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source under load, ambient temperatures, state of charge/voltage level of the battery being charged,
etc.).
Also, for those interested in achieving maximum output power (800W total) we recommend using a
27.0-28.0V, 35-40A power supply for maximum efficiency (especially when charging multiple 6S
22.2V LiPo batteries for example). One such power supply we’ve used with excellent success is the
IOTA Engineering DLS-27-40. With a typical output voltage of 27.2V and the capability to deliver up
to 40A, this power supply can deliver upwards of 1100W to the charger allowing for maximum output
(800W) with some headroom to spare (also works well with two TP820CD chargers running at high
power levels up to ~500W each).
BATTERY CONNECTIONS
The charger is equipped with typical female ‘banana plug’ receptacles for each port that are
compatible with most male banana plugs and 4mm bullet connectors. We suggest using gold 4mm
bullet connectors, like those found on the included battery connection leads, especially when charging
at rates above 5 amps.
You can also install the connector(s) of your choice on the included battery connection leads and/or in
many cases you can purchase pre-made ‘charge leads’ equipped with banana or 4mm bullet
connectors, wire leads and connectors compatible with the connectors installed on the batteries you
will be charging/discharging. Also, wire leads that are too long and/or not large enough gauge
(AWG/GA) for the applicable charge/discharge current will become warm/hot which can damage the
charger and/or result in errors in battery charging/discharging (i.e. – ‘false peaks’ when charging
NiCd/NiMH batteries, etc.). These details in mind, we recommend keeping the length of the wire
leads as short as possible (preferably 12”/305mm long max). We also recommend using 10 to 14
AWG wire leads when charging at rates 10 amps and higher, minimum 16 AWG at rates up to 10
amps and minimum 18 AWG at rates up to 5 amps.
Please also be certain to connect all batteries with the proper polarity as marked on the faceplate
label and further identified by the colored rings around the banana plug receptacles (red is +/positive
and black is –/negative). And in the event that you do connect the battery with incorrect polarity the
error message ‘Battery Reverse Polarity’ (or ‘Battery Polarity Inversion’ in earlier version firmware) will
show on the screen. However, in order to prevent all possibility of damage to the charger and/or
battery you should always exercise care to ensure proper polarity when connecting batteries.
Also, DO NOT connect the battery to the charger when the charger is powered off. The
charger should always be powered on before connecting the battery.
BALANCER CONNECTIONS (for LiPo/LiIon/LiFe batteries)
The TP820CD is equipped with built-in balancers for LiPo/LiIon/LiFe (A123) cells/batteries. There is
an independent balancer for each port as marked on the faceplate label and you should ALWAYS
use the balancers when charging LiPo/LiIon/LiFe batteries for maximum safety and battery
performance/longevity. The balancers, working in conjunction with the charger, perform functions
similar to the safety circuits found in the LiPo/LiIon/LiFe cells/batteries for cell phones, laptop and
other electronic devices to prevent over-charging that can result in fire causing damage and/or
personal injury. They do this by ensuring the voltages of cells within LiPo/LiIon/LiFe batteries are
closely equalized/balanced by discharging the higher voltage cells to closely match the lower voltage
cell(s) in the battery. This prevents over-charging any cell(s) that may have a higher voltage during
the charge process, or, in the event that the balancer cannot balance the cell(s) in time to prevent
exceeding the ‘CHG End Voltage’ setting (for any cell), the charger will automatically reduce the
charge current rate and/or end the charge process entirely as needed.
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