Cycling Battery packs

[losidan]

hello,

just how do you cycle battery packs? I thought you charged them, discharged them and equalised them.....

I bought an orion discharge board and it says in the instructions to not charge fully charged packs...that being the case how do you put packs through a "cycle"

thanks ahead

dan

[ashleyb4]

Alot of top end chargers cycle like my orion advantage so i just set it up to charge wait 10 mins discharge wait 10 mins charge wait 10 mins the discharge most of the way then i stick them on my tray.

A

[JCJC]

Originally Posted by losidan

not charge fully charged packs...dan

Don't see how you can charge a fully charged pack, used to see peeps "peaking" packs before racing, do peeps still do this ?

[losidan]

sorry...i meant it says not to discharge a fully charged pack.

[jimmy]

Am I the only person who never discharges? I actually charge my cells the night before a race also. Might be the reason I'm not the fastest car on the track but hey.

[gramey]

Jimmy, We're with you, discharge, equalise and charge the night before a race and then top them up when we get to the track. We don't worry about getting them to do this within moments of a race starting like most seem to, which as you say may be why we're not the quickest out there either?

[rich_cree]

I always just leave my packs as they come out of the car, then discharge and equalise them just before charging them to use (on the day jimmy ).

Don't use a discharge board that dead shorts them, don't cycle packs unnecessarily as you get few enough useful cycles from some cell types, don't charge above 5.5 amps, don't peak them up as they have lots of punch anyway and peaking just heats them up before your run. Try to put them in your car stone cold, Orion advantage with step charging is awesome for this, they peak off ready for your run and are just warm to the touch, no more.

[Gayo]

Originally Posted by rich_cree

Try to put them in your car stone cold, Orion advantage with step charging is awesome for this, they peak off ready for your run and are just warm to the touch, no more.

I have an Ice and would like to duplicate the Advantage step charging path.
Could you describe it, Rich ?
Like :
3500mAh : 5A - 100mah : 0.5 - To the peak : 6A
Something like this

[JCJC]

Surely this is what "matchers" do, charge-rest-discharge-rest-charge -rest-discharge.......check & compare discharge figures. Rest allows cooling.

Personaly we charge the day before racing and store half charged, thats how 5 minutes of racing leaves em, ocasionaly I will discharge & equalise, then half charge and store, mainly because I think I ought to equalise, and have a cheap tray, but not convinced its worth the effort, its almost the Jimmy method.