[Elecraft] Concerning Bioenno LiFePO4 Connectors

[Don Wilhelm]

Erik,

I think that all depends on the charger used and its characteristics. 
Chargers have a higher voltage than the cell(s) being charged.  Elecraft 
gear is spec'ed for up to 15 volts, but make certain no part of the 
charging cycle will exceed that voltage - the charger manufacturer 
should have that spec.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 7/26/2017 10:03 AM, Erik Tkal wrote:
> I wonder how operating a rig with the battery connected to the charger affects the charger operation?  Does the charger perform the Constant Current charge and switch over to the trickle for LiFePo charging, or does the PCM manage that?  Would there be any adverse effects to the charger if the radio tries to draw too much?
> 
>    Thanks and 73,
>    Erik Tkal  -  W1QED
> 
> 
> 
> On Jul 23, 2017, at 20:19, Kevin der Kinderen <kkinderen at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I asked Bioenno about the  use of the connectors and pointed out their site
> shows the barrel is for charging and the Powerpoles are for discharging. I
> was told this is not correct and that they will fix the information on
> their site. They have a process to go through with their product people so
> it won't happen quickly. However, they did update their FAQ section:
> 
> *LFP:  Why is there a separate DC barrel plug connector and PowerPole
> Connector on my battery?  Can I charge through either connector? *
> 
> On our PVC Pack LiFePO4 batteries, there are two separate connectors.  The
> first connector has a DC barrel plug and the second connector has an
> Anderson Powerpole connector.  The two connectors are indeed wired in
> parallel on the PCM (protection circuit module) that is integrated in every
> single battery pack.  So it is perfectly okay and fine to charge through
> the PowerPole connectors. Many customers requested two separate connectors
> in the batteries, in order to keep the battery's charger attached to the
> battery, such that the battery and charger can be stored in a portable
> Go-Box.  At the same time, customers can leave the PowerPole connector
> attached to the radio communications equipment, without having to
> repeatedly disconnect the charger from the battery, and attach the radio
> communications equipment.  However, we understand customers want to charge
> through the Powerpole connectors and use various other third party
> products.  We provided the two sets of connectors, simply for convenience
> purposes.
> 
> 
> The entire FAQ is found here:
> 
> https://bioennopower.com/pages/faq-lifepo4-batteries#c
> 
> 73,
> 
> Kev K4VD
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