring diagram shows it should be here:

http://www.commonsenserc.com/page.php?page=lipo_wiring.html

I think your right there is 1 extra / pointless cable - but is electrically shorted to the same point anyway as its duplicate - so it isn't a problem, its just a doubled up cable. It was easier to make it up that way form the leads I had.

Thanks for the feedback though guys, all very useful.

[dasbo]

Cheers for the replies guys.

Chris, that looks like the cable I need, so thanks for the link. I have one of the Nosram Stealth chargers, but weirdly, they don't have that cable listed on their website.

Thanks again.

[OneKiwi]

nope saw the lrp cable