PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby Burgerman » 05 May 2020, 22:44

Then the power supply may be set wrong. Say amps set too low. Or the supply tab settings may be wrong.
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby shirley_hkg » 06 May 2020, 03:41


Can the 16hrs charge timeout be changed by user ? and rewritten inadvertently ?
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby Burgerman » 06 May 2020, 04:41

Not as far as I can see.
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby rickystyx » 06 May 2020, 07:46

supply.jpg
I'm using the Sirley power supply set to 25v because it drops under load to about 23 and 25A max because I'm still using the plugs at the moment. The supply tab as above.
I've reloaded the firmware and preset just in case if that doesn't work I'll set the firmware back as you suggest
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby rickystyx » 06 May 2020, 07:48

I didn't think to check the LED display as I thought anything would show on the computer - I'll check it if it happens again
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby Burgerman » 06 May 2020, 08:54

At the top where it says waiting to start on the PC screen. What does it say when it ends? And is the shirley power supply set to deliver more than 30A? Like 50?
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby rickystyx » 06 May 2020, 15:57

So reinstalling both the firmware and the preset seems to have solved the issue and it now goes onto CV however it isn't staying on CV for long to balance the cells although they are less than 0.002 difference between any of them - does this mean I should reduce the termination current to say 50mA to give them time to sort that last little bit or just ignore it?
The LED display said "pack removed (undercurrent)" when it stopped
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby steves1977uk » 06 May 2020, 16:39

rickystyx wrote:The LED display said "pack removed (undercurrent)" when it stopped


This suggests you need to up the Amps on the PSU or drop the Charge rate to 15A if you're powering the PL8 from the banana sockets on the front. :fencing An anderson connection would solve all your issues! :thumbup: :clap

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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby rickystyx » 06 May 2020, 17:56

Anderson connector is tomorrows job then - I've got one soldered up just need to fit it :clap
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby Burgerman » 06 May 2020, 18:57

Pack removed normally means literally. So that means a poss bad battery connection. Anywhere between pl8 and each cell, or even balance wire.
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby rickystyx » 06 May 2020, 20:12

I'll have a check of all the wiring again and all the terminal connections
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby shirley_hkg » 07 May 2020, 01:58


Retrieve and post graphs of SUPPLY AMP , & SUPPLY VOLTAGE too.
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby rickystyx » 07 May 2020, 09:32

This was supply volts and amps for the one that did go to CV
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supply amps.jpg
supply volts.jpg
ottobock b400 150Ah lifepo4
Swiss-trac manual chair add on with 30Ah Lifepo4 (want more 15Ah headway cells )
Meyra Optimus (PRIME)2 150Ah lifepo4 :0)
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby shirley_hkg » 07 May 2020, 14:18


Seems you set both the current of psu and CHARGE AMP @30a .


Increase psu c.c.

Also , stay away from 25V … 29v

Use 24V ≤ or ≥ 30.5V.
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby rickystyx » 07 May 2020, 15:22

Thanks Shirley - I'm still learning although rapidly it would seem. My second set of cells have just arrived having been sitting in Poland for the last two months - so now just waiting for my new power supply - I was going to wait for that before adding the anderson connector to the one I got from Steve but I've started cutting out the back plate today so should have that installed tomorrow. I run out of energy much too quickly to be able to get jobs done but I will have lots of time charging individual cells for the scooter now to occupy me once I get the anderson fitted
ottobock b400 150Ah lifepo4
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby Burgerman » 07 May 2020, 16:03

sET power supply to max. Set supply tab to 30.
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby biscuit » 31 May 2020, 12:05

When I look at my charge graphs, even if it's been charging for 8 hours without reaching the termination current, the X-axis shows roughly 40-80 minutes. Anyone know what that could be? Maybe my computer going to sleep (it does that after 10 minutes iirc)?
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby Burgerman » 31 May 2020, 15:49

Probably... Configure it corectly!
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby biscuit » 31 May 2020, 16:50

What do I need to configure? PC or CCS?
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby Burgerman » 31 May 2020, 19:26

PC! If it sleeps or suspends or whatever it cant record any data can it?
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby biscuit » 31 May 2020, 20:16

PC claims that while it is sleeping, everything I'm busy with keeps running in the background. I guess it just reckons if I'm not watching my batteries charging (yawwn) I'm not busy with them enough for it to bother making graphs.
That machine. Really. In the good old days I used to like PCs and be really interested in them. Now I only like them if they jump when I say jump. So, basically, never.
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby Burgerman » 01 Jun 2020, 00:03

Theres several things it does.

1. SHUT DOWN THE SCREEN. Everything DOES run in the background.
2. SLEEP. Everything stops.
3. HIBERNATE. Everything stops.
4. SUSPEND. Everything stops...
5. STANDBY. Everything stops!
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby Fedor » 18 Jun 2020, 15:13

Is there any way to recover a deeply discharged lead battery with the PL8? Somewhere around 4 volts. The PL8 gives an "wrong cell count".

Or just raise the voltage with the "dumb" charger and then connect the PL8?

I understand the "throw out the battery" advice, but I need to try.

Maybe there are presets for restoring (partial, of course) such batteries?
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby Burgerman » 18 Jun 2020, 18:26

Yes by messing about with the true cell count start with 3. Then 4. Then 5... Or by charging for a while at CC only (tell it it is charging x no of cells of Nicad or Nickel Metal).

Or temporarily connect it to a good battery while you begin a normal charge. And you can leave it connected for the first hour or more. It will just charge both. Or as you sugest connect to a dumb charger, (but those too may not start).

But its just easier to connect it to the power supply at 12, 14, 16V for a bit. If that doesent work its beyond help anyway.

Any 12v battery at 4v open circuit is toast realistically unless you JUST did that in the last day. In which case a GOOD battery can often be recovered, to around 90 to 95% original capacity. Odyssey for e.g can do that. Most can't.
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby rickystyx » 24 Jun 2020, 19:45

so admitting to being a complete idiot and not wanting to admit it at the time I did eventually find out what was happening with the PL8 ending in a strange way - remember to switch off the 3 stage charger banghead
now everything is reasonably back to normal but the last few charges (only doing one a month at the moment) have had this strange voltage deviation about half way through charging - nothing major and it all goes back to balanced within 10 minutes or so but there is never any bypass shown but there is a point where all the cells go out of balance slightly then all come back in balance again.
Anyone else seen this happen?
Attachments
voltage deviation.jpg
ottobock b400 150Ah lifepo4
Swiss-trac manual chair add on with 30Ah Lifepo4 (want more 15Ah headway cells )
Meyra Optimus (PRIME)2 150Ah lifepo4 :0)
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby Burgerman » 24 Jun 2020, 21:49

Theres a step in the charge/discharge curve at around half charge. Where the voltage changes. In a perfect world that would hapen in every cell at the same state of charge. But it doesent. So its quite common. Its another reason that these cells should never be balanced below 3.5V. As it would "correct" something that wasnt wrong...
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby expresso » 24 Jun 2020, 22:38

rickystyx wrote:so admitting to being a complete idiot and not wanting to admit it at the time I did eventually find out what was happening with the PL8 ending in a strange way - remember to switch off the 3 stage charger banghead
now everything is reasonably back to normal but the last few charges (only doing one a month at the moment) have had this strange voltage deviation about half way through charging - nothing major and it all goes back to balanced within 10 minutes or so but there is never any bypass shown but there is a point where all the cells go out of balance slightly then all come back in balance again.
Anyone else seen this happen?



that same thing happens to one of my packs 105ah - it always did that - years i recall - never bothered with it - just a few mins and back to balanced to continue - i wouldnt worry - at the end of the charge - if you look at that part - you wont even notice it much -
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby expresso » 24 Jun 2020, 22:43

heres mines
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby rickystyx » 25 Jun 2020, 06:48

I Thought it might be normal and not something else I had managed to do wrong - I wasn't too worried about it because it came back into balance soon enough and wasn't more than 0.1v difference across the pack but I just wondered if anyone else had the same experience. I am so delighted with this set up as I have never managed to use 2/3 of the capacity and I can go everywhere I want to and to be able to recharge to full in 3 hours is fantastic. I have noticed that the cell price has increased significantly since I bought mine. Glad I got two sets when I did even though the second set took forever to arrive having had a holiday in Turkey for a month thanks to Covid. Brilliant set up. Thanks for getting me this far folks
ottobock b400 150Ah lifepo4
Swiss-trac manual chair add on with 30Ah Lifepo4 (want more 15Ah headway cells )
Meyra Optimus (PRIME)2 150Ah lifepo4 :0)
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Re: PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

Postby Burgerman » 25 Jun 2020, 11:10

Once you get used to unlimited range, it still takes a year to throw off the chains of lead. The range anxiety thing sticks.
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