Description

An essential item in a soldier's backpack. An electronic unit that turns a 6S battery into a power bank and, unlike a regular “Zariadzhaika”, also takes care of the battery itself. Connect the battery to the XT60 and the balance connector, and you get four power ports: two USB Type-A and two Type-C with Power Delivery, up to 100 W in total. The battery can also be charged via Type-C.

Why a balancer. A 6S battery consists of six cells connected in series. New cells have the same voltage, but over time they drift apart: one ages faster, another self-discharges a little more. The difference builds up with every cycle. That is imbalance.

Why imbalance is harmful. A battery performs only as well as its weakest cell allows. During discharge that cell is the first to reach its minimum, and the protection shuts off the whole battery even though the other cells still hold charge; during charging the same cell is the first to reach its maximum. Capacity is lost, and the weak cell, over-discharged again and again, degrades even faster. Imbalance reinforces itself.

How the active balancer works. The board constantly compares the voltage of all six cells through the balance connector and transfers charge from higher-voltage cells to lower-voltage ones. The energy is not burned off but moved to where it is needed: strong cells “pull up” the weak ones, and after a few cycles the voltage evens out.

Why active is better than passive. A passive balancer only dumps the excess from the most charged cells as heat on resistors, and it works only at the end of charging, at low current. Balancing drags on for days, and part of the energy is simply lost. An active balancer transfers charge without losses, works all the time (during charging, discharging and storage) and balances the cells much faster. The battery delivers more usable capacity, and the board does not heat up.

Why this matters in the field. There are lots of half-discharged drone batteries lying around in the field. When supplies are cut off, these are exactly what can charge a phone, a radio or a flashlight. Such batteries are almost always imbalanced, and this little box is made for them.

How to connect. The Zariadzhaika works only when both battery connectors are connected: the XT60 power connector and the 7pin balance connector. Through the balance connector the BMS protection board sees the voltage of each cell; without it, the board does not enable the output, and the ports will not work. Connect both and power phones, radios, tablets and other devices from the battery just as you would from a power bank. The battery can also be charged via Type-C.

A box for the battery. To make the battery and the unit a single whole, you can always buy a matching battery compartment for the “Zariadzhaika”, sized for 6S2P and 6S3P packs. Compartments for larger batteries are available by special order. This turns the “Zariadzhaika” into a full-fledged power bank. It may not be the smallest, but the battery is free.

Tip: keep the balance connector connected during both charging and storage, so the balancer has time to even out the cells.

Flashlight and balancer button, depending on the batch. Some “Zariadzhaikas” come with a flashlight and a button that turns the active balancer on and off. Once the battery is balanced, the balancer can be switched off so it does not use battery charge. Which version you receive depends on the current production batch; the price is the same. If you specifically need the version with the flashlight and button, check with the manager.

Connectors on the bottom. In this version the XT60 and the 7pin balance connector are located on the bottom face of the unit and go straight into the battery compartment box. The battery is connected from inside: place the unit on top of the compartment, join the connectors and screw it down. No wires or connectors are left outside, so nothing can snag or tear off. The USB ports are on the side face, and the digital indicator is on top.

How to connect the 7pin balance connector correctly. Insert the plug straight, without tilting it, and all the way in, so that all seven contacts sit firmly in the socket. The plug fits only one way: if it does not go in easily, do not force it. Turn it over and try again. Forced in, it can be inserted upside down or one of the contacts can be pushed in, and then the balancer fails. Do not pull on the wires or wiggle the plug. Inspect the plug before connecting: all contacts must be in place, straight and not recessed into the housing. A damaged battery plug is better replaced than connected.

Why this matters. In a regular power bank the balance wires from the cells are permanently soldered to the board, so contact problems practically never occur there. In the Zariadzhaika the battery is replaceable, and each cell is connected to the balancer through a seven-pin connector. If even one contact does not seat fully, is broken off or pushed into the plug housing, or if the plug is inserted upside down, the balancer reads incorrect voltages. This can damage it, and the device will stop working.

Unknown or badly imbalanced battery. Before connecting, check the cell voltages with a multimeter or battery checker. The active balancer will even out a small difference between cells on its own. However, if the difference between adjacent cells exceeds 0.5 V or any cell has dropped below 3.0 V, first restore the battery with a balance charger. The protection board may not enable the output while any cell is too deeply discharged. This is the protection working, not a fault.