PINNED - Lithium battery conversion/info

[terry2]

It will be your connections, or if you crimp stuff - that.

Does it charge and drive normally?
If so dont worry much. Its VERY hard to get accurate resistance readings on susch low values.

Thanks BM.

It charges just fine and the cell voltage is spot on.
It drives great with loads of torque.

I am just checking all connections now will post a graph when the pack has recharged.

I should of said that when discharging the cell resistance is the same as teh other cells.

[Burgerman]

Then ignore it. It may just be a dirty balance connector plug at the SUB D or at the PL8 or wharever. Ignore it.

Ot buy switch cleaner. Everything soldered? Hopefully no crimps...

[terry2]

Then ignore it. It may just be a dirty balance connector plug at the SUB D or at the PL8 or wharever. Ignore it.

Ot buy switch cleaner. Everything soldered? Hopefully no crimps...

Yeh. Everything is soldered.
I will use contact cleaner on in a bit.
I'm just discharging them to 3.3

[Burgerman]

Why?

[terry2]

Why?

Because I want ted to check all connections. Then recharge.

But My PL8 has turned itself off

I get an Over Current protection on the power supply LCD.
I don't surpose there is a way to fix it?

That's all I need today

[Burgerman]

Whats the max current of the power supply?
Set the PL8 to less in the SUPPLY tab.

[terry2]

Whats the max current of the power supply?
Set the PL8 to less in the SUPPLY tab.

It's a Efuel 1200w 30 amp.

I will try what you said and report back.

[terry2]

As soon as I turn on the power supply I get the error.
The PL8 won't even turn on. No lights no nothing.

[steves1977uk]

Whats the max current of the power supply?
Set the PL8 to less in the SUPPLY tab.

It's a Efuel 1200w 30 amp.

I will try what you said and report back.

Are you sure it's 30A Terry? My EFUEL PSU is 50A@24v. Do you have another PSU to test with?

Steve

[terry2]

Whats the max current of the power supply?
Set the PL8 to less in the SUPPLY tab.

It's a Efuel 1200w 30 amp.

I will try what you said and report back.

Are you sure it's 30A Terry? My EFUEL PSU is 50A@24v. Do you have another PSU to test with?

Steve

Yes it's a 30AMP 1200W.

The power supply comes on OK if I don't connect the PL8.
As soon as I connect the PL8 I get and error.

It was working great. Then the LCD on the PL8 went off. Look likes it's dead.
Wonder if there is a fuse in side?

[Irving]

Are you saying that the PSU doesn't come on and/or shuts down when the PL8 is connected?

First verify the PSU can supply power to a load... Try powering something else, or charging a battery.

Also try powering the PL8 from a 12v battery.

[steves1977uk]

Is this the power supply you have Terry?

If it's blowing it's internal fuse, then there's a possibility it has developed a fault. In which case it's better to buy a Shirley ZXD2400 PSU which is better quality.

Steve

[Burgerman]

Could be the pl8 has gone short circuit. Or the power supply. So I suggest you do as lenny says.

[snaker]

It is very similar what happened to my old PL8. I thought the PSU failed and tried another PSU but it still remained. Finally, it was a failure inside the PL8. All its mosfets at input were broken.

[terry2]

Are you saying that the PSU doesn't come on and/or shuts down when the PL8 is connected?

First verify the PSU can supply power to a load... Try powering something else, or charging a battery.

Also try powering the PL8 from a 12v battery.

Is this the power supply you have Terry?

ef1200w.jpg

If it's blowing it's internal fuse, then there's a possibility it has developed a fault. In which case it's better to buy a Shirley ZXD2400 PSU which is better quality.

Steve

Could be the pl8 has gone short circuit. Or the power supply. So I suggest you do as lenny says.

It is very similar what happened to my old PL8. I thought the PSU failed and tried another PSU but it still remained. Finally, it was a failure inside the PL8. All its mosfets at input were broken.

Thanks a load guys.

My carer came in this morning and reminded me that I had a spare PL8

I plugged it in to the same charger and it works as should. So my 1 PL8 has died

Time for a teardown of the dead PL8.

Thanks again.

[Burgerman]

For future reference you should always power the PL8 before connecting the chair or battery. Is it under warranty?

[terry2]

For future reference you should always power the PL8 before connecting the chair or battery. Is it under warranty?

It was off ebay. So no.
And it was charging when the it died.

I have checked the 2 40amp fuses and they seam to be ok.
But why did they solder the fuses on the board?

I mean if this was a £50 cheap Chinese rip off. One would expect it.
But not for £350+

Does anyone know of a service centre in the UK?

[steves1977uk]

Don't think there's a repair service in the UK Terry Usually you have to send the PL8 back to Singapore for repair. You'd think Revolectrix would have an UK/European service centre.

Steve

[terry2]

Don't think there's a repair service in the UK Terry Usually you have to send the PL8 back to Singapore for repair. You'd think Revolectrix would have an UK/European service centre.

Steve

It does seam strange that they have no EU\UK warehouse.

I found out that hobby king did a licensed clone of the PL8 called the turnigy fatboy 8 for £150!
But they don't stock them now.

There must be another charger just as good?

[Irving]

For future reference you should always power the PL8 before connecting the chair or battery. Is it under warranty?

It was off ebay. So no.
And it was charging when the it died.

I have checked the 2 40amp fuses and they seam to be ok.
But why did they solder the fuses on the board?

I mean if this was a £50 cheap Chinese rip off. One would expect it.
But not for £350+

Does anyone know of a service centre in the UK?

They are OK because your PSU is limited to 30A. They are soldered in because its an 80A failsafe to protect wiring, they rely on current limiting at the PSU for 'normal' overcurrent situations.

The fact that the fuses are OK and no smoke suggests the fault is going to be subtle, i doubt you'll see anything on a visual teardown. Its going to take some understanding of how buck/boost DC-DC Converters work and a good test meter/scope setup to identify let alone rectify the fault.

[terry2]

For future reference you should always power the PL8 before connecting the chair or battery. Is it under warranty?

It was off ebay. So no.
And it was charging when the it died.

I have checked the 2 40amp fuses and they seam to be ok.
But why did they solder the fuses on the board?

I mean if this was a £50 cheap Chinese rip off. One would expect it.
But not for £350+

Does anyone know of a service centre in the UK?

They are OK because your PSU is limited to 30A. They are soldered in because its an 80A failsafe to protect wiring, they rely on current limiting at the PSU for 'normal' overcurrent situations.

The fact that the fuses are OK and no smoke suggests the fault is going to be subtle, i doubt you'll see anything on a visual teardown. Its going to take some understanding of how buck/boost DC-DC Converters work and a good test meter/scope setup to identify let alone rectify the fault.

I have emailed there Singapore place.
10/1 says I will have to buy a new one.

Is this the only charger that can do our cells?
HobbyKing has lots. But I have no idea which one. But they are all very cheap!

[Burgerman]

Yes it is, the rest are all garbage. Thats why they are cheap. Even then the PL8 is only good after me spending years arguing about firmware changes and profile restrictions lifting etc. Now it works! They are cheap, mostly reliable, for what they do. I have 4. Used all the time for hobby, tools, cameras, AA cells, 5 chairs, van etc and all still work fine after 5? years.

[terry2]

Yes it is, the rest are all garbage. Thats why they are cheap. Even then the PL8 is only good after me spending years arguing about firmware changes and profile restrictions lifting etc. Now it works! They are cheap, mostly reliable, for what they do. I have 4. Used all the time for hobby, tools, cameras, AA cells, 5 chairs, van etc and all still work fine after 5? years.

All true. But. If the pl8 dies after a year one is up shit creek with out a padded.
As there is no EU\UK Wearhouse or service centre. It is strange.

And hobbyking done the turnigy fatboy 8 for £150! Which was a PL8 1 in reality.

[steves1977uk]

My first PL8 is still going strong after 4.5+ years use, but as BM says always power up the PL8 first before connecting any batteries to it. That way you are more unlilkely to have PL8 failures.

Steve

[terry2]

https://www.jusbnme.com/index.php?main_ ... s_id=19537

Worth a punt?


I don't trust that site. So still looking

[steves1977uk]

Hmm, I'd be wary buying anything from that website. Best to buy from the Revolectrix International Store... http://www.store.revolectrix.com/Produc ... C5-version

Steve

[terry2]

Hmm, I'd be wary buying anything from that website. Best to buy from the Revolectrix International Store.

Steve

Your right.

Cheapest so far is about £290 in the UK

[steves1977uk]

See my link above Terry. It's actually cheaper to buy from Singapore than the UK!

Steve

[terry2]

See my link above Terry. It's actually cheaper to buy from Singapore than the UK!

Steve

The last time I bought off them I had loads of import tax and vat.

Or do you know away around it?

[terry2]

Also. If it goes wrong in the first year.
It will have to go back to Singapore.