Lithium care?

[BrianG]

Doh! Of course I'd buy from Mike if I was not blind! I just went through there and didn't see it. :007: Plus, it's way cheaper than my LHS. It must contain a DC-DC converter since 5s is over the supply voltage. It's just so small though! Does it heat up? My MRC Superbrain 959 heats up a bit when charging at ~3A or higher.

As far as AC/DC operation, I can use the 12v line from an old ATX computer power supply, or even build a linear supply easily enough - I was just hoping for a one-piece design.

It doesn't look like that particular model has a balancer, and Mike doesn't have a 5s capable balancer. Is there one you recommend? I'll see if Mike can get it instead of ordering it somewhere else.

So, how does a balancer actually work? If one cell is too high, does it simply shut off the charge voltage to the whole pack, or does it stop charging just the one cell?

Thanks Squee!