Looks like the learning curve continues.
Was getting a "main port? Low voltage" error on my charger and discovered that I think I need to connect the main battery ports as well as the balance plug to the charger. I thinkni need one of these...

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You are correct. Almost all chargers require the main connection as well as the balance port.
You might be able to get that locally at Mighty Small Cars. They have a good selection of that kind of stuff.

Thank you! Thought I had read on the web somewhere that you don't use the main port...I'll go over to small cars and see what they've got

I have a few of those ports and i get those errors sometimes and i just set it to Fast Charge and it should bypass that error

Also...should the charge rate be the same as the capacity of the batteries? I.e. .80 amp charge for a 850 amp/hr battery?

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For most batteries that is the case. Some batteries say on them the maximum charge rate in C. C means the capacity of the battery. If the battery is a 2200 mAh and it says the maximum charge rate is 2C then you can charge at 2 x 2200mA = 4.4 Amps.
Usually it is better to charge at 1C regardless of the maximum rate, for battery longevity, though opinions differ on that point.


@Zach. It is not a very good idea to bypass a voltage error. These errors are usually due to a problem with a cell or balance connector, and need to be diagnosed. Charging a battery on fast charge withough knowing what the problem is could result in a FIRE!

Thanks again. I read on the battery literature it said 1C for charge rate so I went .80 for an 850 amp/hr battery.

Should it take about 40 minutes to charge a 850 mah/hr battery?

That sounds about right if you're charging the pack at 1C or .8 amps.

Yes I am. What's the advantage of fast charging? Is it half the time?

It could be even faster than that if you are so inclined. If the 850mah pack is rated for a 5C charge rate, you could charge it at 4 amps and have it done in around 10-15 minutes, but unless you are in a hurry, it's not necessary. For battery longevity, I would keep it at 1 or 2C.

It's rated for only 1C charging. But my charger has a "fast charge " setting. I'm wondering what that is.

Fast charging generally doesn't balance the individual cells. It will charge the pack until the overall voltage reads 12.6v (if it's a 3S pack of course). This may not mean that all cells are balanced equally. If you're not in a hurry to charge the pack, it's better to do a balance charge every time.

Thanks for all your help!