How to Charge Multiple LiPo Batteries With One Charger?

A LiPo stands for lithium polymer battery or more precisely lithium-ion polymer battery is a rechargeable battery utilizing lithium-ion technology. LiPo batteries are found in various consumer electronics devise all thanks go to their higher specific energy as compared to other battery types based on lithium technology. Recharging your LiPo batteries individually to power the drone can be a challenging approach as you might need to wait for several hours before they become full.

Let’s take an example, you have six empty batteries and each takes one hour to be fully charged. Therefore, it means that you will need to spend about six hours on them before to use it. That’s quite intolerable, without a doubt.

On the other hand, you can take advantage of parallel charging that can help you in charging many batteries alternatively at the same time. As a result, it will save time. That’s the power of parallel charging as compared to series charging. With this approach, you can fly your application in no time without wasting time due to charging multiple batteries individually or series charging.

How Do You Charge Multiple LiPo Batteries?

Charging multiple batteries is an easy to process, but needs an extensive knowledge and a little bit of experience in electrical components, for instance, measuring the maximum charge current required., the battery types and understanding voltage. Nevertheless, a determined mind can easily understand the guidelines given.

There are certain requirements you need to fulfill before you start-

· A wiring adapter required for the main leads & balance leads.

· LiPo batteries up to six-packs.

· A parallel charging board.

· LiPo battery charger

After understanding the requirements, the next thing is to have an idea of what is required to start. Therefore, get the parallel board, also known as para-board. Generally, these boards have six slots for a maximum of six batteries. With the advancement of technology, there could be more slots. However, keep in mind that charging more batteries means more wiring and it can be quite challenging for you. Therefore, let’s go for six slots and six batteries.

The next thing that you require is the main plug “discharge lead” & the balance plus need to be inserted concurrently when it comes to parallel charging. And depending on how much batteries you need to charge simultaneously, we consider that you place an equal number on one of the sides, if it’s an even number and keep a certain distance between them.

When charging, the best thing to do is to use smart LiPo chargers that automatically adjust the charging current. But, if not, then you will need to do some measurements manually to adjust accordingly.

That’s how you can charge multiple LiPo batteries at the same time. In fact, parallel charging is a secure and safe way of charging multiple batteries at a time.

There are certain warnings you should know -

· The batteries should be of the same cell count.

· Even though it is not necessary to determine the exact capacity & C-rating, it is suggested that the voltage difference should be reasonably small, at least.

· Don’t pair the half-filled batteries with empty ones as there could be a huge current flow, which may have severe end results.

· When you start the process, connect the main plug discharge leads before the balance leads in order to avoid the terrible consequences, especially when you plug batteries with different voltage levels.

Can You Charge LiPo Batteries In Series?

As you can now see that it is possible to charge multiple LiPo batteries at a time using a parallel charging approach. But, if you are wondering whether you can charge more than one LiPo battery in series, then the simple answer to the question is YES.

Following the requirements and some suggestions for serial charging-

· You need a serial wiring adapter for your main leads and get the one that suits the output capabilities of your charger.

· You also need a wiring adapter for your balance leads and it should have the same number of connections as the adapter of main leads.

· All the batteries you charge in series need to be of the same capacity.

· All the batteries need to be charged together in series and should be close to the same voltage.

No doubt, serial charging saves huge time as you get more than one battery done at the same time. But, it takes more time as compared to parallel charging. That’s why most of us prefer charging multiple LiPo batteries through a parallel charging concept. Above all, there are certain potential severe drawbacks with serial charging. For instance, if something goes wrong during the charge cycle, then it would impact multiple packs. But, with determination and precautions, you can charge more than one LiPo batteries at once for sure.

Can You Charge LiPo Batteries With One Charger?

The simple answer to the question is YES, definitely. The concepts explained above, be it parallel charging or serial charging, multiple LiPo batteries are charged using one charger. But, you sho9uld get a high power LiPo battery charger along with a reliable power supply. This is important as it will eradicate the need to measure the maximum power limit for the batteries. In fact, this could be the best solution for you if you have never performed elementary electrical measurements before.

Moreover, you shouldn’t take out a battery for filling the charging board with another one, under any circumstances. The whole process might get interrupted. Therefore, let the process complete before you plug another set of batteries.

As long as you understand the guidelines and have gathered a parallel charging adapter or board, the batteries, the connectors, and the charger, you can move forward with the process keeping necessary cautions in the mind.