WhataNut FMA PowerLab8 1000W charger

[MindThoughts]

Thank you for the picture and detailed account of your experience.

What will you do next, in order to repair the damaged part? It may be a very low fee to send the charger back in to the manufacturer for a repair estimate, and or maybe this part could be processed under warranty. I do not know for sure. I also wonder if any aditional part or parts may have been damaged, beyond the one piece we can see in the picture. What are your thoughts about this at this point in time?

Note: Now that Thunder Power is offering their G6 series LiPo battery which can accept a 12c balanced charge rate, with said no discernible cycle life loss, nor battery damage- I'm very interested if our PowerLab 8 CellPro Chargers can accept another Firmware update which would allow this model charger to charge at an amperage of possibly 50amps, or even 60amps; or more.

I remember speaking with FMA Direct's Tech Support Howard Matos. Howard at that time- which was many months before the PowerLab 8 Charger was released for sale, and FMA Direct was accepting pre order payments at a reduced price to anyone that would like to pay in advance. I had ask Howard why they did not make the charger more powerful than 30amps- which at that time was the said limit of the chargers power, abilities; and potential. Howard explain that the 30amps was the safe limit of charging power for the hardware in the charger.

Many months later after I received my PowerLab 8 charger, I learn that there was a firmware update which permit an additional 10amps of charging power. Simply with a five minute free firmware update to the charger, now permitting a 40amp balanced charge rate.

When I ask Howard how this was possible, when he had previously explain to me that the hardware would not handle any more power; Howard then explain that this was previously kept secret in order that anyone building chargers that would match the original 30amps of power, would no longer be able to compete with the now more powerful 40amp PowerLab 8. And sure enough- I've seen a couple different 30amp chargers on the market- but only the CellPro PowerLab 8 can balance charge at 40amps.

This makes me wonder if the CellPro PowerLab 8 is still capable of more power by way of an additional firmware update, than the now 40amp limit of the charger. I still find it quite amazing that I use to go to the RC track with a small case of batteries and five chargers, all charging at 1c or 5amps for a 5000mah LiPo. Now I bring my one PowerLab 8 40amp 1344watt Balance Charger, and two- 2cells, running one 2cell while charging the other. In my 1/8th scale Hyper 9E I'm running 18 minutes at race speeds with the 50c 5200mah 2cell batteries, and the charger is always complete with charging well before I get back to the pit area for a battery change. The 50c 5200mah cells are the G4 technology, I believe. Thunder Power already has the G6 series available and these newer technology batteries can accept a 12c quick charge rating.

The next test I will be conducting will be running a battery with just enough Mah(+ a little extra Mah to prevent from overdischarging the battery) to complete a 5 minute qualifier, and possibly another battery with the minimum Mah/Capacity to complete a 7 minute main. Based on the fact that my run time is 18 minutes, and I'm charging 4500Mah back into the 5200mah 2cell(note LiPo cut-off set to 3.3volts per cell) on the Mamba Max Pro Speed Control- I may be able to use one 2cell 3300Mah or possibly one 3cell 3300Mah 65c if extra power is needed. This minimizing of battery capacity/Mah would be primarily to reduce unused- weight(battery capacity) in the qualifier and main race.

Note: The reason I'm able to run one- 2cell LiPo in a 1/8th scale buggy is because I believe the full carbon fiber kit(by Matrix Concepts Inc) reduces the overall weight of the buggy enough that I'm able to also run a short course truck motor(Steve Neu/Castle) 1409 1Y 3600kv which is the same exact size as the Novak 17.5 stock 2wheel drive 1/10th scale buggy motor- in terms of outer motor can diameter and length, and weighs only 219grams- and has a 5mm pinion gear shaft(accepts Mod 1 Pinion Gears). The buggy is as fast, if not faster than any of the buggies running standard 1/8th scale motors- powered by 4cell at 14.8volts.

PS. If anyone is aware of a Balancing Charger which charges at a rate beyond 40amps, please post onto this thread the link and any information. Even if the model is not yet released- but in the design stage of the process :) any information will be greatly appreciated. As said by other RC enthusiasts the world over- a huge step in the right direction would be to integrate the power
supply into these high powered balance chargers.

[snellemin]

I've allready repaired the Powerlab. It would of taken more time and cost more for me to send it out to get repaired. With me ordering the parts from Digikey, I was only out of a high amp charger for a few days, instead of a few weeks.

It would be nice to have a 50A option. Not so much to charge a single pack at 50A, but for parallel charging. Currently I'm charging four 5000mah 4s packs in parallel. I could make a new board, so I can do charge the 4 packs as two 8s packs. But I would need one hell of a power supply to do so.

[JERRY2KONE]

Originally Posted by snellemin

I've allready repaired the Powerlab. It would of taken more time and cost more for me to send it out to get repaired. With me ordering the parts from Digikey, I was only out of a high amp charger for a few days, instead of a few weeks.

It would be nice to have a 50A option. Not so much to charge a single pack at 50A, but for parallel charging. Currently I'm charging four 5000mah 4s packs in parallel. I could make a new board, so I can do charge the 4 packs as two 8s packs. But I would need one hell of a power supply to do so.

ha ha ha lights go dim, and a few seconds later the city goes dark. Dammit snell is charging his Lipos again.

[snellemin]

Yea, I've tripped the HP power supply allready. I'm almost wanting to use four of those HP power supplies and configure it for 2s2p....24V@94A. That also means that I would need a beefed up power outlet in my garage and set of earplugs for those crazy fans.

[feistyacorn]

I just received my Powerlab 8 and Iota DLS-27-25. Man, this is one bad ass setup! As an fyi, Nankin Hobby has a $25 off coupon and free shipping on the Powerlab 8 combo 2 so you can get it all for ~$255.

Also, Revo now has a USA warehouse so we dont have to pay crazy shipping charges from Singapore. http://www.usastore.revolectrix.com/

[MindThoughts]

That's great news indeed. Thank you for the information :)

I am amazed at how many people at the track don't realize this charger is available and balance charges at 40amps.

This charger has made it possible for me to bring one back pack, which I put a few tools, a couple extra parts, my car stand, one set of tires(I keep in a zip lock baggy to keep the tires from drying out), my 42amp common sense rc power supply($125.oo at Common Sense RC Web Site), My CellPro PowerLab 8 Charger, and Three Thunder Power G4 50c 5200mah 2cell LiPo's(I only need two LiPo's but I bring three for the time one of the batteries begins to eventually lose power, though it's been one year and these little power cells are still going strong + Thunder Power extended their warranty to 2 years woohoo).

Whereas I use to bring five chargers to the track and a case of LiPo's in order that I would always have at least one battery charged and ready to go; and I would be able to run back to back batteries at the track- all day. This(CellPro PowerLab 8) Charger Is Awesome.

I hope the next model has the ability to Balance Charge at 100Amps. At the rate LiPo and LifePo4 chemistry batteries are advancing- it will not be long until LiPo's can charge in less than five minutes. Though I'm very happy with my 7 to 10 minute 30amp charging I've been doing :) As it is, the batteries I'm running cannot even take full advantage of the full 40amp's ability of my charger lol.

Originally Posted by feistyacorn

I just received my Powerlab 8 and Iota DLS-27-25. Man, this is one bad ass setup! As an fyi, Nankin Hobby has a $25 off coupon and free shipping on the Powerlab 8 combo 2 so you can get it all for ~$255.

Also, Revo now has a USA warehouse so we dont have to pay crazy shipping charges from Singapore. http://www.usastore.revolectrix.com/

[whitrzac]

Originally Posted by snellemin

Yea, I've tripped the HP power supply allready. I'm almost wanting to use four of those HP power supplies and configure it for 2s2p....24V@94A. That also means that I would need a beefed up power outlet in my garage and set of earplugs for those crazy fans.

I still need to wire my 2 power supplies together...


24v at 72 amps will draw 18amps at 120v(ish) good thing my basement is wired with a 30 amp breaker

[snellemin]

Originally Posted by whitrzac

I still need to wire my 2 power supplies together...


24v at 72 amps will draw 18amps at 120v(ish) good thing my basement is wired with a 30 amp breaker

Do it!

[whitrzac]

no moneys for the charger(s)

[snellemin]

Those Thunder monkey's can take the 40A charge rate. If my cheapy Acepow can do it, than the Thunderpower surely can as well. I charge my Acepow's at 30A at home and 40A at work, twice a day, 6 days a week with the Powerlab. The charger never complains.

Building batteries is much easier now. Matching cells is easy to do with the Ohms readout and capacity gauge.

Batteries get warm when discharged at a high rate. Charging them at a high rate does not. ex: Discharging those laptop cells at 5A(2p config) gets them way to hot. Charging them at 7A and the temps are way lower.

pic of me building battery packs from laptop batteries using the Powerlab and pc interface.

[MindThoughts]

Very very nice setup you have there Snellemin :-)

[snellemin]

Thanks, but it's a mess right now. I just finished building a 10s4p 18650 combo pack. I still have 4s4p to go.

[snellemin]

The Mighty Powerlab died today! It gave me a error a few times during charges and than after a few resets nothing. LCD didn't work anymore. Called it in and see what happens warranty wise.

In the meantime I purchased another combo to get my ebike going. I'm guessing all those 40A charges finally made something give. I opened it up and didn't see anything that was blown. All the fuses where still good. The dual 35A blade fuses are on the negative input wire for those that care for such a thing. I'm back at using my old FMA Balance pro charger. Sucks to be stuck with 10A charge rates.

[feistyacorn]

Originally Posted by snellemin

The Mighty Powerlab died today! It gave me a error a few times during charges and than after a few resets nothing. LCD didn't work anymore. Called it in and see what happens warranty wise.

In the meantime I purchased another combo to get my ebike going. I'm guessing all those 40A charges finally made something give. I opened it up and didn't see anything that was blown. All the fuses where still good. The dual 35A blade fuses are on the negative input wire for those that care for such a thing. I'm back at using my old FMA Balance pro charger. Sucks to be stuck with 10A charge rates.

Dang... that sucks. I hope you get your new one soon.

[snellemin]

Yea it sucks, but it has lasted almost a year before giving the up ghost.