Originally Posted by
CowtownPeddler
The argument for a cell monitor is well noted. My Cycle Analyst has a Low Voltage Cutoff that will cut off all power at a certain level. I've not had any problems with cell balancing after the initial top-up, although I do manually balance the cells once a week anyways. Since I have it set to go at 34v (2.9v * 12 cells) it will generally catch any issues - although I would hate to be out in the middle of nowhere if it were to go off.
I hope you haven't lost sight of the main reason for a cell monitor. You indicate you have a CA with a LVC but it only looks at the total of your pack. Therefore, your total pack voltage could still be fine but 1 cell has a problem and drops low while under heavy load and you won't know it. Also remember that all batteries have an "at rest" voltage but it is not the same under load. So it is a false assumption that all is fine just because all you cells are 3.23v when you are checking them "at rest". I am not saying that this is a bad thing but don't be fooled into thinking the cell monitor while riding is not worth having.