Posts: 438 Threads: 53 Likes Received: 378 in 189 posts Likes Given: 223 Joined: Jul 2018 Reputation: 18 My "trusted" parallel charging board from Banggood just died. I tried to storage charge a lipo yesterday, plugged it in a random port in the board (I think it was 4th out of 5) and the charger showed a balance port error. Tried different ports on the board until I discovered that first two ports work, rest does not. I tried to check if it can be repaired, but after disassembling the board, I can't see any damage. It's just a PCB - but the continuity is broken between 2nd and 3rd port, on the pin for battery cell #3. Also, the addon green PCB on top of the original red one looks kinda fishy - and it's the place it broke. Good think I found out and haven't just plugged all 5 lipos to put to charge. Who know what would have happened... maybe the charger would notice, but maybe not since the first 2 balance ports are fine. So I guess the morale of the story is - check your equipment frequently to make sure everything works fine. Especially when it comes to LiPos as a failure there might be catastrophic. ![[Image: dL2TDYSl.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/dL2TDYSl.jpg) ![[Image: 3i590M6l.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/3i590M6l.jpg) Also notice the soldering quality on the XT60 plugs... ![[-]](https://intofpv.com/images/collapse.png) • Posts: 21,250 Threads: 587 Likes Received: 8,962 in 6,632 posts Likes Given: 1,425 Joined: Jun 2018 Reputation: 787 The copper trace between the 2nd and 3rd port is probaby burned. If you was able to get to it I bet the trace is something ridiculously thin. If you can be bothered to salvage it then just add some external bridging patch wires of a reasonable gauge between the corresonding balance connector pins. Oh yeah, and bolster up the XT60 solder joints as well  • Posts: 438 Threads: 53 Likes Received: 378 in 189 posts Likes Given: 223 Joined: Jul 2018 Reputation: 18 I was thinking about bridging it to repair it, but... I'm sure I wouldn't trust it any more and would be paranoid to charge batteries using this board again. So I'll just buy some better quality one. I was thinking the JB signature board, that should be quite solid: https://www.racedayquads.com/products/ba...ature-line • Posts: 21,250 Threads: 587 Likes Received: 8,962 in 6,632 posts Likes Given: 1,425 Joined: Jun 2018 Reputation: 787 Yeah, that's probably a good call TBH. Once you've lost confidence in something that critical and have seen how poorly put together it is, then it's probably time for the scrap heap. Just salvage the connectors from it and then sling it in the WEEE recycling bin. I think those JB boards are probably the best money can buy and you know the quality control plus all the safety features are there. I've got a 1.0 version of the same board that I bought about a year ago which doesn't have the colour changing tape/paint applied to the poly fuses, but it's still sealed in it's anti-static bag because I ended up getting 4 port charger instead. I still only charge one LiPo on each of the 4 channels although I may start to venture into parallel charging, so it may finally get to see the light of day sometime soon • Posts: 12,099 Threads: 125 Likes Received: 3,739 in 2,836 posts Likes Given: 99 Joined: Feb 2017 Reputation: 388 Looks like the trace is broken here. See the exposed copper and the darker brown where the copper has disappeared? ![[Image: dZuKsdKl.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/dZuKsdKl.jpg) • Posts: 438 Threads: 53 Likes Received: 378 in 189 posts Likes Given: 223 Joined: Jul 2018 Reputation: 18 I guess you're right Voodoo. Tried a continuity check between the two bits of copper that are still there (left and right from the dark spot) and the continutiy is not there. Well, tell me how can it break just like that. I guess just a very poor quality material.
Anyway, I'll buy the JB board and hope it's actually good. I like the dummy-proof features of it too. It's a bit bigger, but it should still fit inside the Bat-safe box nicely. • Posts: 12,099 Threads: 125 Likes Received: 3,739 in 2,836 posts Likes Given: 99 Joined: Feb 2017 Reputation: 388 Honestly, if you bridge the trace, it will work. If you feel safer with JB, than don't let me stop you. I would solder at the pin you circle and not on the trace. • Posts: 545 Threads: 28 Likes Received: 135 in 101 posts Likes Given: 94 Joined: Oct 2018 Reputation: 6 Honestly I have the exact same model of parallel charging board and now I'm kind of scared.
I guess I'll keep checking it state but what if it happens when it's charging?
There's no way to know... • Posts: 12,099 Threads: 125 Likes Received: 3,739 in 2,836 posts Likes Given: 99 Joined: Feb 2017 Reputation: 388 20-Jul-2019, 11:57 PM (This post was last modified: 21-Jul-2019, 12:00 AM by voodoo614.) If the trace burn during charging the charger will register an error. No short will happen. I have this board. And it has some big trace. https://www.readymaderc.com/products/det...-35a-xt-60 • Posts: 438 Threads: 53 Likes Received: 378 in 189 posts Likes Given: 223 Joined: Jul 2018 Reputation: 18 Would the charger register the error even if the first two ports are still working fine? I would think that the charger wouldn't really know. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'll try if it lets me to start the charging with two batteries powered (should work) and then three (so third one in the broken port). For the science • Posts: 12,099 Threads: 125 Likes Received: 3,739 in 2,836 posts Likes Given: 99 Joined: Feb 2017 Reputation: 388 That is a good question. I don't know. Will wait for your report. • Posts: 438 Threads: 53 Likes Received: 378 in 189 posts Likes Given: 223 Joined: Jul 2018 Reputation: 18 22-Jul-2019, 04:02 PM (This post was last modified: 22-Jul-2019, 04:03 PM by izzy26.) So I'm back with the test results.
Conditions:
- Charger is original IMAX B6
- 1st and 2nd ports on the parallel charging board are working
- 3rd, 4th, 5th ports on the parallel charging board are not working (trace between 2nd and 3rd port is broken on cell #3)
Test results:
1. Battery plugged in 1st and/or 2nd port - charging works fine ✅
2. Battery plugged in 3rd, 4th or 5th port - charger errors out ✅
3. Battery plugged in 1st and/or 2nd port + 3rd, 4th and/or 5th port - charging works fine ⛔
Conclusion:
If there is at least one working port and a battery is plugged in in it, the charger happily charges not knowing anything about the remaining connected batteries cells and only balances the working ones. This might potentially be very dangerous if a battery with bad cell (high internal resistance) or unbalanced battery is being charged in, as the charger might overcharge it.
Who knows how long have I been charging like that, not knowing it's actually not balancing the batteries. I do think, though, that it might have been actually balancing at least cells #1, #2, #4 and only leave out #3. So it would have to be really bad luck to get in trouble with that situation. Anyway, I'm glad I found out before something bad happened. • Posts: 12,099 Threads: 125 Likes Received: 3,739 in 2,836 posts Likes Given: 99 Joined: Feb 2017 Reputation: 388 Good find. Lesson learn, always use port #4 first, then #3... • Posts: 21,250 Threads: 587 Likes Received: 8,962 in 6,632 posts Likes Given: 1,425 Joined: Jun 2018 Reputation: 787 It's quite likely that board was faulty from the factory and you just never knew so have always been charging with a dud parallel board  Another lesson learned is that for anyone who decides to buy a cheap no-name brand parallel board, at least open it up and check the soldering, and also check continuity across each connector pin that is supposed to be connected together on the same rail. • Posts: 545 Threads: 28 Likes Received: 135 in 101 posts Likes Given: 94 Joined: Oct 2018 Reputation: 6 Time to be extra careful!
But isn't all the parallel charging boards based on the same principle, I mean, all that could change is QC an if misused things can go south the same, right?
When I was due to purchase a charging board I flirted an ISDT one, but the price threw me off. • |
