New Bantam e-Station Support Forum

[united737pilot]

Can't seem to charge any faster than 1C at best!!!

On my TP 6S 5000's it will only charge at 2.3amps!

It is a BC6. Any ideas what's up?

[RC Accessory]

Originally Posted by united737pilot

Can't seem to charge any faster than 1C at best!!!

On my TP 6S 5000's it will only charge at 2.3amps!

It is a BC6. Any ideas what's up?

Working as it is suppose to. The BC-6 is a 50 watt charger.

volts x amps = watts

22.2V x 5 amps = 111 watts. Max charge rate on the BC-6 on a 6S pack is 2.2 amps.

[Wirestealth]

Hi !

I need to buy another charger.
Im seeking for an e-station BC6-10 new in box good price in EUROPE

Please help me to find a good store


Thanks

Nuno from
portugal

[RC Accessory]

Originally Posted by canizes

Hi !

I need to buy another charger.
Im seeking for an e-station BC6-10 new in box good price in EUROPE

Please help me to find a good store


Thanks

Nuno from
portugal

Here you go: http://www.fun-models.com/shop/index...ain_page=index They are in Belgium.

We do ship to Europe. Shipping from the US via EMS (Express Mail) is $40.00.

[Andy01]

I have a few questions about using the Fast Charge feature on my Bantam BC6.

1. If I use this feature with a 3s LiPo battery, does it balance the battery during the fast charge (assuming I plug in the balance lead) ?
2. I have heard that using Fast Charge it only charges to 90% of the battery's capacity - is this correct ?

The reason I am interested in using Fast Charge is because there seems to be a problem with my EAC144 - it is taking longer and longer to complete the balance of the batteries. It used to take about 55 minutes, but now can take more than 120 minutes. Once I stopped the charge after 630 minutes because it seemed fully charged and the indivual cell voltages were rapidly changing from 3.96V to 4.19V to 4.05V to 4.17V to 3.99V etc etc. I have read on HeliFreak somewhere that it because of the poor quality of the balance boards, and after a while the connections on the small circuit board wear or become damaged causing the balance feature to "hunt" and take much longer.

I have only charged 72 3s batteries with my EAC144 so it seems very odd that the balance board is only lasting this long. I tried to use the second 3s plug in port on the balance board, but the charger gives an error message "Battery Vol Error Cell Connect". I can only assume (the manual is not very clear) that this means that the second 3s plug in port can only be used when charging two 3s batteries at the same time.

Do you have any comments on the problem with the excessively long time for balancing and the apparent problem with the balance board EAC144 ? I certainly do not want to have to replace the balance board every 3 months (at $12 each time) - it would be cheaper to get a different charger that does not have this problem.

Appreciate any help with this one.

Thanks
Colin

[RC Accessory]

Originally Posted by Andy01

I have a few questions about using the Fast Charge feature on my Bantam BC6.

1. If I use this feature with a 3s LiPo battery, does it balance the battery during the fast charge (assuming I plug in the balance lead) ?
2. I have heard that using Fast Charge it only charges to 90% of the battery's capacity - is this correct ?

The reason I am interested in using Fast Charge is because there seems to be a problem with my EAC144 - it is taking longer and longer to complete the balance of the batteries. It used to take about 55 minutes, but now can take more than 120 minutes. Once I stopped the charge after 630 minutes because it seemed fully charged and the indivual cell voltages were rapidly changing from 3.96V to 4.19V to 4.05V to 4.17V to 3.99V etc etc. I have read on HeliFreak somewhere that it because of the poor quality of the balance boards, and after a while the connections on the small circuit board wear or become damaged causing the balance feature to "hunt" and take much longer.

I have only charged 72 3s batteries with my EAC144 so it seems very odd that the balance board is only lasting this long. I tried to use the second 3s plug in port on the balance board, but the charger gives an error message "Battery Vol Error Cell Connect". I can only assume (the manual is not very clear) that this means that the second 3s plug in port can only be used when charging two 3s batteries at the same time.

Do you have any comments on the problem with the excessively long time for balancing and the apparent problem with the balance board EAC144 ? I certainly do not want to have to replace the balance board every 3 months (at $12 each time) - it would be cheaper to get a different charger that does not have this problem.

Appreciate any help with this one.

Thanks
Colin

1). Yes. The balancer is active in the Fast Charge program.
2). No, it charges to approx 95%.

When using the any of the Multi Battey boards, the 2 packs MUST BE IDENTICAL in voltage. If not, the charger see's this as an out of balance 6S pack and the balacing time will be increased.

You cannot use sockts B2 by itself, you can use sockets B1 to charge 1 3S pack or 1 2S pack.

Increased resistance is usually caused by wear and tear on the boards from the taps not being properly pulled out and hence "rocking" the tap out of the socket.

If your EAC144 board is now having this issue, it would be the very first one for the Align style tap. This is a known issue for the TP tap due to the clip that locks it in place.

Readyheli?? I did not know they had a forum, they don't have our products so I'm not following what that means. The quality of the boards and products is top notch. The problems regarding the boards are specificly from the boards being abused from the way they are being handled. One customer sent me a board back demanding a replacement when you can rock the sockets back and forth.

If the voltages displayed are jumping around as you say, then the board needs replaced.

[Andy01]

Thanks for the response.

I originally typed RedyHeli in error and edited my posted (see your quote above) to read HeliFreak.

I make a point of pulling out the balance plugs quite carefully and straight out (or so I think). They have never been used by anyone but me, and never in the field (only in the house), so I don't think they have been abused. The female sockets on both EAC144 and EAC seem to be very firm with no movement on the board at all.

I have an EAC149 for my Kong Power 2200s as well, and if anything the balance plugs do not seem to be as tight as the Align type plugs. It has taken a bit longer (around 75 minutes) to balance a KP2200 at times, but never more than 100 minutes, and I have never seen it jumping around in voltage.

Even the Align board does not do it every time. I keep full flight and battery charge records and it is probably about 40% of the Align type charges that take excessively long, and only twice where the voltage has been jumping.

Is it possible to repair / re-solder the connections to the balance board ?

Cheers
Colin

[Quah]

I just bought the new version of the bantam BC6 charger , and i'm using it to charge my 3s 2200mah LiPo at 2.2A.
dose it means i'm charging the pack at 1C?

Thanks

[RC Accessory]

Originally Posted by Quah

I just bought the new version of the bantam BC6 charger , and i'm using it to charge my 3s 2200mah LiPo at 2.2A.
dose it means i'm charging the pack at 1C?

Thanks

Yes. C= capacity. 1C = 1 x capacity
2200 mah = 2.2 ah

[Quah]

Thanks ,thats exactly what i needed to know!

[mk1spitfire]

When can you use the b6 10 charger to its full 200 watt capability,since most lipos only let you charge at 1c.? I would like to try outrage packs, I don'y know if they could safely handle a greater 'c' charge, in particular the 22v 3000 pack. I believe flight power packs let you charge at a higher 'c'?

What size main amp supply is required to satisfy a full 200w demand from charger?

[RC Accessory]

Originally Posted by mk1spitfire

When can you use the b6 10 charger to its full 200 watt capability,since most lipos only let you charge at 1c.? I would like to try outrage packs, I don'y know if they could safely handle a greater 'c' charge, in particular the 22v 3000 pack. I believe flight power packs let you charge at a higher 'c'?

What size main amp supply is required to satisfy a full 200w demand from charger?

Typically you would max out the wattage using A123 packs. I charge all my A123's at full 10 amps. I charge my 6S Kokam 30C 4000 packs at 2C which is 8 amps, which is 178 watts of the 200 available. Soon I will have Flightpower 6S 5000 which I will use all the power the BC6-10 can deliver and still not be at 2C.

I'm not sure what the actual demand on the power supply would be, maybe 23 amps. I use a 30 Amp power supply myself.

Evan

[mk1spitfire]

Originally Posted by RC Accessory

Typically you would max out the wattage using A123 packs. I charge all my A123's at full 10 amps. I charge my 6S Kokam 30C 4000 packs at 2C which is 8 amps, which is 178 watts of the 200 available. Soon I will have Flightpower 6S 5000 which I will use all the power the BC6-10 can deliver and still not be at 2C.

I'm not sure what the actual demand on the power supply would be, maybe 23 amps. I use a 30 Amp power supply myself.

Evan

Hi Evan, thanks for your informative reply.

Are A123 packs lipos? Life?, lilo???

[RC Accessory]

Originally Posted by mk1spitfire

Hi Evan, thanks for your informative reply.

Are A123 packs lipos? Life?, lilo???

Li-Fe.

[mk1spitfire]

Originally Posted by RC Accessory

Li-Fe.

cheers, how did they end up becoming a123? bit confusing

[RC Accessory]

Originally Posted by mk1spitfire

cheers, how did they end up becoming a123? bit confusing

The chemistry is Li-Fe. Lithium Iron Nanophosphate.

A123 refers to the name of the company that developed the cells, www.a123systems.com

[mk1spitfire]

Originally Posted by RC Accessory

The chemistry is Li-Fe. Lithium Iron Nanophosphate.

A123 refers to the name of the company that developed the cells, www.a123systems.com

WOW, !!! Trippy stuff

Maybe Fe is the chemical name?

I know nothing of these cells only the voltage is slightly lower and can be charged faster.

Are they hard shelled and the future?

[RC Accessory]

Originally Posted by mk1spitfire

WOW, !!! Trippy stuff

Maybe Fe is the chemical name?

I know nothing of these cells only the voltage is slightly lower and can be charged faster.

Are they hard shelled and the future?

http://a123systems.textdriven.com/pr...UGUST_2008.pdf

[mk1spitfire]

Originally Posted by RC Accessory

http://a123systems.textdriven.com/pr...UGUST_2008.pdf

cool, thanks for that. I will have a look to see if they have reached our shores in the uk.

They can certainly bang out the high current

[savagejair]

Hi. My name is Jerry. I am looking into one of the Bantam chargers bc6/bc610.



My Question is this: Is there a safe way to use the charger on 110v. Or how come they don't make many to work at home?