I really don't understand you guys liking the bc168 so much

I just received the BC168 charger.

I am shocked.

I guess I did a mistake ordering it:

(This charger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-AofMzs0ds)


The manu is very strange.....

A:
The buttons.

1. cancel / menu 2. balance 3. discharge 4. charge

When I press button 2-4 it starts with the function labeled on the button instantly.

If I want to change any settings I will need to press button 1 and cycle through all the 12 settings (charge/discharge/balance voltage/input voltage alarm...... options.

Imagine you charge up two different lipos. Every lipo needs to be configured in the 11 settings menu, even if I just want to change one setting (charging current).


B:
The display is perfect from a certain angle and barely readable in sunlight or from a top angle (BC168 standing up on a table and I am standing in front of it).

C:
When I set the charger to 4.15V. My voltage meassure cheap device ($5) tells me 4.13V for all of the 6 cells of my 6S lipo.

Maybe a security feature or just my voltage reader is not exact enough...I don't think that:

-----
After 10min I checked with my ELRO M300 multimeter.

DCV:0-2±0.5%-20-200-500V±0.8%
ACV:0-200-500V±1.2%
DCA:0-200mA±2.0%
R:0-2k-20k-200k-2Mohm±1.0%
Audible continuity: <50ohm
Diode test
Battery: 9-12Vx1, GP23A
------


D:
Also: As soon as the charger is finished it beeps...but keeps on going. It doesn't stop.


I've asked so many people, but all did like this charger so much.
So am I the only guy having a problem with this menu + display?

people like it because it charges via the balance leads... Its an isolated balance charger...
I like it to balance charge.. that is it....Used x4 of these at one stage as my primary charger.. Just a failure waiting to happen from the crappy connections

They break easy, I have also noticed many people have extreme failures when using these chargers....


Personally Id stick with the icharger or something... id never buy one again unless its a version 2 or something with improved connections..

99% of the time I bulk charge with a beast of a charger...


edit..

mine also stores the data on different battery types for e.g.
I plug in a 2 s pack. it will charge at a rate of 3 amps... i plug in a 5s pack it automatically goes to 8 amps...
it must have some kinda memory for the different amount of cells it detects

I would add charging through the balance wires to the bad points list. It probably explains the offset between what the charger see's and what the cells are doing (4.15 & 4.13 respectively). This is because the plugs and wire are both unsuitable, and will drop voltage across themselves.

We recently had a thread where two were used on one pack, and where both chargers sat side by side they read each-others volt drop and left the local cell about 0.1v down.


If I have made 1000 posts, I must of said 1000 times that these are not for EV use. EV's bulk charge with a simple two wire connector, and balancing is taken care of on-board within the pack, Out of sight. Anything else is sub-standard in the truest meaning of the statement.

friendly1uk said:

...Anything else is sub-standard in the truest meaning of the statement.

Click to expand...

Really??? I charge with 4 wires. Let me know when you're ready to race my sub-standard street legal electric bicycle, and to have any chance you better bring an electric motorcycle that's faster than the best production emotos.

I have had perfect luck with my bc168. Works awesome.... I think you need to understand it is a rc chrager/balancer not a balance charger for a Nissan leaf or a tesla...
But I have saved my selfs 100s of hours balance charging my cheep rc lipo so I can use it for a power dense motorcycle build or 2.

A:
The buttons.

1. cancel / menu 2. balance 3. discharge 4. charge

When I press button 2-4 it starts with the function labeled on the button instantly.

If I want to change any settings I will need to press button 1 and cycle through all the 12 settings (charge/discharge/balance voltage/input voltage alarm...... options.

Imagine you charge up two different lipos. Every lipo needs to be configured in the 11 settings menu, even if I just want to change one setting (charging current).

I have other kinds of balance chargers, they do have memories for settings for different batteries, but I do have to press buttons here and there to get to the correct memory I want to use. I press buttons 5 or 6 times to get to what I need.


B:
The display is perfect from a certain angle and barely readable in sunlight or from a top angle (BC168 standing up on a table and I am standing in front of it).

The other balance chargers I have don't have a much better display than the BC168.

C:
When I set the charger to 4.15V. My voltage meassure cheap device ($5) tells me 4.13V for all of the 6 cells of my 6S lipo.

Maybe a security feature or just my voltage reader is not exact enough...I don't think that:

The voltage displayed on the BC168 is the same as on my Fluke.

D:
Also: As soon as the charger is finished it beeps...but keeps on going. It doesn't stop.

It does stop charging, the fan keeps on making noise making you think it is still charging but it's not. The fan stops if you press the ESC button (button #1)

The main reasons I like mine so much is because it is cheap compared to the other chargers I have, less than half the price and it balances quicker because it does every cell individually. I didn't find any other balance chargers or BMSs for that matter that balances cells the way the BC168 does it. To me the BC168 does it the right way.
But yes, like it was mentioned, IT IS a RC charger.

These chargers have some quirks for sure, the menu setup is like most Chinese electronics way too many options you don't need but after a little practice you will be ripping through it. The jst connectors are not adequate for 8 amps I ran new lines 18g directly to the board runs cooler and more accurate. Dedicated power supply 300+ watts 14v works for me, pc power supplies won't cut it.

I have 4 to deal with and I can adjust the settings and start charging all 4 within 30s or so just takes practice. If you hold down the left button after you make your selections it goes back to the main screen you don't have to cycle forward, then just hit the charge button once quickly thats it. Don't hold it down or it goes into a different mode, too many options again.


And yes it keeps running after it has finished but only in a limited balancing mode, be aware of this! and turn it off when your finished. You should never leave your lipos charging unattended anyway.

This is my primary charger 1 year old and working good , knock on wood.