2 A123 cells (to buy or sell) - DONE. Got 2 cells.

[spork]

I got the A123 10S DeWalt pack. That makes me 2.5 4S packs. So I'm looking for someone else in the same situation. I either want to buy two cells and make up a 3rd pack, or sell my two cells.

[Pinecone]

Buy another pack and make 5 x 4S packs. :)

[spork]

I've thought about that, but that's just too many packs for me.

[rcboosted]

I just won a pack on ebay. It's on the way to me. I'm not sure what I'm going to do though, either sell you my 2 extra or buy yours. Since I don't even have a way to charge them yet. I'll keep you in mind.

[spork]

I'm using the LipoDapter to charge mine. It's very convenient, and works with most any charger. But it's not a balancer. The CellPro 4S is probably the slicker solution, as it balances and charges directly through the balance tap (but I think it will only go up to 3A). There's an excellent document on it I'll be happy to PM you if you want it.

[rcboosted]

I have (4) 4S, I need to send them back to FMA for reprogramming to support A123. It only does 3A, I want something higher! In any case, when I send it back, it'll be a possible 2 week downtime. That's an eternity!

[spork]

I have (4) 4S, I need to send them back to FMA for reprogramming to support A123. It only does 3A, I want something higher! In any case, when I send it back, it'll be a possible 2 week downtime. That's an eternity!

I may be wrong, but I thought you could do the firmware upgrade at home.

[rcboosted]

No you can't. I asked them about it. I was told there's a calibration that happens at the end of the upgrade. The TP chargers can be updated at home, perhaps you're thinking about that.

[spork]

The TP chargers can be updated at home, perhaps you're thinking about that.

Who knows what I'm thinking. Sorry you're going to be without it. For what it's worth, I use the LipoDapter, and it works great for me. If I were to do it again, I'm not sure if I'd go with it or the CellPro 4S. I like the balance charging, but wish it would do more than 3A.

[rcboosted]

Yea, that's the hesitation I have right now. It'll only be 3A. I can't really use lipodapter since I don't have any other chargers. In the DIY forum on RCG, someone is trying to come up with a circuit for use with any power supply. You basically just shove the full amperage the power supply can give into the A123 at the correct voltage and auto cuts off. At least that's what I think it does. That'd be interesting. :) I have 4 pc power supplies. :)

[Pinecone]

I ought to buy a pack and buy yours, then I could make two 6S packs for my EP8 to try out. :)

Maybe later.

[kgfly]

Personally I am not fond of the Lipodapter approach as I think it is inconvenient and adds another point for human error. It makes it a 4-box solution (power supply, charger, lipodapter, balancer) and requires you to remember to set the lipodapter to LiFe mode each time you power it up a

Take a look at the eStation BC6 (50W, 4S A123 at 3.5A), BC8 (150W, 4S A123 at 7A) or 902 (200W, 4S A123 at 9.9A) as the latest versions support LiFe (A123). The BC6 is neat as it is a 1-box solution (integrated AC/DC power supply, charger and balancer). The BC8 is a 2-box solution (power supply + integrated charger/balancer). The 902 is comparable to the TP1010 and is a 3-box solution (power supply, charger, balancer - LB6).

Otherwise there is a firmware update to the TP1010 (210W, 4S A123 at 10A) to support LiFe. This is a 3 box solution (power supply, charger, balancer - TP210).

[spork]

Now you tell me! :mrgreen:

[kgfly]

Well I only went and read the Lipodapter manual *after* you bought one.

There is a good tutorial on the lipodapter site that explains their charging strategy. The idea is clever, no doubt works OK (although not as well as a dedicated LiPo/LiFe charger) and it fills a gap for folks with legacy NiCd chargers but it's not appealing to me, as I said, too fiddly and too risky.

I have no relationship with Bantam/eStation and don't own one of their chargers (yet!) but after all my research, I have been impressed with their products. I think they are making clever decisions about how to integrate features to make charging easier, simpler and safer. The BC6 is a good example. It's not the first charger with an integrated AC/DC power supply, but it is the best feature/price/performance combination that I have found. Not really enough oomph for high capacity 6S packs or 4C charge rates on A123 packs, but a very flexible and convenient for solution for 2S-4S which spans a lot of heli and plane uses.

[rcboosted]

Well spork, I just made a best offer to a seller at $85 on a sealed pack. To my surprise, he accepted it! ($97 shipped) Didn't think he would accept. So I won't be buying or selling the 2 extra cells.

[spork]

Thanks for the update. And good work getting those cells. I did get the 2 cells I needed, so I'll change the title of the thread now.