Inside a 400w BMS Charger (now operation)

[mxer]

Recieved my alloy charger today from BMS But would like someone to identify the three pots in these photo's, The charger was purchesed for future Lipo (12s2p) but atm i have 12s1p so 44.4v 5 AH......

I have had my BMS set up incorrectly at factory (my fault ) to 50v 6 Amps and would like that set down to 49.9v and because i will only be charging a 5AH pack would also like to turn the Amps's down to 5 Amps so to charge at 1c, or would my Turnigy's 5ah's be ok at 6amp's ? (over 1c).....

Was hoping for two pot's (1 for amps, 1 for volts) but there are three in there Idealy would like 49.9v 4AH, is it possible ? or does the amps go up automaticly with the volt increase/decrease ??..

Thanks guy's, Ps if you need more photo's please ask .....

Three blue pot's 2 one the board together and one by the Ac input...



Close up of the two together..

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[Farfle]

Not sure what which pots do what , but IIRC one is voltage, one is current, and one has something to do with the HVC (not sure on that one). Good news is it looks like their QC has stepped up a bit, mine failed due to the big yellow toroid vibrating loose, looks like yours is glued down pretty well. I think the lipo will be fine, the BMSbattery chargers rarely output the exact amperage they list, my 66v 4a identical charger, only really output around ~3.2a at peak bulk charge, (tested with calibrated fluke). Just watch the pack temp, and step up to 2p when you can and you will be fine.

[NeilP]

E-mail Judy at BMS. i am sure they will help you id the pots

They told me they will send me a listing of what they do when they send mine. I went for the 2kW one

[mxer]

Think i best leave it alone then if it has an hvc, I'll email Bms to see if they can send me some info on how they are set up, Don't hold out much hope tho as they pretty much send out generic messages due to the language barrier....

Think it will be ok at 50v (4.16 per cell) and at 6 amp's it's only just over the 1c charge rate, so i'll leave it for now till i here from BMS.....

Just one more thing, There are no instuctions on correct procedures Ie, Do i switch the unit on then plug the batteries in ? or plug the batteries in first then switch it on ?...

[E-racer]

I had my 400w and 900w BMS charger set for 50v for 12s hk lipo. I'm about 40 charges in, so far so good. I wouldn't worry as long as you are >4.2 volts per cell and you keep an eye on your balance.

[rojitor]

I wanna know how to do that as well,post it when you figure it out mxer

[wineboyrider]

I think the pot next to your red wire is the voltage adjuster? Because, it's the one that I adjusted on my 2 ping chargers to charge 12s lipo.??? You can put a voltage meter on it and trim it back and forth a little to find out???right? That's how I did mine just don't forget the original position.

[miuan]

It's the one in the corner next to the fuse.
One of the other two is current. Check with a DVM to see which one.

[dnmun]

better leave well enuff alone. this will turn out bad i fear. 4.16 is almost perfect. but use the zephyr to protect it anyway.

[mxer]

Yep that's what i am doing, Top is back on and i'll see how it goes What a Zephyr bit ???

[dnmun]

the zephyr is the last iteration of gary and richard's quest to make the ultimate fast balance charging BMS for lipo and lifepo4. well worth the read. but it may be over 70 pages now. hehe

[amberwolf]

IIRC that looks like a KingPan (sometimes mislabelled as KingPower) charger. There are some threads about those, and may already have the pots determined and labelled for teh higher-power versions. (I know there are some for the <250W versions)

[mxer]

Managed to cycle and discharge my 12s1p pack (5ah) till i was happy over a few weeks on my balance charger.....

Connected it up to this bulk unit just to see how it would perform, Awsome little unit!!!, Well happy with it Charged the whole pack up (cells at 3.85) to 50v in about 15 mins ......
Watched the whole thing (had some programming to do) amps started at 6.04amps and when the pack reached 49.74 amps after about 12min stared to drop 5,4,3,2,1amps for the final finsh, Awsome to watch really, well impressed how it controls itself...........and then 50.04v reached then the fan cut's out and that's it ....

Still left it connected to the packs for a few mins (still playing with the bike) and every now and again it would cut back in when the pack settled abit just to top it off again, Don't know if i like that but hay i will never leave it alone anyway...

Finally unplugged it and about half an hour later the pack sat at around 49.84, so lost quite abit just sitting there, might of been because it was charged sooo fast, but unsure...Anyways happy i had it set to 50v at factory, happy with that now as the pack settles to my desired 49.9 anyway so all good....

would recomend it....

btw had a little check with my (red board) medic and Wahooo all sat at around 4.14 most .4.15 couple of cells.......

[DAND214]

The voltage pot is by the fuse as stated earlier.

It sounds like you have a LiFePo charger. If it comes back on and off, that is what my smaller LiFePo 36v charger does and my LiPo charger peakes at 62.2 and it's done 15s4p Lipo pack.

Been working for over ayear now, i also have the larger one that chargers at 10apms but still uaes the 6 amp one. All 3 units have been very consistant.

As for support info, don't hold your breath.

Dan

[mxer]

Thanks DAND214, Decided to leave it alone in the end as 50v is fine and i would proberly mess things up

Oh dear you have my worried now, Lifpo charger ??? I did ask for a LIPO charger stated in the order form ?what would be the difference ? I hope it is ok to continue to use?... When the charger reaches the 50v it stops and then keeps cutting in for a few seconds every now and again due to the pack dropping a bit when finished, so i'm guessing as soon as the charger detects a voltage below 50v it will cut in again ? what would a Lipo charger do ?.....

[DAND214]

As I have read hear that they do not repeak LiPo's. Once they hit the set voltage it shuts off all power to tha battery. My Icharger stops at set voltage and doesn't restart as well as my 400w and 600w BMS chargers. My smaller charger that was odered as LiFePo cycles to balance the cells as the bms drains the higher cells so the lower can be filled.

I have used the 36v charger on a 10s lipo pack but I also cheched the peak voltage to be set around 4.15 per cell. The chargerer did turn on and off as the voltage dropped. I never leave my LiPo's unattended. I might not be right at the charger but within a few yards away. If I watch TV or someting else in the house I set a timer to remind me.

I am happy with all three chargers from BMSBATTERY, I did get a 600w from elifebike.com. That one was a disaster from day 1. It almost melted the power cord to the wall. It works but I am not comfortable with it. I cut the power cord to see what crap wiring was there. Must have been 18guage wire not the 14 printed on the cord.

I'm sure someone else will fill in about repeat lipo's.

Dan

[atom1025]

Just wanted to add to this thread. I have two 400w chargers. I ordered them set to 4.1v per cell. 61.5v to charge the 15s2p 5000mah pack. The charger would cut off at 61.05v

So following the pics in this thread and advice from fellow members in another thread I turned that pot in the corner by the fuse. I had the voltmeter hooked up and slowly turned it till it changed. CW is voltage down CCW is voltage up. I turned it up to 62v output and charged. This time it cutoff at 61.5v. So I turned it a hair more till the output read 62.5v. This time the charger cut off at 62.1v.

YMMV Adjust yours at your own risk! LOL.

Adam

[dnmun]

you can eliminate the risk and lengthen the life span of the lipo cells by using methods total solution or the zephyr that gary and richard developed. you really should not be charging without protection or the ability to balance them. not just because of the risk, but to make them last long enuff to reduce the expense of owning them. gary uses 4.12V for the setpoint to extend the lifespan.

[atom1025]

Balanced on CP10 protected by methods boards. Check.

[mxer]

Charger works like a charm!!! Used many times now and doesn't seem to come on anymore after charged

I have a 12s1p I use about 2.2 ah's (115wh) to work 3.7miles (cells are sitting around 3.85 from 4.15) maxing out on pull away at 24amps sitting at 19 amps at 27 mph, I charge outside when i get in takes about 35 mins at 6amps which is perfect ....

Everytime i plug this in i check at cell level, I only have two ballance leads to check which is easy, make sure they are all ballanced then plug it in Starts off straight away at 6 amps then after about 25mins starts to drop off to about 2 amps and then 1 amp and then 5 mins and .5 of an amp just to top it off, Glad i did have this set to 50v now as after it hits 50.04v and the charger clicks off the cells start to settels to around 49.8 and all my cells sit happily at 4.15 These Turnigy's are sooo stable once ballanced I am yet to see them out My ballance charger is now redundent and i doubt i will be using it for a while....

So that's me, I'm sorted, Just got to suss out where to store my bike with the battery, Kinda getting board of removing my pack and sticking it in the oven over night Would put the bike and pack in the garage but i have a gas main in there and lot's of crap, so was thinking for the summer months just covering it up and leaving in the middle of the garden, I'm happy if it did go for the bike to go too as it was second hand and much cheapness, and the batteries only cost me £70 and i have a spare hub ...But tbh with my simple pack 12s1p there isn't much there to go wrong and i religiuosly double check before anything, but don't worry i will not get complacent and view it it can go at anytime