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11. LITHIUM BATTERIES (LIPO, LIION, LIFE)
a) General Information
The rechargeable battery programmes for LiPo, LiIon and LiFe rechargeable batteries generally differ only in the
voltages and the permitted charging current, see table in chapter 7.
When charging a lithium battery, there are two different phases. First, the rechargeable battery is charged with a
consistent current. When the rechargeable battery reaches its maximum voltage (at a LiPo rechargeable battery,
e.g., 4.2 V), charging continues at constant voltage (the charging current drops). When the charging current drops
below a certain threshold, charging is ended and the rechargeable battery is fully charged.
If the rechargeable battery has a balancer connection (usually this is the case in almost every lithium
battery with more than one cell), the balancer connection must be connected to the charger as well as the
rechargeable battery's cable for charging/discharging.
There are different types of balancer plug. Therefore, do not apply any force when the plug does not fit in
the charger! The matching adapters for the balancer plugs are available as accessories.
There are also rare rechargeable batteries with more than one cell where the cell connections are
separately routed out and that strictly speaking are not a "multiple-cell battery pack". Therefore, always
observe the information of the rechargeable battery manufacturer on the build and rated voltage.
When using a balancer (integrated in the charger), all cells of a multi-cell battery pack have the same
voltage after the charge process, which prevents the overcharging of individual cells (danger of fire and
explosion) or a deep discharge of one of the cells (damage to the rechargeable battery).
The charging current to be set depends on the battery capacity and build (see chapter 7). Always observe
the battery manufacturer's instructions.
The charger must be in the main menu.
Select the rechargeable battery type matching the rechargeable battery used
with the button "INC" or "DEC" (LiPo, LiIon or LiFe), see figures on the right.
Confirm the selection by pressing the "START/ENTER" button.
Then use the button "INC" or "DEC" to select the different rechargeable
battery programmes:
• "BALANCE": Charge lithium battery with balancer connection
• "CHARGE": Charge lithium battery without balancer connection
• "FAST CHG": Quick charge for lithium rechargeable battery
• "STORAGE": Charging/discharging batteries at a set voltage value (e.g. for storage)
• "DISCHARGE": Discharging the rechargeable battery
PROGRAM SELECT
LiIo BATT
PROGRAM SELECT
LiFe BATT
PROGRAM SELECT
LiPo BATT