balance connector came off

[bpd964]

My TP2100 balance connector came off.. is there any hope or should I just discharge and trash it?

Thanks..

[Jupiter20060]

I'm new to all this stuff.I have a TP 1320 Lipo my wire came off to .But I have been charging and flying. Havent noticed nothing wrong .But I don't have a balancer.So I don't guess I'd know anything wrong.But it does charge and seems to work fine :roll:

[bpd964]

I'd be a little concerned about charging a lipo without balancing. You may run into a problem with cells being overcharged or overdischarged.. When you are finished charging the battery, you will have no idea if all cells are equally charged so when you use it, it can deplete a cell too low and damage it permanently....

[HPSOV2]

If you're confident it wouldn't be hard to re-attach the wire.

Otherwise just use the pack without balancing, whats the worst that could happen? Lifespan gets shortened due to imbalance. That sounds like a better option than just trashing the pack! And in my experience TP (and other good brand) packs dont go out of balance anyway.

[bpd964]

If you're confident it wouldn't be hard to re-attach the wire.

Otherwise just use the pack without balancing, whats the worst that could happen? Lifespan gets shortened due to imbalance. That sounds like a better option than just trashing the pack! And in my experience TP (and other good brand) packs dont go out of balance anyway.

I'm not.. not confident with working with damaged lipos at all.. Besides, I would have to open the wrapping to get to the solder point. I freak out a little when I hook them up to my charger because I know they can be volatile..

[HydroJoe]

I have repaired a lipo pack. It will require soldering aluminum (with most types of cells.) So if you are not comfortable doing regular soldering,I wouldnt even bother with it. To solder aluminum you need special flux and good soldering tecnique. I also dont think it's a very good idea to use it without being able to balance. Could be dangerous.

[bpd964]

Now soldering is something that I can do well (pats self on back).. If I knew how to open it up I think i'd be willing to try it...

[HydroJoe]

Now soldering is something that I can do well (pats self on back).. If I knew how to open it up I think i'd be willing to try it...

Well then, mabey there is hope. The thing to watch out for inside the lipo is shorting out the tabs on the cells. You can mask the tabs you are not working on to be safe.

Cut the clear shink around the top of the pack (by the discharge leads) down about an inch. Then cut the material on the very top of the pack were the wires go in. Cut it all the way to the otherside so you can open up the top of the pack. You then have access to the tabs. Take a look at where the remaining balance leads are connected and see if you can find where the loose one came from. I repaired a FP lipo so im not sure if they are same internally as a TP. I also fixed a different problem different than yours. So....I cant really describe what you do from there.

Let me just say as a disclaimer...This can be dangerous. If you don't feel comfortable, don't do it. I did mine at work with a good soldering setup and a Halon fire extinguisher handy.

You will also need an adjustable iron...The flux for aluminum burns at around 550 deg if I remember correct. I will post later with what I used for flux and solder If your still interested in doing it.

[bpd964]

Cover me.... I'm going in!


There is a pretty nice setup in the garage at work so I am going to give it a shot.. They have all the fire/safety equipment and barrels of sand as well.. I will photo and document the process.. Thank you for the advice and encouragement..

[HydroJoe]

Cover me.... I'm going in!


There is a pretty nice setup in the garage at work so I am going to give it a shot.. They have all the fire/safety equipment and barrels of sand as well.. I will photo and document the process.. Thank you for the advice and encouragement..

Do you have solder/flux for aluminum soldering? Here is where I got my supply.... H&N Electronics (http://www.ccis.com/home/hn) Aluminum oxide builds up fast and regular solder/flux wont cut it. Practice on aluminum foil before attempting. Good Luck!

[bpd964]

Yup.. GTG.. good to go..

Thank you

[bpd964]

HydroJoe, I want to thank you again.. I took it apart and now on to the soldering.. It was actually pretty easy.. Thanks again..

[bpd964]

Soldering done and the balance plug is working!!!!:thumbup:

Thank you

[HydroJoe]

Good Job! Glad I could help.

[Graiskye]

I had the same thing happen to a 2 cell 800 pack I have.
You have to keep in mind, that they are just batteries. Someone, a person, soldered the pack together. The fire hazards come into play with lipos with overcharging, over drawing amps,basically abuse and misuse. Charging a 2 or 3 cell pack without balancing is not recommended for good life, but probably is alright, safety wise. Look at the plethora of 3 and 3 cell no balance chargers on the market, and just imagine how many of them are going right now.
Good luck, I just discovered my first puffed pack tonight, noticed the last few flights with the battery it seemed to be losing its balls.
Puffed, dangit.
-Grais.