[Elecraft] Bioenno Battery Charger

[David Corsello]

My goal was extended, off-grid, portable capability with LiFePO4 and solar
charging.  I believe I have achieved this with the Bioenno 4.5 Ah battery,
PowerFilm R28 rollable solar panel and Genasun GV-5 solar charge
controller.  (This combination works, but there are some caveats that I
won't get into now.)  The main component that makes this a viable solution
is the the battery's internal management board, which protects against
over-charging and over-discharging and balances the cells

Bioenno isn't the only manufacturer that provides internal cell balancing.
For example, any LiFePO4 battery that's sold as a drop-in SLA replacement
also offers this.  (I recommend Bioenno for their customer service--Kevin
is a HUGE asset to this company--and because their 4.5 Ah battery is more
ideally suited for portable QRP operation in terms of size and weight (1
lb.) than any other LiFePO4 battery I found.)  I mention this to make the
point that internal balancing circuits are now commonplace.  I assume they
are trustworthy, and so far, experience confirms this--I see no degradation
of the battery after multiple charge cycles.

Jeff, for my education would you please explain the advantages of using a
balancing charger with a non-self-balancing battery over using a
non-balancing, LiFePO4-compatible charger with a self-balancing battery?

--Dave