How do you charge your mCPx batteries?

[aaronbru]

Do you use the stock setup?
Do you charge more than one at a time? Balance?
Do you charge at more than 1C?
Do you buy your charging rigs or make them yourself?

I just got an mCPX and have 6 batteries. I have the TP610AC charger but just started looking at the connectors and pre-made setups so I can charge multiple batteries at one time. I can solder, but I have limited experience and try to only do it when I'm in a bind.

I'm really just curious what everyone else does and how successful it has been.

[beeflyer2]

All you need is one of these:

http://epbuddy.com/index.php?main_pa...roducts_id=265

I charge at 2-3C.

[clough42]

I built a parallel charging board that can charge twelve batteries at once. I usually charge at around 2C. From a storage charge, that means I have as many packs as I want to fly in a session ready in about 15 minutes.

[beeflyer2]

Hmm, that gave me an idea. I think I will get another 6X harness and solder the two together in parallel so I can charge all my 12 packs at once.

[megawhacker]

I use a 6X harness...the tips I'd give are as follows:

1. It takes longer, but have your final constant voltage charge end at 0.1 C or lower. I found that my charger puts about 49 mah more into each battery with a 0.1 C cutoff than with a 0.5 C cutoff. When fully charged the batteries have a lot more zip in them.

2. Hook the 6X harness up as close to your charger as possible. Don't string together a bunch of adapters. The more wire leads you have between the batteries and the charger, the more resistance you have and the longer it takes to charge your batteries for a given charge rate. (because the 4.20 V transition to constant voltage is hit sooner and you spend more time with lower amps)

What 1. above means in practice is that if your charger has a minimum charge rate of 0.1 amp never charge less than 5 stock 200mah batteries at once. If you have a better charger that has a minimum charge rate of 0.05 amps never charge less than 3 stock 200mah batteries at once.

[UKHeliBob]

I charge up to 10 at a time in parallel using a combination of a lead like linked to above with extra sockets that I added myself. I generally charge at 1C when I have time and up to 3C when in a hurry.

[Naito]

I use the Turnigy Accucel-6 from HobbyKing, with a parallel charging board from Astroid Designs for my 250-300mah batteries, and a custom built serial charging balance cable for my 550 batts.

If I had time I'd probably reverse my serial/parallel charging habits and build another serial charging cable for the smaller batteries, and find a parallel charging board for the 550s. I find the smaller batteries are more sensitive to having identical voltages when parallel charging than the bigger ones. It's pretty easy to do but it's hard to find connectors for cheap enough to make building one worthwhile.

[GeKu]

Glad to see you have a decent charger. Stay away from the stock charger if you can. I have two of them and they both consistently overcharge to 4.21v. I think that is how a lot of people are seeing premature failures of their batteries.

[donzi]

if i use a low charging rate (1c or 2c) can i charge 3- 200mah and 3-300 mah at the same time? or is it better to have 2 separate charging sessions one for the 200's and one for the 300's

[GeKu]

Originally Posted by donzi

if i use a low charging rate (1c or 2c) can i charge 3- 200mah and 3-300 mah at the same time? or is it better to have 2 separate charging sessions one for the 200's and one for the 300's

Parallel yes, serial no. Just make sure the batteries are all in a simular state of discharge. So 1C charge would be 1.5A

[rbengines]

I thought you added the charge rate by the number of batteries in line. .7 per batteries times 6 equals 4.2amps.

[litehawkdown]

I have been charging my MCPX batteries on the stock and MSR 4 port charger on .1 since I got them. I got 1 year of use out of my 4 original batteries. I abused the heck out of them. I think they sat once for almost 3 weeks with a full charge as I waited for a new servo. I still use those 4 originals in my Champ and get 9 min of flight time.

[GeKu]

Originally Posted by rbengines

I thought you added the charge rate by the number of batteries in line. .7 per batteries times 6 equals 4.2amps.

The stock batteries are 200mah so a 1C charge rate for them would be at .2A. So, even though the manual says you can charge at .7A, you are really charging at 3.5C rate. To calculate 1C rate add up your mah then divide by 1000. If 2C take your 1C rate x2

[crowlikerufio]

Stock/depends on how fast/much I want to fly.

[Huma]

Originally Posted by litehawkdown

I have been charging my MCPX batteries on the stock and MSR 4 port charger on .1 since I got them. I got 1 year of use out of my 4 original batteries. I abused the heck out of them. I think they sat once for almost 3 weeks with a full charge as I waited for a new servo. I still use those 4 originals in my Champ and get 9 min of flight time.

I also have the MSR 4 port charger but I haven't used it yet as I didn't know what rate it charges at. How do you know what rate it uses? I've been charging them at .2 for the MCPX on the stock charger that came with it.

[GeKu]

Originally Posted by Huma

I also have the MSR 4 port charger but I haven't used it yet as I didn't know what rate it charges at. How do you know what rate it uses? I've been charging them at .2 for the MCPX on the stock charger that came with it.

Read this thread on rcgroups. It shows you how to open up the charger and adjust the charging ports.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1108545

[Varc]

Stock charger works well enough for me.

[RotorRat]

I use the Xtreme "Charging Cable for 3pcs mCPX Lipo (3s balance charger needed)".

This one:
http://www.xtreme-production.com/xtr...mart&Itemid=31

It lets you charge three batteries at a time in series with a balance plug using any good intelligent charger. The charger sees a 3s lipo.

[burnoutboy]

Originally Posted by RotorRat

It lets you charge three batteries at a time in series with a balance plug using any good intelligent charger. The charger sees a 3s lipo.

Do all of your batteries need to be near same voltage (say at or near LVC for instance) for the charger to not assume there's a error?

Whats the advantage to this as opposed to a regular parallel cable?

[Tasteles]

I think I can answer that one somewhat. Balance charging will keep check of the charge state and keep batteries charging evenly. To give an example, I had a bad battery that I was charging with a parallel cable and didn't know it was bad at first. I put the battery in my mcpx and it flew for about 30 seconds and got LVC. I thought that was strange so I thought maybe I didn't start the charger on them and didn't check the rest of the batteries. So I hooked them all up to the charger, 6 of them, and let them sit a few minutes to even them out. Startted the charger and it only charged for a few minutes. I thought hmm !!!! So i put the battery back in the mcpx and took off, again after abouot 30 seconds I hit LVC. Then I decided to try a different battery and it flew like it was supposed to.. Checked the first battery with a volt meter and it was low. So I then tried charging it by it's self and only took a couple minutes to say it was full. Tried it in the heli again and 30 seconds latter back at LVC...

Now think of how many amps I was putting into the other 5 batteries when that one wasn't taking aa charge. A balance cable would have prevented that.