Smoke from bc6!

[Shef]

DVM = ?

[SkipperWayne]

Digital Volt Meter.

[Shef]

HELP - So last night, I received my second multi-balancing adapter since my first one got fried. I was excited to try to charge two batteries on my BC6 so I first plugged in the battery balancing tabs into the adapter, then proceeded to plug the deans into the serial adapter (shown here)....plugged in the first batter (no problem) but when I plugged in the second battery, FLASH!!!!!!!!!

I immediately pulled the connector off and the batteries seemed to be ok, but still scared the crap out of me! I then had to re-solder a new deans on the second battery that flashed since it melted the connector.

WHAT DID I DO WRONG?? This shouldn't be that difficult. Should I be charging in parallel?

Thanks for your help.

[Shef]

Here's the cable I used.

[RC Accessory]

Originally Posted by Shef

HELP - So last night, I received my second multi-balancing adapter since my first one got fried. I was excited to try to charge two batteries on my BC6 so I first plugged in the battery balancing tabs into the adapter, then proceeded to plug the deans into the serial adapter (shown here)....plugged in the first batter (no problem) but when I plugged in the second battery, FLASH!!!!!!!!!

I immediately pulled the connector off and the batteries seemed to be ok, but still scared the crap out of me! I then had to re-solder a new deans on the second battery that flashed since it melted the connector.

WHAT DID I DO WRONG?? This shouldn't be that difficult. Should I be charging in parallel?

Thanks for your help.

The polarity is reversed on the serial cable, you have the cable oriented wrong.

Do you have the instruction maual for the multi battery board? This is explained in detail. We supply a printed manual with each Multi Battery connection board, also post the manual with the item on the web site, and have the video demo on the web site.

http://www.rcaccessory.com/pdf/eac14x_instructions.pdf

Video instructions:

Bantam e-Station Multi Battery Video Demo (2 min 16 sec)

[Shef]

Extremely Helpful, thank you! So are you saying I just had the two deans connectors reversed?

If it was just a flash that I saw, should I be worried about the LiPos or do you think I'm ok? They were Evo25-2170 3S.

Thanks again.

[RC Accessory]

Originally Posted by Shef

Extremely Helpful, thank you! So are you saying I just had the two deans connectors reversed?

If it was just a flash that I saw, should I be worried about the LiPos or do you think I'm ok? They were Evo25-2170 3S.

Thanks again.

All should be ok.

[Navajo31]

Hi all,
I had not ordered a (6S) balance board when i got my BC6 because it was not in stock.
I did order some connectors with wires and figured i could make my own balance unit.
There is a diagram in the manual that explain the balancing connection so I thought I could do it. There was a male balance connector available with 8 wires, that seem to be needed on the BC6

I let smoke escape when I connected my home made balancing connector.
I opened up the charger, and noticed that the track on the PCB going to the second pin (seen from above, from top of charger) on the balance connector had exploded.
My balance connector is a TP/FP type, using a 4 pin connector for 3S cells or the first 3 cells on an S6 pack and a second (6 pin) connector for the last 3 cells on an S6 pack

On my own balance connector i soldered pin 1 on the S4-S6 part, to the ground wire (pin 2 on the charger) The lead on the first wire of the second balance connector was also black, so I figured this would be ground.
Well it is ground for the 4th cell, but also + for cell 3.
In this arrangement, i put 12V on the ground connector of the balance circuit.hence the smoke
Fortunately, it just blew out the copper track on the PCB, acting like a fuse.

SHEF, I saw on your balance board that the same pin was blackened on your board as the one what caused my short circuit.

The repair!
I repaired the charger, using a thin wire, to connect pin 2 (internelly) on the balance connector to the ground connector, that is was origionally connected to.
By reversing your Y connector you did the same thing effectively.

I think this charger could do with a fuse on this connector.
I also figured, you dont really need a special "2 X 3S" balance board. At least for the FP/TP type connector.

Just hook up the 1st bat to earth on the Y cable, and to balance 3S (top connector in picture) and the 2nd to the large connector (lower right inpicture) for S6. Connect the 2dn bat to positive on the Y cable, and done!
I just tried it. I can now use my homemade balancing cable and my multiplex board for 2 X 3S or 6S.
I Use FP, KP, Outrage batts. The 6S E-sky/Align is different, and there you need different connectors, but you could bake your own balancing connector and or 2X 3S for the Align ones as well.

I also soldered a connector from the BC6 to a connector for my multiplex balance board.
I noticed that the first black wire in not needed, the Multiplex board used only 7 pins for 6S Easy as that.

I wrote all this down just to say it is possible, but try at your own risk!!!!!!
It might nog even be worth while!!!
Balancing boards are not expensive.
The cost of blowing things up can be a lot higer.

Good luck.

[wannaheli]

I smoked mine today doing something very stupid. I reversed the main charge leads. The unit was not plugged in but the charge lead was reversed and then I plugged in the balance board. Zap and smoke! The balance board melted a pin and I saw smoke coming out of the charger. I contacted Evan and got a reply in about 10 minutes on a Sunday. He is one hard working dude. Anyway, the unit still works. Amazing! I'll still send it in because something smoked and I want to take care of it. Evan gets a for his service.

[RC Accessory]

The e-Station chargers do have reverse polarity protection on the balancer and main output leads, but only 1 can be plugged in at a time. It doesn't make the order that you connect everything together, but you should do 1 thing at a time.

For example, plug in the main leads or plug the battery into the balancer first. Once connected, then connect the other. Personally, I connect the mains first. Why? With the balancer you cannot plug it in backwards. The mains you can since the output is 4mm banana plugs. If you do connect it backwards you get a "REV POLARITY" and loud beeping.

[wannaheli]

Originally Posted by RC Accessory

The e-Station chargers do have reverse polarity protection on the balancer and main output leads, but only 1 can be plugged in at a time. It doesn't make the order that you connect everything together, but you should do 1 thing at a time.

For example, plug in the main leads or plug the battery into the balancer first. Once connected, then connect the other. Personally, I connect the mains first. Why? With the balancer you cannot plug it in backwards. The mains you can since the output is 4mm banana plugs. If you do connect it backwards you get a "REV POLARITY" and loud beeping.

Evan,

This means that the charger has to be plugged in and turned on first, correct? My mistake was that I plugged in the mains and then the balancer while the charger was off (power was not plugged in). Since the unit was off I never got the "REV POLARITY" warning. In spite of the smoke, the charger still works. How durable is this thing? Amazing!

[RC Accessory]

Originally Posted by wannaheli

Evan,

This means that the charger has to be plugged in and turned on first, correct? My mistake was that I plugged in the mains and then the balancer while the charger was off (power was not plugged in). Since the unit was off I never got the "REV POLARITY" warning. In spite of the smoke, the charger still works. How durable is this thing? Amazing!

That would explain why you did not see the warning. Yes, you should power the unit on first so the built in protection such as Reverse Poalrity will work.

lol.... appears to be very durable! Last year when I was developing the Multi Battery adapters, I shorted the balancer numerous times on my unit (BC-6) and let the smoke out several times. The unit continued to work. I do suggest that you do not let any of the magic smoke out though .

[PeterE]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but the same thing happened to my BC6 last weekend. I'd just charged a couple of 3S packs with the balance board, put another couple on to charge so the charger was on but smoke poured out the vent. Whipped the mains cable out and it won't charge using the balance board now. It will charge single packs but not balance them. I opened the BC6 up today and found the below, guess it's new charger time.. No idea what I did wrong..

[RC Accessory]

Originally Posted by PeterE

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but the same thing happened to my BC6 last weekend. I'd just charged a couple of 3S packs with the balance board, put another couple on to charge so the charger was on but smoke poured out the vent. Whipped the mains cable out and it won't charge using the balance board now. It will charge single packs but not balance them. I opened the BC6 up today and found the below, guess it's new charger time.. No idea what I did wrong..

Sounds like you were series charging. The main leads were hooked up backwards so there was a reverse polarity on the main leans. The neg power lead from the charger must go to battery 1. You had it connected to battery 2. When this happens, one of the resisitor rows on the balancer blows out.

[MinskUK]

I've had the same this evening when trying charged a couple of 3S packs. Pluged in and smoke poured out the vent. Whipped out all the cables but it was too late. I'm sure I hadn't inadvertently reversed polarity but irrespective, a row of resistor have burntout. Will replacing these resolve the problem or is further damage caused?