🔋 Parallel Charging
Charging several LiPo packs at once by joining them positive-to-positive and negative-to-negative through a parallel board, so the charger treats them as one large pack.
Only parallel-charge packs of the same cell count and chemistry, and only when they are within about 0.1V per cell of each other — a wider gap dumps a large equalising current between packs the instant you connect them. Set charge current as the sum of what each pack should get.
What it actually does
Parallel charging is connecting several packs together on one charger so they charge at the same time, sharing a single channel. It is what racers do to turn six separate charge cycles into one, and it works because packs wired in parallel share voltage while their currents add together.
In practice
The rule that makes it safe is that every pack on the board must be the same cell count and at a similar state of charge before you connect them. Set the charger current to the total of what all packs need — six 5000mAh packs at 1C is 30A, which is more than many chargers can supply.
Worth knowing
Connecting packs at very different voltages lets huge current dump from one into another through thin balance wires. Check every pack with a voltage checker before it goes on the board — that one habit is what makes parallel charging routine rather than risky.