12
To set the charge current rate: while on the Charge Mode screen simply press the ENTER button five
times. The charge current rate will begin to flash and you can use the +/
– buttons to
increase/decrease the current rate accordingly. After setting the charge current rate you can press
the ENTER button to select the other adjustable values, or wait approximately 5 seconds until the
current rate stops flashing to begin the charge process or to scroll through the other modes.
Also, before starting the charge process, the maximum charge current that can be set is
automatically calculated by the charger based on the voltage of the input power source and
the estimated voltage of the battery being charged based on the cell count you have selected.
This is calculated using the discharged voltage of the battery (i.e. ~3.3V per cell for LiPo batteries),
but will be no higher than 30A as this is the maximum charge current.
If you have set the charge current rate to the maximum rate possible, after starting the charge
process the charger will automatically adjust the current rate, per the actual voltage of the
battery at any given time, to maintain (and not exceed) the maximum output power level
(wattage).
For example, in the case of charging a 6S 22.2V 5000mAh LiPo battery and when using a
27.0-36.0V/35-40A power supply for maximum input/output power, before the charge process has
started you will be able to set the charge current rate to 30.0A max. However, if the battery is
currently at more than 20.0V the charger will then adjust the current rate automatically between 30.0A
and approximately 15.8A as needed to ensure it does not exceed the 1000W maximum output power
level. And when the battery nears/reaches the end of the Constant Current (CC) phase of the charge
around 25.2V (4.2V per cell) the current rate will reduce accordingly throughout the Constant Voltage
(CV) phase of the charge process and until the charge is complete.
Also, after the charge process has started (and if you have not already set the charge current
rate to the maximum rate possible) you can actually increase the charge current rate by up to
25% (i.e.
– from 10.0A to 12.5A) or to the maximum charge current rate possible based on the
actual voltage of the battery and output power level of the charger; whichever comes first.
To
do this, simply press the ENTER button once immediately (or any time) after the charge process has
been started (and the ‘Battery Check Please Wait…’ check is complete) and the current rate will begin
to flash. You can then use the + button to increase (or the
– button to decrease) the current rate
accordingly.
Please also see the chart provided separately for a quick reference of the maximum output power
levels/charge current rate settings for LiPo batteries based on the listed input voltage and current
(please note that these values are approximate and may vary sl/-).
Balancing ON/OFF (for LiPo/LiIon/LiFe batteries)
As noted in further detail in the
BALANCER CONNECTIONS
section of this manual, the TP1430C is
equipped with built-in balancer for LiPo/LiIon/LiFe (A123) cells/batteries and
you must ALWAYS use
the balancer when charging LiPo/LiIon/LiFe batteries for maximum safety and battery
performance/longevity.
The balancer can a
lso further ensure that you’ve set the cell count correctly, and as a result
we strongly recommend keeping the balancing turned ON at all times. Please also note that
when balancing is turned ON you MUST connect the balance connector of the battery to the
balance connector adapter board (which must be connected to the balancer/charger) BEFORE
you start the charge proces
s otherwise you’ll encounter a Battery Type Error warning.
However, if you understand the associated risks, accept full responsibility, and choose to charge
LiPo/LiIon/LiFe batteries without balancing/using the built-in balancers, it is possible to turn the
balancing OFF.
