# Possible problem but where?



## OvalmanPA (Mar 21, 2000)

I am having a problem with my Reedy 3200 lipo/GFX/Equinox balancer setup and wondered if somebody could point me in the right direction. I'm thinking it's either a bat or balancer problem but not sure.

First I discharged the pack with the GFX (balancer hooked up) @ 6 amps. Checked the voltage on cells and one is 3.05 and other is 3.83. So I leave the balancer on until it finishes (balancer cuts off at 2.75). Seems the balancer is only working with one cell?? When I plug it in cell 1 and 2 LEDs light up (saying it's a 2 cell pack) but when I start the quick balance or whatever it's called only cell 1 lights up.  So I decide to charge the pack (balancer installed) and after 2546 mahr it kicks off with an error message. Voltage higher than set value or something like that. Measure cells and one is at 4.25 and other is at 4.01 for pack total of 8.26. So this is where I am. Is there a problem with the battery wiring, balancer connector, or balancer itself? This side of sending it to Hobbico, is there any other way of telling?


----------



## CClay1282 (Jan 5, 2006)

First of all if your cells are out of balance then the balancer will discharge one cell to bring it down to the voltage of the other cell. That is why only one cell light is on while balancing. Not sure about the cause of it being so far out of balance, but you might let the balancer get it balanced before you try to charge the pack.


----------



## OvalmanPA (Mar 21, 2000)

That's the problem though. It tries to "balance" the wrong cell. Like I said, after I discharged the pack (using the balancer between the charger and pack) I left the balancer on to do it's own "quick balance". When the pack was done with the initial discharge the voltages were 3.05 and 3.83. When I left the balancer on to do it's thing, rather than bringing the 3.83 cell down to the other it continued to bring down the 3.05 cell to 2.75 and shut off. This is why I decided to try and charge the pack and see if the balancer would balance the pack out that way. Instead it did not. See what I'm saying now? It seems as though there is a problem with the balancer?

I discharged each cell down to 3 volts individually today to get things back into balance (both read about 3.25v now).


----------



## CClay1282 (Jan 5, 2006)

I would take the balancer back to wherever you got it from then. Sounds like you have a bad balancer.


----------



## OvalmanPA (Mar 21, 2000)

That's what I'm afraid of. Looks like off to Hobby Services it goes.


----------



## katf1sh (Jan 17, 2002)

you should only charge balance....


----------



## CClay1282 (Jan 5, 2006)

katf1sh said:


> you should only charge balance....


because you know it all!


----------



## OvalmanPA (Mar 21, 2000)

Guess it doesn't matter which way I do it when the balancer doesn't work anyway. :lol:


----------



## jdearhart (May 11, 2006)

katf1sh said:


> you should only charge balance....



Yep! Only balance charge. It should only have one cell lit during a balance charge. IIRC, that is the cell it's balancing. I've always let mine charge up to around 8.20 volts, and then started the balance charge.


----------



## cneyedog (Jan 22, 2002)

CClay1282 said:


> because you know it all!


No actually Katf1sh is suggesting what Danny Sullivan of SMC suggests when balancing a Lipo pack, jdearhart suggests the same method.....as I do below.

Charge to 8.2 volts, then stop charging, hook up the equinox with the stock 2 amp connector that comes with it and finish the charge of the pack by balance charging @ 2amps.

you can go on over to the SMC thread here on hobbytalk if you'd like ask Danny yourself.


----------



## CClay1282 (Jan 5, 2006)

cneyedog said:


> No actually Katf1sh is suggesting what Danny Sullivan of SMC suggests when balancing a Lipo pack, jdearhart suggests the same method.....as I do below.
> 
> Charge to 8.2 volts, then stop charging, hook up the equinox with the stock 2 amp connector that comes with it and finish the charge of the pack by balance charging @ 2amps.
> 
> you can go on over to the SMC thread here on hobbytalk if you'd like ask Danny yourself.


It was a joke, but i get what your saying. But why balance charge at 2 amps? I have a hyperion and a trakpower balancer for my lipos and you can balance charge at 10 amps. Now i only do 5 amps. Is there a reason to balance charge at 2 amps? why not 5?


----------



## cneyedog (Jan 22, 2002)

the stock adapter for the 2C batteries that come with the equinox are only good for 2amps, they sell another thats good up to 6 amps. If you charge most of the pack up to 8.2 then finish the balancing @ 2amps it will save you from buying another adaptor.


----------

