ISDT BG-8S Smart Battery Checker Review

This is a review of a new ISDT product - BG-8S. It's a smart battery checker compatible with BattGO Smart Battery technology and includes fast charging USB port (QC 3.0/2.0), receiver testing function and balancing functionality. If you have any questions please post a comment below or join the discussion at RCGroups. Let us know what you think about the product? Do you find any of it's features useless for you?
Product web site: www.isdt.co/bg-...
RcGroups thread: goo.gl/w4tW75
BattGO Technology Overview: • BattGO Technology Over...
Another ISDT Battery Checker: goo.gl/6jMQpf

[@ronen70rc97]

Thanks for the awesome review! I'm going to get one now, for me the accurate cell reading is the most important feature

[@czajuniapawulonik3148]

Pleasure. Glad you liked it. Once you get it please let us know how you get on with the tester and if it meets your expectations.

[@ronen70rc97]

czajunia pawulonik - sure thing. Thanks

[@czajuniapawulonik3148]

Since there is a new version of the firmware (1.0.0.10 vs 1.0.0.9 on my product) available to download from ISDT web site (thanks for the tip Marek) I thought I'd give it a go to see how the USB update process works even though it only fixes an issue related to BattGO value reading so it is pretty much irrelevant at the moment. First you have to download the new firmware package from ISDT web site, install the drivers and run the application. Once you have done that, connect a battery to the BG-8S, plug in a USB cable to the upgrade port, accept the message asking if you want to perform a system update. The device will start beeping and that's when you hit 'Update Now' button on your application. And Bob's your uncle. Wait till the process is finished and you are done. No more additional devices needed to perform an update. The bad news is there is only a PC version of the update software available. The good news it worked flawlessly the first time. On my PC running Win10 I didn't even have to install the USB drivers - either ISDT uses some standard protocol or I have had them already installed.

[@taniksambo1969]

Can this be used like a bms leaving it on the batteries while charging from another source?

[@jamich1]

That is what I call perfect review. Thank you

[@czajuniapawulonik3148]

Pleasure. I'm glad you enjoyed the review.

[@fulviomichelutti5669]

@@czajuniapawulonik3148 can i use it for battery pack NiMh? thanks

[@czajuniapawulonik3148]

@@fulviomichelutti5669 Yes, you can. Pls check the full specification at the beginning of the video (around 1min in). I have never used it for this purpose though as I have another dedicated charger to check NiMh batteries which is much easier to use in terms of connecting batteries. I use this one mainly for checking LiPos.

[@fulviomichelutti5669]

@@czajuniapawulonik3148 Thanks for Your support, i checked and i understood but any way of course you can not balance the NiMh, just check the total volts, Correct? can you discharge the NiMh?

[@czajuniapawulonik3148]

@@fulviomichelutti5669 I don't have any multicell NiMh batteries and to be honest have never come across them. Only use single cells so of course there is no balancing necessary. Unfortunately you cannot discharge batteries using this product. It's mainly a battery checker with a few extra features.

[@petertothRC-FPV]

Very nice review.A shame it takes so long to balance that is a good feature.That and no resistance are things that i would have liked.My SC-608 does not balance charge and it is way off i have to stop it before it ruins my battery from overcharging.

[@czajuniapawulonik3148]

Thanks, I am glad you liked it. Personally I don't think the balancing is a useful feature on this product simply because it takes too long. It's nothing unusual though and all similar products will be the same. BTW, what is wrong with your SC-608? I have a few ISDT chargers and they all balance perfectly.

[@petertothRC-FPV]

When it stops fast charge on 4s battery cells 3&4 are overcharged ...4.24-4.29.So i reached out to ISDT and they sent a code to unlock and calibrate but i have not done it yet.I was hoping to find someone on youtube that has done it successful.Seems that i am the only 1 with this problem.

[@czajuniapawulonik3148]

I have never done it either. I guess if it always overcharges to the same level the calibration should do the trick. Hope ISDT provided you with some support how to actually perform the calibration.

[@petertothRC-FPV]

Nope, just the code to unlock.I will have to try and adjust it and make a video sometime soon.Hope i do not screw it up.

[@petertothRC-FPV]

I figured it out it would be easy if my hands were not so shaky the scrolling button is very touchy even just to get in the calibration menu then adjust each cell is quit a headache.Each time you must enter the 12 digit code.O123456789abcdef from 1st menu.Duoble click & hold it in.

[@JAKOB1977]

are this product able to tell any info about battery resistance., since it do got both balanceport and plain lipo plug? can you get any values about the resistance of th battery and its health?? thx for the vid+1

[@czajuniapawulonik3148]

Nope. Unfortunately that info is not available on BG-8S.

[@JAKOB1977]

arhh i see (thx a lot for the fast response, atm wondering about picking it up on BG 11 year sale 25.99USD) but a shame that it aint able to sense resistance, its a feature I to some extend cherise, ewne on relative cheap item like Imax RCsky mini charger where the resistance measurement are not so precisise, its still a good indicator to sense if a battery is tumbling.

[@czajuniapawulonik3148]

Frankly, I don't think it will be much more expensive than $25.99 after the BG11 promotion finishes. It should probably sell for around $30 for most of the time. And there are some special deals available on BG very often anyway. I would say if you don't need USB charging or receiver test function and already have other testers you can probably skip this one for the moment and get it next time it's on offer. I am not sure if you find BattGO technology useful or not but there are still no BattGO batteries available and the ones to be released in September may not be good for you anyway. Decisions, decisions.

[@czajuniapawulonik3148]

More details about BattGO technology including features, added functionality and available batteries can be found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJbGf6CdabOahJI

[@czajuniapawulonik3148]

The first BattGO batteries are available to pre-order from Banggood: goo.gl/BGiZJP More details can be found here: goo.gl/tVsB2q