My BC168 Charger went POOF!

[Tommy L]

Recently purchased 3 B168 Chargers. Also, I purchase 3 HP600PB power supplies and did the mod. These HP600PB's
are awesome.

But....... as the subject says.....

One of the B168's went POOF! Big Cloud of smoke.

Pictures to follow.

Tommy L sends.....

 

[skeetab5780]

user error? or?

 

[Tommy L]

I'd own up to a "user error".

I was on my 3rd charge. I went to go check on the progress of the charge and it was auto off. I hit charge again to make sure
that the cells where topped off and "POOF" a cloud of smoke came out the end.

Tommy L sends....

 

[dogman dan]

Well, shouldn't it have just turned off again? That can't be designed to do that every time.

When I bought cheap RC chargers nearly three years ago, I bought both kinds in pairs expecting that kind of thing. Somehow, still running fine today. Go figure.
No excuse for an upgrade. Damn things will last forever now I bet.

Where did you get them, google B168 charger, and I just get this thread, and a zillion hits for just "charger"?

 

[jkbrigman]

So I take it that the B168 is NOT the charger being sold at rawvelocity.com?

 

[dnmun]

will you open it up or did you decide to make a warranty claim and send it back without opening it? they are pretty simple, but the little switch mode controller in the black plastic case is impossible to source. the diodes and caps are easy enuff to find.

 

[Ariane]

Hi,

Same for me one of them is blow out away after only (2) months I did not opened it yet, but I will probably do it this week end.

Good day guys
Black Arrow

 

[dnmun]

it may just be a diode or more likely is one of the caps. if we get enuff dead ones around then there would be sources for parts too.

 

[Tommy L]

I've got it opened.

Send it back? What? That's not what we do here on ES, is it? No!

I wanted to take it apart to add at 18 or 16 gauge harness with APP connectors. I'm not a fan of the JST connectors or how small the wire is.

So with some most welcome help, I'd like to fix this unit and do the harness mod.

Here's a couple of pics. The last picture is the corner where the burn is!

 

[dnmun]

can't make out what it is. are there pins on both sides of the that top layer? can you take the screws out and fold it up and away a little bit to get more light in there for a picture? and the backside of that pcb? no reason you could not send them the pictures and ask for a warranty claim. see if you can get another.

until we fix it there is no assurance we actually can.

 

[Tommy L]

Last pic is the backside. A lot of little components on the backside attached to the 8 legs (just above stand off screw)

 

[skeetab5780]

thanks for the pics, hope you can fix it. I love my BC chargers..and i just got them. Dont break on me!

 

[Tommy L]

thanks for the pics, hope you can fix it. I love my BC chargers..and i just got them. Dont break on me!

I do like the concept of the BC168. I will do mods to them (I have two, only one working now). The mod will be to bring a harness out
of 18 or 16 gauge wire with APP connectors. I'm not a fan of the JST for charging at 32 watts per channel thru small wire.

When I saw the 8 leg Op Amp (I believe that what it is) I turned the board over and saw a lot of little components attached to the 8 legs.
This might be beyond my repair capabilities. I've messaged the vendor asking for a replacement. I'm hoping that I can get a free replacement.
If so, I will purchase more from this vendor.

Tommy L sends....

 

[skeetab5780]

sound like a good plan, i purchased 2 from 2 different vendors. and 1 was 25$ more than the other. Im curious to see if they are the same thing, you never know these days.

 

[Doctorbass]

Sorry to see you had one of your great cahrger balancer blown Tommy.

I believe that the 8 leg chip might be the power mosfet of each channel. It is very rare that op-amp blow that way. There is many o fthe 8 legs that are connected in parallel, just like the mosfet in te RC motor controllers.

I think you can replace them easy. but you'll have to replace also some other conponents like the capacitor between the two blown mosfet and maybe other on the other side of the pcb that i cant see.

Good luck!

Doc

 

[Tommy L]

Sorry to see you had one of your great cahrger balancer blown Tommy.

I believe that the 8 leg chip might be the power mosfet of each channel. It is very rare that op-amp blow that way. There is many o fthe 8 legs that are connected in parallel, just like the mosfet in te RC motor controllers.

I think you can replace them easy. but you'll have to replace also some other conponents like the capacitor between the two blown mosfet and maybe other on the other side of the pcb that i cant see.

Good luck!

Doc

Thank you Doc! It looks to be Channel 5. I was only charging 4s. Strange?

Tommy L sends.....

 

[Tommy L]

Good luck!

Doc

Doc,

I like the Idea of these types of chargers. Does anyone else make a good quality one? Maybe I got a bad one. I bought 3. One is being used by a friend.
I have One good one left I will do the 18 or 16 gauge harness with APP modification as I don't like the small JST wires or connectors.

Tommy L sends....

 

[dnmun]

ok, now i can see it. it is a 8 pin package mosfet. you can see all the legs on one side for the drain and the legs on the other side are the source, connected to a different trace, and the gate is by itself. can you read the part number after the IR? we can buy a 50ct on ebay for $5 i bet. we may need them. it looks like they shorted out and overheated.

 

[Tommy L]

ok, now i can see it. it is a 8 pin package mosfet. you can see all the legs on one side for the drain and the legs on the other side are the source, connected to a different trace, and the gate is by itself. can you read the part number after the IR? we can buy a 50ct on ebay for $5 i bet. we may need them. it looks like they shorted out and overheated.

P035H
HCC8...... not sure of this one or H0CB
F7832

They are in pairs with each channel. They other number is:

P004H
L2KB or L2K8
F7832

What's funny is that it appears to be on channel 5 and I was only charging 4s

 

[dnmun]

looks like this?

http://www.irf.com/product-info/datasheets/data/irf7832.pdf

 

[Ariane]

Hi Guys,

I have exactly the same problem at about the same spot more pictures coming, but i'm charging at 6S

Black Arrow

 

[dnmun]

they are $2.10 from mouser. i could not see any that were 20A on ebay. someone could buy 25 and spit it to get the price down to $1.29 each plus the $4.99 cheapest shipping mouser offers. so then they would avg about $1.50 each. lotsa people are using these BC168's now too.

 

[Tommy L]

looks like this?

http://www.irf.com/product-info/datasheets/data/irf7832.pdf

Yes!

 

[Tommy L]

Hi Guys,

I have exactly the same problem at about the same spot more pictures coming, but i'm charging at 6S

Black Arrow

Hi Black Arrow!

With 695 posts, do you just choose not to have a location? Now don't be shy!

Sorry to hear that yours went Poof too.

If you go half way down this page, you'll see a post from a member with a cool charging station and upgraded loom with APP's
http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=45719&start=25

Tommy L sends....

 

[Ariane]

Hi Guys,

P.S. Location updated Tommy :wink:

here is the picture, good day!
Black Arrow