Charger Discharge Amps Too low

[Crash2much]

Hi, I have a Voltz 5250/icharger 106b. There are a few options to discharge my lipos. Regardless of the amps I select, it only shows .6 amps in the window. So I go to the setup and there is an option to go up to 80 watts only, now it discharges at .8 amps, what gives? The specs read that it can discharge up to 7 amps??

Thanks

[The WoodCrafter]

Most any charger discharges very slowly.
And depending on the pack voltage, the discharge watts/amp will change.
As far as I know a 106B will discharge up to 20W.
Pretty low.

[Gregor99]

The discharge limits are usually listed in watts and amps. These are two different limits and you are likely to hit one before the other. Rarely both at the same time. Example if you discharging a 1s LiPo, to calculate the expected current divide the 20 watts by nominal pack voltage 4v. That gives you 5 amps. For 3s pack, it'd be 1.6 amps (12/20). For a 6s pack it'd be 0.8 amps (24/20).

To get to the full 7 amps at 20 watts you'd need a single cell at 2.85v. Odd, I know. But sometimes the component selection made by the manufacture ends up with a few specs which may not make perfect sense to the general public. A few components may be able to take a full 7 amps. While others involved in the discharge circuit cannot only take 20 watts. As this charger can also discharge A123 packs, perhaps the max ratings makes more sense discharging a single A123 cell.

If you want more discharge capabilities, you might try the regen discharge feature. Not sure if the Voltz firmware supports this. But it can be done with the iChargers, athough some many require a firmware upgrade which carries its own risk and challenges. Also you might be better off to consider building a stand alone discharger.

Some examples:
http://www.tjinguytech.com/my-projec...ipo-discharger
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1131817
http://rc.runryder.com/helicopter/t694185p1/

[Crash2much]

ok, thanks