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Just about to pick up a equinox lipo cell ballancer and a venom 3c 4000mah battery to use with my duratrax onyx 230 charger. What I want to know is does anyone here use this combo and should it work tougether? Also what are some safe rates to charge the battery? And which is best, balance before,after, or during the charging sequence? I've never owned a lipo before and want to make sure I do it right the first time.

I can't answer about the battery or charger specifically, but the equinox works as a pass-through for the charger, balancing as you charge. you have to check to see if there is a current limit on it, for sure, but typically, you charge lipo's at 1c, or in your case, 4amps. I don't think it will have a problem with that.

you can balance during charge, and also after a discharge to balance the cells.

I just looked at the equinox specs. You can run it up to 6 amps with a special harness.

For the total cost of the balancer and harness, you can pick up a cheap do it all charger for all battery chemistries from hobbypartz:

http://www.hobbypartz.com/thac6smbachw.html

i just bought one, it works well, my buddy has been using one for quite awhile. Since it charges pretty much anything, he's been using to charge any battery he has, rc, power tools, etc.

Is it better to balance the discharged pack then charge it up or to balance while charging the battery?

probably doesn't matter too much. Since you charge each cell individually, you can balance so that one cell doesn't have to charge to 'catch up' if you do a balance after discharge, so the cells start at the same(really close) voltage. But as long as the cells are relatively close, it shouldn't matter.

Oh, one case where you don't have much choice is if one cell is already really close the the min voltage, much lower that the other(s), I would just charge for a bit, then balance if the other cells get too far from the 'bad' cell. This could mean that cell might be on it's way out.

What should Ido the firs time I charge the battery? Charge it up or ballance it first?

if you have a balacing charger or the equinox in line, it will balance it as it charges. If you want, check the voltages on each cell to see how close they are. I keep forgetting, in most cases here, we are talking about 2 cells, they should be pretty close to balanced.

You only really get into more balancing trouble with many cells in series, which you don't have to worry about here.

The battery is a 3c. A little confusing at first but I think I will have no trouble after the advice. Thanks by the way. Tried a 3c lipo the other day, what a difference with the velineon brushless, friggin tires spun so fast they balooned up and blew off the rims