using simple balance boards

whatever

100 kW
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Jun 3, 2010
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anyone have any experience using these type of balance boards?
simple balance board.jpg
anyone can describe how to use them?
do you just leave them attached to the battery pack permanently?
here is link where I found the boards on aliexpress
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4S-4-2v-li-ion-balancer-board-18650-li-ion-balncing-full-charge-battery-balance-board/32825899189.html?spm=2114.search0302.3.44.d67a5386eqDtjo&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_0_10130_450_452_532_533_534_10618_535_10132_10131_317_318_10133_319_10059_10696_10084_100031_10083_10547_10546_10887_320_10307_10548_204_448_10065_449_10068_10103_10884,searchweb201603_0,ppcSwitch_0&algo_pvid=406c864e-8187-47bf-938a-7b9deff4e23b&algo_expid=406c864e-8187-47bf-938a-7b9deff4e23b-5
 
Some of these threads discuss similar alternatives (though most of them are irrelevant)
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/search.php?keywords=simple+balanc*+board*&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=firstpost&sr=topics&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

Basically any balance board like that is the same as a BMS, except there is no protection against overcharge or overdischarge.
 
I use those before, there balancing capability is about 60 ma, some can do higher. But they only work when charging at low amps, if you are charging at high amps it will always trip your battery bms since the high cell won't be bleeding fast enough.
You can leave connected all the time, they only start working when the battery reaches about 4.15 volts or that area. They are no better then the built-in ones that some BMS have. They were ineffective in keeping my battery balanced during charging, even when slow charging.

Below is a picture of more powerful balance modules, these can balance at 1.4 amps. These are in 7 dollar range. You need one per cell.
a balance module.jpg

And these balance modules are for fast charging, they can peak at 10 amps. These cost about 28 dollars each, you need one per cell. I use these on my 4s lifepo4 battery pack, they work excellent.
 
Basically the board does nothing until the cells get up to the turn-on point (somewhere around 4.2v). The actual turn-on voltage should be listed in the information for the board. To get balancing, the charge voltage has to be set high enough so these things can turn on. Ideally you'd want a very low current limit so the cells could never go above the set point.
 
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