2 FlightPower 5s in series for TP 210 balancer....

[nregjeb]

I thought hooking two 5s FP batteries in series for a TP 210 balancer would be fairly straight forward. But I must be missing something.

I just wanted to check the cells without putting on the charger. The FP's I have are using TP balance plugs. I used bank2. Plugged one battery in group-B first. Then plugged the second 5s in to group-A. The balancer does the start beep. Then flashes red lights and a yellow light as if cells are in balance. But. only 9 lights. Light 6 doesn't light. reading though data cable to charger. the 1010 shows it as a 9 cell battery.

But, check each battery individually as 5 cells and each checks out properly as a 5 cell in balance. What am I missing? I know you can hook 2 5s in series on the TP 210. However I can't get it to work as I expect.

I appreciate any input.

[mudbogger2]

Sounds like a bad balancer if each pack reads fine as a 5s pack but only 9s when both are hooked up to it.

[nregjeb]

That's what I thought initially. But I have two 210 balancers...one two days old and the other used by me for about 8 months. They both do exactly the same thing. However, I have never used them to read a 10s battery before. So, I can't count out the possibility that both may not working correctly.

Are you saying you use a 210 and have plugged two individual 5s into bank-2 using group-A and group-B correctly reading them as 10s? If so I might have two malfunctioning 210's.

I do not have the batteries hooked to a Y connector on the discharge / charging wires. I was planning to charge them in series. I wanted to hook them to one balance to get them close in voltage before wiring them in series.

I guess I could charge them in parallel then hook them in series. I thought my original plan would work.

[Pinecone]

You have to connect the two main plugs in series also. Otherwise you are missing a connection, since the balancer expects that cell 5 and 6 are connected in the pack.

[nregjeb]

You have to connect the two main plugs in series also. Otherwise you are missing a connection, since the balancer expects that cell 5 and 6 are connected in the pack.

Thanks Pinecone....I was hoping it was that simple.

[WillJames]

connect bank B before Bank A, but make damn sure ou have the main leads for A and B correct b efore you start the charge.

[nregjeb]

Thanks Will, Yes...I have my A and B stickers here waiting to be put on the balance leads and the wire harness. I hadn't made a harness yet and wanted to make sure both packs were as close in voltage as possible before I hooked them up.

And actually I just finished making the Y harness and hooking up the first pair. Everything went almost as expected. The balancer worked showed all 10 cells.

But when I hooked the harness to the 1010 after about 15 seconds there was an audible 'pop' and a little smoke from the 1010. I figured all was lost. unplugged and rechecked the harness 5 or 6 times. Everything looked good.

So I hooked up a 6 cell and tried to charge...IT STILL WORKED!. So I plugged the 10 cell back into the charger. And checked balance....it read the batteries. Next I tried to charge. To my surprise it started the charge. I don't know what the 'pop' and smoke was about. I'm Still scared that the charger was damaged.

I know something in the charger has to not be correct. But, I don't know what.

I am going to completely charge a 6 cell. If that works..I will try the 10 cell again.

Thanks for everyone's help.

-------
Edit....I think I found out what popped and smoked. The charger no longer will discharge. Which isn't a big problem. I don't use the 1010 to discharge anyway. But, charging functions seem to work correctly. whew!!!