How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

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How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby HotColors » 21 Oct 2016, 18:07

Just wondering how everyone is charging their BM3 Batteries. Now that the Hyperion 1420 is gone, what charger is everyone using? I have a bunch of hobby chargers, just don't think any of them will charge and balance a 13s battery. Just wondering what set up people are using.

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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Burgerman » 21 Oct 2016, 18:15

Theres nobody else with a higher voltage system, and the roboteq setup is very experimental and was almost perfect when we started rewriting the control script. Or Lenny did. Which got a bit complex. At that point about 7 months ago I cant test due to pressure sore and bed...
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Williamclark77 » 21 Oct 2016, 19:54

http://www.graupnerusa.com/Polaron-PRO-1CH500W-14S-2CH30W-NiMh-NiCd-3-Color-and-Touch-TFT-Black.html

What I use and your only option that I know of unless you want to wire it into split packs. Made by the same people that did the Hyperion 1420i. Even uses the same connectors if you cut the tabs off. My battery is 14s. Much better build quality than the 1420. No real PC connectivity but the big screen on the charger does pretty much everything the PC software did.
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby HotColors » 21 Oct 2016, 21:21

Burgerman wrote:Theres nobody else with a higher voltage system, and the roboteq setup is very experimental and was almost perfect when we started rewriting the control script. Or Lenny did. Which got a bit complex. At that point about 7 months ago I cant test due to pressure sore and bed...


I would be interested to see your setup for using 2 PL8 chargers. Do you just split the packs and charge as two seperate packs? Is the pack balanced as a whole? Or just charge both to 3.60v per cell? The reason I ask is because I'd like to see if my DPL8's can do the same thing.
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Burgerman » 21 Oct 2016, 22:09

I have one big connected BLOCK of 13S 72Ah battery. It has a 10sqmm centre tap at cell 7.

It leaves me with 2 connectors. One is 6S the other is 7S. Both look identical, both are special SubD connectors. They allow 40A charge and balance. Because the 2 cables are the same, and because the PL8 is set to auto cell count, I can connect either cable, to either charger, or use 1 charger to charge one half at a time. Because the chargers are floating (isolated) from each other, there's no danger connecting both together.

You can use ONE of these https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Mrha ... CN0279.JPG

My 8S cable. Use 2 for a 13S pack or charge half a pack at a time with 1 charger.
http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/BM3-con ... le-40A.jpg

I made up 2 cables 1 meter long using 2 connectors, instead. One for each half of the battery. Like these:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5534&start=80
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5534&start=60

download/file.php?id=3480
I charge at 40A 6S and 7S so can fully recharge a huge 45 miles of range in 1.6 hours... :D

See cable being made up above. Simple wheelchair connection. use ONE cable on an 8S chair, 2 cables on the 13S chair. And 2 chargers. Each charge cable is wired for 8S. So only the chairs are wired for 6S + 7S (43V) or 8S 24V So all charger to chair cables are the same.

PARTS viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1813&start=620
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Burgerman » 21 Oct 2016, 22:28

I normally charge at 15A
3.600V per cell nominal. Set balance to begin at 3.500 Volts.
If charging at high power (30 or more Amps), set balance to start at 3.400V.

CV to 4 hours, terminate at manual 300thC based on battery capacity.

Balance accuracy to 4mv. not tighter.

Every other setting to lowest, highest, etc. Theres a couple of things you cannot set. That I can that prevent it going int that damned safety charge etc and some wider limits. But not sure if this will work for the dual charger. PM me...
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby HotColors » 21 Oct 2016, 22:56

Burgerman wrote:I have one big connected BLOCK of 13S 72Ah battery. It has a 10sqmm centre tap at cell 7.

It leaves me with 2 connectors. One is 6S the other is 7S. Both look identical, both are special SubD connectors. They allow 40A charge and balance. Because the 2 cables are the same, and because the PL8 is set to auto cell count, I can connect either cable, to either charger, or use 1 charger to charge one half at a time. Because the chargers are floating (isolated) from each other, there's no danger connecting both together.

You can use ONE of these https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Mrha ... CN0279.JPG

My 8S cable. Use 2 for a 13S pack or charge half a pack at a time with 1 charger.
http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/BM3-con ... le-40A.jpg

I made up 2 cables 1 meter long using 2 connectors, instead. One for each half of the battery. Like these:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5534&start=80
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5534&start=60

download/file.php?id=3480
I charge at 40A 6S and 7S so can fully recharge a huge 45 miles of range in 1.6 hours... :D

See cable being made up above. Simple wheelchair connection. use ONE cable on an 8S chair, 2 cables on the 13S chair. And 2 chargers. Each charge cable is wired for 8S. So only the chairs are wired for 6S + 7S (43V) or 8S 24V So all charger to chair cables are the same.

PARTS viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1813&start=620


Wow, really nice cables. I think I will do the same. So you have 2 panel mount D-sub connectors on the chair? Nice, i really like it. Great job, most people do not do "professional" electrical work, buy I see that you do. Thanks for the superb info.

What is your opinion on the Graupner charger? I think it's under powered for fast charge times. Not sure about pc connectivity either. Their website says you can monitor the charge via PC. But it can balance the pack as a whole, which I like the idea, just not sure it makes much difference if you have PL charge quality.
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Burgerman » 22 Oct 2016, 02:03

I think its about 1/3rd as good as the PL8 is. Its charge algo, balance capability, and termination settings are all very limited. And the powerlabs will do it all way faster. With PC control, graphing etc. And they are excellent after I got a few things changed! ;)

After a lot of behind the scenes discussion I got the cell spread before safety charge cuts in, the stupid 3.3v balance start extended to 3.4 or 3.5 where it doesn't UNBALANCE a part charged life pack added, cell over/under voltage errors extended, life charge algo with up to 8S without balance added, many fixes to lead etc. And a member here also found a way to get a little more control. And I have some presets that allow a bunch of otherwise impossible stuff here too... But that wont work on the dual version. EG I can do constant current delta peak, at 40A instead of 10, for nickel chemistry. Likewise there are lots of hidden error limits in the presets. That I didn't like... I know a thing or two about batteries. And chargers. Having previously helped with the hyperions on lithium and lead and had about 40 one off beta firmware's to re-test...

I also did the bluetooth mod om my hyperions. http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/hyperio ... ersion.htm

And 4 miles easy range (32 times more output power) on my DSMX JR12X http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/12x.htm
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Lord Chatterley » 10 Oct 2018, 20:25

Does the PL8x2 have presets for an 8 CALB SE100 pack?

LC
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Burgerman » 10 Oct 2018, 23:09

It can if I make one.
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Lord Chatterley » 10 Oct 2018, 23:20

Not included in the CCS?

LC
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Burgerman » 10 Oct 2018, 23:39

There are lots included. But intended for hobby stuff, not big packs, and in any case there are a few required tweaks that are not visible in my presets... And all the stock presets have incorrect settings, and termination values etc. And will give errors.
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Lord Chatterley » 11 Oct 2018, 01:06

I see. Does the Powerlabs charger have blue yet?

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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Burgerman » 11 Oct 2018, 01:11

No. Was going to do them but been stuck on this bed for two years bar the odd day or three at a time. I have 1000 things that need to be done. Cant get to do any of them at the moment.
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Lord Chatterley » 11 Oct 2018, 03:04

BM, I'm sorry to hear that. Have you considered consulting a private medical practice - skin specialist?
Might be worth pursuing.
As for blue tooth, yeah, I recall you saying it's not as easy as the Hyperion which I've stuck with just for the blue tooth convenience.
I'm going to have a look at an old Dual Powerlabs 8x2 this weekend - dunno if it has presets for 8 CALB SE100ah. Should I be aware of any issues?

LC
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Burgerman » 11 Oct 2018, 04:51

Dont buy a dual one. Different presets, many firmware differences, reliability issues, and they are common ground so you cant charge more than 8 cells easily.
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Williamclark77 » 11 Oct 2018, 13:44

HotColors wrote:What is your opinion on the Graupner charger? I think it's under powered for fast charge times. Not sure about pc connectivity either. Their website says you can monitor the charge via PC. But it can balance the pack as a whole, which I like the idea, just not sure it makes much difference if you have PL charge quality.


They charge up to 14s and have full pc connectivity that shows all of the parameters with graphs and everything. It's pretty unnecessary though to connect it to a pc. The chargers themselves have a large touchscreen that also display everything you need to know: each cell voltage, output capacity, total voltage, etc. Their much better built than the Hyperions also. I've knocked one off of a five foot high shelf onto concrete, connected it backwards, and once somebody here connected the balance cables reversed releasing large amounts of smoke. It's still going strong.

The only downside to them is the "weak" 350mah power of the balance circuit. If your pack was built properly that won't matter at all.
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Lord Chatterley » 11 Oct 2018, 21:03

Burgerman wrote:Dont buy a dual one. Different presets, many firmware differences, reliability issues, and they are common ground so you cant charge more than 8 cells easily.


I'm not buying it - it would be more or less free.

LC
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Burgerman » 12 Oct 2018, 01:06

Thats cheap enough to give it a go.

Download the software for PC and I will send you a preset. But it has a few issues with its safety nazi settings in firmware. And is more restrictive. So less useful than a single PL8. Update firmware, ASAP and you will need the FUIM3 thing to connect to PC.
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Lord Chatterley » 12 Oct 2018, 16:18

Burgerman wrote:Thats cheap enough to give it a go.

Download the software for PC and I will send you a preset. But it has a few issues with its safety nazi settings in firmware. And is more restrictive. So less useful than a single PL8. Update firmware, ASAP and you will need the FUIM3 thing to connect to PC.


Thanks BM - it has a couple of balance boards as well as the FUIM3 which won't be free, but I'll probably buy them at a discount to save the hassle as I do have quite a collection of lipos for various tasks, and I like to keep an eye on the curves.

LC
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Re: How Are You Charging Your BM3 Battery

Postby Lord Chatterley » 14 Oct 2018, 15:33

I got the Powerlabs Dual 8x2 today - heavier than the Hyperion by quite a margin. Very chunky.

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