Adding a balance port to a LiPoly pack

Jul 06, 2007 3 Replies
A

I recently purchased a Parkzone Typhoon 2 3D plane kit. The package came with a LiPoly charger for the included battery, but it charges through the balance port. There are 2 ports on the charger, a 4-pin for a 2-cell pack and a 6-pin for a 3-cell pack.



I also have a dead DVD player. Inside the battery for it, there is a



2-cell 2500 MAH LiPoly pack. This pack has the charge/protection circuit on the end, but only has 2 wires coming out of it to charge and discharge through.

Is there a way to add a 4-pin connector to this 2-cell pack and charge it with the Parkzone charger I just got? I would rather not burn my house down, but it would be nice to use about $50 worth of LiPoly cells in another project. I guess I could put out another $50 and buy a LiPoly charger that would charge through the main 2 leads, but that would be admitting defeat.



Thanks!



Alex.



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C

There (for best protection & utility) should be a two pin plug for discharge, and (two cell) a three wire balance connector--three cell four wires,etc.. Protection circuits really should be on a cell by cell basis. Assuming your balance charger/discharger is designed for cells without protection circuits, you would need to connect a wire from the balance connector to the battery side of the protector circuit.

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Another thing to consider: You don't know the discharge rating of the battery(unless the cells are actually labeled).

Most motors are going to pull between 8-15C. The DVD player was probably pulling about 1/3-1/2C. Monitor the temperature under discharge the first time you run it up. If it gets hot really fast, I wouldn't chance it it the air.

PCPhill

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