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Electric Stunt => Gettin all AMP'ed up! => Topic started by: Paul Taylor on December 03, 2013, 09:03:46 PM

Title: Trying to figure out what caused the fireworks
Post by: Paul Taylor on December 03, 2013, 09:03:46 PM
I was hooking up two 4s batteries to my parallel board and when I plugged in the second battery it arced in the top corner of the circuit board. Lost one side.  >:(
I must admit I was on the phone but dont know how I could plugged something up bass ackwards.

Anyone have any ideas?
Title: Re: Trying to figure out what caused the fireworks
Post by: Curare on December 03, 2013, 10:40:03 PM
I've accidentally plugged in the balance leads backwards, you won't get them in all the way, but you'll get them close enough to create a nice POW and a black mark on your tap.

Title: Re: Trying to figure out what caused the fireworks
Post by: Paul Taylor on December 04, 2013, 06:18:20 AM
Maybe that's it. 
Note to self. Hook up tap first.
Title: Re: Trying to figure out what caused the fireworks
Post by: Howard Rush on December 04, 2013, 01:09:21 PM
I think parallel boards without fuses or circuitry that monitors voltages before making contact are a bad idea.  First, the balancer connectors we use are OK for other uses where connecting them backwards is benign, but are a bad design for the parallel board application.  I color-coded my board so I wouldn't get a balance connector backward, and I am careful not to connect batteries at different states of charge, but I still toasted a trace.  Do something less dangerous while you talk on the phone-- like driving a car. 
Title: Re: Trying to figure out what caused the fireworks
Post by: FLOYD CARTER on December 04, 2013, 02:40:13 PM
The safe method is to charge only one battery at a time, like I do.
Title: Re: Trying to figure out what caused the fireworks
Post by: Curare on December 04, 2013, 10:07:22 PM
Oh yeah, I'm a big advocate of fused parrallel chraging boards like the Revoelctrix MPA

http://www.revolectrix.com/MPA_XH.htm

I also like the fact that the max transfer rate between packs is fuse limited to 40 amps, which is something to consider if you inadvertently plug in a fresh pack and a drained one. The packs will instantaneously try and level their voltage, and you may end up having a massive current go through the leads, but with the fuses, you'll more than likely blow a fuse before you blow a pack.


Also, as an aside, I think that most of the balance connections are a little too solid, in that they can be hard to remove, and you may end up bending your fingernails backwards trying to get them off (yeowch!)

I taken to using these neat little connector protectors, which give you more meat to grip and look fairly tidy too.

http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__19943__Balance_Plug_Savers_JST_XH_6s_5pc_Per_Bag_.html

These are 6s ones (the first ones I found) but you can get them in any size you like.

These days I've pretty much realised that I'm a massive dumbass, and whatever I can do (buy borrow or make) to ensure that my dumbassery is foiled at every turn, I do. I have far less problems this way than thinking I'm better than that  :)

Title: Re: Trying to figure out what caused the fireworks
Post by: Keith Miller on December 21, 2013, 08:11:03 AM
Maybe that's it. 
Note to self. Hook up tap first.

Note to self - when on the phone, don't work on batteries.  ;D
Title: Re: Trying to figure out what caused the fireworks
Post by: M Spencer on December 22, 2013, 05:52:47 AM
Didnt the phone work as a camera . ?
 VD~