STRIX 4S Parallel Charging Board 2.0 JB Signature Line
by STRIX

What does "JB" stand for? Joshua Bardwell of course!

Bardwell 4S Parallel Charging Board 2.0 Updated

Now even more improvements by adding color changing paint rather than tape for a cleaner look, and a power switch for the LCD voltage meter to help avoid over discharging if accidentally left unattended.

A while back, Joshua Bardwell came to us with a need for an improved parallel board that allowed him to charge more batteries than he was currently able to. However, as with the majority of most multirotor and drone pilots, he only needed 4S capability. A few drawings were sketched up to make the most of the available space, samples were made, testing ensued, and what we have today is the STRIX 4S Parallel Charging board that allows for up to 10 4s packs to be charged at once!

2.0 Features

1. Layout makes it super-easy to plug 10 batteries in at the same time. 
2. Poly fuses were included between all balance ports to help when accidentally plugging the balance port in backward or incorrectly.
   1. Fuses automatically reset
   2. NEW color changing indicator to show when a fuse has tripped! (sometimes you can plug something in wrong and there's no spark, so it's easy to see that you messed up now!)
3. Overall current rating of 70A. 
4. Green LCD with Black connectors. Charge in style!

This board's main power lead comes equipped with an XT60 connector, which is handy for chargers like ISDT. It also comes with an adapter to go from XT60 back to traditional 4mm banana style. The included balance lead is 5 pin XH style and one tab may need to be trimmed to fit properly into the balance socket depending on your charger's needs. 

Safety is a major concern for any form of parallel charging. Checking each cell of every single battery before connecting them together is extremely important! If you see a cell's voltage that is not like the rest, do not charge it with the others in parallel! To help with this, we have added a cell checker at the top of the board. You need to check them one at a time before plugging them all into the board, however. We have also provided replaceable fuses between the main power leads to aid in preventing surges from one pack to another. We suggest only parallel charging packs that are within roughly 0.1 volts per cell, or 0.4 volts for a 4S pack. So a pack that is at 15.0 volts total would be safe to charge with another pack that was 15.4 volts or 14.6 volts. 

Specifications

• Input Power Connector: XT60 Male housing, Female Bullets with 12AWG wire
  • Also includes 4mm banana adapter
• Charge Connector: 10x XT60 Female housing, Male Bullets
• Fuse: 15A automotive (removable without de-soldering)3
• Balance Connector: 10x XH 4s Connectors
• Dimensions: 135 x 80 x 25mm
• Maximum Current: 70A Total (Needs to use more than 4 ports)
• Note: LCD Voltage Display may differ ±5% from your charger. Voltages within this range are not considered a faulty reading. 

Do your batteries have short balance leads? Try these 4s balance tap extensions!

Please watch these videos from Joshua for proper parallel charging techniques: