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.

[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.

[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

[Gayo]

OK, so not Rich but somebody uses the step charging on off-road ? I'd like to make my IB less hot when charging.
Any imput welcome !

[Col]

Get one of THESE
Currently out of stock (I know cos I'm waiting for one...) but they really do work

[Gayo]

Originally Posted by Col

Get one of THESE
Currently out of stock (I know cos I'm waiting for one...) but they really do work

I never tried a fan but some says that the problem with this method is that the cooling is only on surface. The core of the cell is still hot. You may be deteriorating your cells without knowing it. And the charger can "miss" the delta peak.

[Southwell]

I discharge, equalize before cycling. then i charge at 5 amps, put it on a timer for 25 mins to allow cooling, then discharge at 10 amps normally, but had it on 20 last time., I then equalise and either put in a few hundred mah back in or leave them to use for racing if im going the next day.
My 3700's are still running really well after 3 years, although i only run them for practice days, and my 4200's are going to do another year as they are still excellent.

[bretts]

I follow Chris Long's suggestion for charging and discharging and I find it works great for all cell types not just 4200's.

Thanks Chris

http://www.oople.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2668

Originally Posted by Chrislong

Do not discharge/equalise after a run, as during that week til the next race meeting they self discharge and may struggle to get them to take any charge... internal resistance rockets too.

What to do, and what I have only just realised I should do is... charge them, race them - and then put them back in case and take home with no treatment, then before charging again - discharge then equalise, cool down and charge -> race -> case etc.

I like to know how close (or how far nowadays) from dumping I was, so breaking the habit of discharging has been tough.

[super__dan]

Chris' idea is a work of genius, wonder who told him to do it like that