Quote from: John Rose on February 28, 2024, 04:09:05 PM

Quote from: DickB on February 28, 2024, 05:35:34 AM
...  You're correct in that the charger does not balance cells, but the BMS balances if needed when at the float voltage and charge current is small. If you shut the charger off early rather than lower the float voltage, current remains high and balancing does not take place.

That sounds very likely.

Did you find that graph somewhere, or is it from your own set of measurements?

My measurement.

I recently had this same failure on my Rover 5. Inside my controller are two auxiliary circuit boards in black shrink wrap. One is circled in green, the other is below it and to the upper left. One board is for the headlight/tail light and one for the brake light. I replaced it with a used board from a Facebook group member's controller, which he kindly removed from a non-working controller. My tail light was also dead; I don't know if it failed and took out the auxiliary board or vice versa. I replaced the tail light with an aftermarket one.

Chargers are Constant Current / Constant Voltage, meaning that they limit current at the start of the charge (while voltage increases), then limit the voltage (while current decreases) to what is called the float voltage. If you set the Luna charger to 80% it simply lowers the final float voltage.  You're correct in that the charger does not balance cells, but the BMS balances if needed when at the float voltage and charge current is small. If you shut the charger off early rather than lower the float voltage, current remains high and balancing does not take place.

I posted that photo on Facebook. Someone responded that the labels are just to satisfy local requirements, and in fact the controllers are capable of 25A, and that an EggRider display can "unlock" more power.

I got a replacement board from John Fitzgerald on Facebook. Turns out the tail lamp was bad as well. I don't know if one took out the other, or what happened. But I installed the replacement board and new tail lamp and all is well.

The controllers are different with different part numbers. Someone posted (on Facebook?) a comparison photo of USA and Canadian labels. The difference in power output is in the controller. I don't see why there would be different part numbers for the display.

I'm looking for a non-working Rad controller for parts.

I have a Rad Rover 5. The controller has a main circuit board and two auxiliary boards, one for the brake light and one for the head/tail lights. I'm looking for one auxiliary board - it doesn't matter which one as they are identical. The head/tail light quit working on my bike; the board is bad.  Even if your controller is bad, it is likely that the auxiliary boards may be OK.

I suspect the same boards may be found in other Rad controllers, so if you think you have one other than a Rover 5 it may still be applicable.

The auxiliary boards are enclosed in shrink wrap (see photo).

Please contact me if you think you may be able to help.

Quote from: mrgold35 on January 12, 2024, 06:40:39 AMI've never been able to get the LCD USB charge port to work after I powered up the ebike. 

For whatever the reason, it is designed that way. It's in your manual.

It is better to select a lower charge target than cutting a charge short, but batteries don't need to be balanced that often. As long as you run a complete charge to any level every month or so, no worries.

Samsung specifies a normal charge current of 1.7A per cell (6.8A battery) and 1.02A per cell (4.08A battery) for cycle life. Other cell manufacturers have similar specs. You can charge at up to 4A with no detrimental effect.

The Rad Standard Battery BMS balances at the end of a charge cycle when current draw is low, so there is no problem in that regard. There is no increased fire risk.

Quote from: Bronco99 on November 26, 2023, 03:34:54 PM
Ok mate good info thanks. But will a cheaper blender (not a datex) equalise  2 48v batteries regardless of voltage level or do they need to be equal voltage beforehand. I?m trying to figure exactly what the datex does as opposed to a (much) cheaper blender 😂

Both devices do the same thing. If one battery is at a higher voltage than the other, the device will draw current from that battery only. Once voltages match, the device will draw current from both.

Quote from: John Rose on December 24, 2023, 04:02:00 PM
Our RadMini ST2 has a USB charging port, but it isn't working at all. I tried plugging in an (e)scape brand bluetooth earbuds charging case, with the specs "Input: DC 5V | 1A max". Both the case and the earbuds are only 3.7V. It should not be overloading the charging port, but there's nothing. Also nothing for my "moto e" phone.
I cannot find any way to open the LCD display to check for a fuse or loose connection.

The RadMini ST2 manual says:

QuoteNotice: The USB Charging Port charges many, but not all, devices. The USB charge rate from the display will supply power to many phones, but larger phones, which require higher power in order to charge, may not register charging. If the display indicates ?USB? it will supplement battery power for the phone, but the state of charge of the phone may still decrease.

So, when it does work, it should at least extend a phone's battery life.

Sorry if this appears a dumb question, but are you plugging the USB device in before turning on the RadMini?

Quote from: Radding Along on October 10, 2023, 10:29:36 PM
What you don?t realize is the mission battery will kill the electronics in your bike.
Constantly leaving it on the charger well after the light goes green on the charger will kill the battery in a year or two.

No and No.

BMS is Battery Management System - it is the circuit board on top of the battery. There are 13 groups of 4 cells in parallel, with 14 connections from the cells to the BMS. In your battery, the cells' attachment to the BMS is sealed with black sealant. You may be able to penetrate the sealant with a pin connected to your voltmeter. You need to test pairs of these connections.

This was easier with the Standard Battery, as the contact points were exposed and clearly labeled.

I would start by measuring the voltage of each cell group - they should be nearly the same voltage. this will help determine if it is a bad cell or bad BMS.