RCP57

My Feedback: (25)

Horizon Hobbies shipped my Multiplex LN-5014 charger on 7/20/05. Should have it early next week.

Montega

Mine shipped out as well. Can't wait to see what it can do.

RCP57

My Feedback: (25)

Well the charger arrived today. Upon opening the box I was pleasantly surprised at the small size of the unit and its overall appearance. I immediately read the rather flimsy, two sheet manual about three times while using the buttons to familiarize myself with the unit. If you are not a battery knowledgeable person and rely solely on the instructions I think your in trouble, they are not well written. However, even someone with limited knowledge like me the unit is very easy to operate. The screen is well lit and you have enough information on the screen for the function, but not too much to become confused. The only thing that took a little thought is in the “Discharge” mode. The unit wants you to put in the “Final Discharge Voltage”. This is actually the number of cells times whatever cut off voltage you want to use. My first battery was a 6 cell, so I took 6 cells x .9v cut off voltage = 5.4v That is the number I plugged in. Maximum “Discharge” current has a maximum voltage of 1A, but that voltage goes down as the number of cells increases. A battery with 1-5 cells can be discharged at 1A, but a 6 cell battery has a max of 0.83A, 7 cells has 0.71A, and it decreases as the number of cells gets higher. On the charge side the only thing that is not adjustable is the “Trickle” charge voltage. If it is adjustable the manual does not state how to, and I sure can’t see a way to adjust it. Overall I like the unit and I’m sure it will see some good use.

MoJoe

hey mike. so does it have a fan? also does it have memory? i prob should of waited for more reviews b4 i bought it.

RCP57

My Feedback: (25)

No fan. As far as memory, the unit keeps the information entered from the last battery. The are no memory locations to store multiple batteries. The unit is very simple to use. All you need to know about your battery is the "Type" and the "mAh" rating.

"CHARGING" The first thing you do is select the battery "Type", then the charge current in amps. That is it. From that point you can start charging the battery. The unit selects the amount of cells, the sensitivity, and anything else the charger needs.

"DISCHARGING" The first thing you do is select the battery "Type" which is already there if you set up the "Charge" feature, then the discharge current in amps. Then the unit wants you to put in the “Final Discharge Voltage”. This is actually the number of cells times whatever cut off voltage you want to use. An example is a battery with 6 cells x .9v cut off voltage = 5.4v That is it. This function is the same as the charge feature.

"CYCLE" Here the same info is needed as the charge or discharge feature. If you have already entered the info in the charge and discharge modes all you need to enter is weather you want to discharge then charge, or charge then discharge, and the amount of times to cycle the battery. You can enter anything from 1-5 cycles.

I don't think you can go wrong with this unit.

RCP57

My Feedback: (25)

Well I've run this charger without a break for the last five days. The only time it was not running is when I was programming it for the next battery. This unit has gone up and down and all around without a hitch. If it has any bad habits I sure can't tell. I have charged LiPo, NiCad, NiMh, and I have no complaints. I don't have a PB battery so I can't report on that type. It is a simple unit that has performed flawlessly. I'm a happy camper!

RCP57

My Feedback: (25)

Red,

Do you know what the minimum charge rate on NiCAD or NiMH needs to be set at for the trickle charge to kick in? If I charge at .5A there is no trickle charge. However, at 1A the trickle is active at the end of the charge.


According to Multiplex the minimum needs to be 1A for Ni-CAD and there is no trickle for Ni-MH. Can you confirm?

SpecMan

My Feedback: (1)

The instructions (which are pityful) says the "charge current" is adjustable in 50 MA steps. My unit is only adjustable in 100 MA steps. Are the instructions wrong or is my unit defective?

Josey Wales

My Feedback: (61)

Ive been thinking about getting this charger..I wanted something to cycle my TX and my Li-ion packs as well as being able to charge up Li-poly's for a foamie...I thought Red said that there was a review coming up in MAN this month...Hopefully that review will give some more details..

RCP57

My Feedback: (25)

My unit is also adjustable in 100 mA increments on the charge side. Obviously the instructions [sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif]are incorrect. The instructions [sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif]are pretty sad but actually enough for most users, otherwise we would not be able to use the unit. I think that someone beginning to play with batteries could have a hard time and possibly get into trouble using this charger just depending on the instructions. When I first read the instructions and saw "Final Voltage" on the discharge function it took me a little bit to understand what they wanted for an input. I still think it is a great little unit for a very fair price.

SpecMan

My Feedback: (1)

I agree with you, but "instructions or manuals" should be written for newbees above all else. I'm not new to battery charging and I began to understand the subtleties of the LN-5014 after charging several different types of batteries. But, IMHO there is no excuse for poorly written instructions for anything from a shoe horn to a space shuttle. Obviously, this is one of those "little things in life" that irritates me. As you said, the LN-5014 appears to be very good value for the money. And I guess good instructions for the space shuttle is carrying my point a little too far, LOL.

Josey Wales

My Feedback: (61)

How does it compare to the Triton?

SpecMan

My Feedback: (1)

I haven't used it enough to compare it to the Triton but so far I have a gut feeling that I "trust it" more so than the Triton. (I've never had the confidence in the Triton that I have in my Alpha4). Even though the instructions for the LN-5014 leave alot to be desired, I believe the LN-5014 is easier to use than the Triton. It does not have the memory capability of the Triton, but that is not an issue for me. IMO the LCD screen with its green back-light is much easier to read than the Triton screen. I don't mean to turn this into a Triton bashing reply but I also think the four buttons on the LN-5014 do a better job than the thumb knob on the Triton. Hopefully, I'll be able to give you a more meaningful comparison in the near future.

Texan

My Feedback: (10)

I've been using mine for a week now and it works great so far. Charged various cell counts and capacity of Nimh and Nicd. The results compare well to my Dymond charger. I also charged 2s and 3s lipo with excellent results.

Josey Wales

My Feedback: (61)

Thanks!! I need to get a Lipo charger so I want to hear about how it compares to the Triton since I dont have either one!

SpecMan

My Feedback: (1)

Joe,

I own one of each, so knowing what I know right now and considering that the LN-5014 is significantly cheaper (price, not quality) than the Triton, I would buy the LN-5014.

Jim

Josey Wales

My Feedback: (61)

Thanks!! Sounds good to me!

BCer-RCer

Received my charger a few days ago from Tower. Very nice and small unit. Like everybody says the instructions are lacking. I also own a Supernova 250S, so didn't take long to figure this one out. So far I have only charged a 4 cell receiver, 8 cell Tx, and 8 cell 500Ma power packs. These are all NiCd packs. I should have some Li-Po packs in the mail any day, which is why I bought this charger.
First off, it charges these packs great. It also discharges the packs fine when in discharge only mode.
Mine appears to have a very minor glitch when discharging any of these NiCd packs in one of the cycle modes.
I like to set a conservative cutoff of 1.1V for my NiCd cells. When discharging the packs in the discharge only mode, it works flawless. The instant the voltage dropped below 4.40V on the receiver pack it stopped. And when it passed 8.80V on the 8 cell Tx and power packs it did the same.
But when in either cycle mode (Discharge to Charge; or Charge to Discharge), it appears to ignore my set cutoff voltage and drop the pack to below 0.8V per cell before stopping the discharge. Not a big deal as the voltage comes back up as it rests. I actually tried setting a very high cutoff (12.00V) and it still discharged the pack, when in a cycle mode.
I used the same discharge current setting (200ma) in each case, so can't see that as any reason for the different results.
My concern is if the charger will do the same thing if you attempt to cycle a Li-Po battery. There is no set cutoff voltage in the Li-Po menu, just the nominal voltage setting.
A 2 cell Li-Po would have the nominal voltage setting of 7.4V When discharging, everything I've read so far tells me not to go below 6.0V ( 3V/cell ), otherwise you could damage the battery.
Has anyone cycled a NiCd and Li-Po pack and noticed what the voltage was when the charger stops the discharge. Unfortunately you need to be watching at the end of the discharge, otherwise you won't see it. Any other test results would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Jim

mglavin

My Feedback: (31)

After seeing many comments on the directions being "pitiful", "lacking" and such I reviewed the directions again. There is a plethora of information noted for each battery technology and the general use of the charger. What’s lacking? It’s assumed the user knows the battery type, cell count, discharge and charge voltages as the specifications are variable of what’s in hand the application and your specific needs.

What could MPX due to make the manual MORE user friendly?

Texan

My Feedback: (10)

Minor details:
First, the instructions are not in a manual format. They are two double-sided stapled pages of relevant text and diagrams. You do not need numbers beside each major section (1. Specifications, 2. CE Conformity … 3. Safety Notes). In the safety notes, keep all of the “Do not” statements together. The features and specifications may be placed together in the back of the “manual”. A picture of the charger with arrows labeling the various buttons would be helpful.

Major details:
If you use numbered sections, the numbered text section should reference the numbered programming flowchart. Or, the flowchart should follow directly below the text instructions. For example, Section 6. Programming for NiCd mode or NIMH , on the back of page one, provides text instructions for operating the charger in NiCd or NIMH mode. However, there is no reference to the corresponding flowchart. The flowchart for NiCd and NIMH is labeled 2 on the back of page 2.

BCer-RCer

Texan
Reading previous posts I see you used your charger for Li-Po as well as NiCd/NiMh. Looking at the instruction sheet it appears that you set battery capacity, not charge current while in Li-Po mode. Does this mean that if I have a 2100ma Li-Po pack, I can't charge it at less than the 1C rate.
I've read some threads where a lot of people like to put a forming charge of 0.6C or 0.7C when they buy a new pack. Actually one of the guys I fly with always charges at 0.7C When my TP 3S 2100ma packs arrive I want to charge them at 0.7C a few times before going to the 1C rate. So 0.7C x 2100 = 1470. If I set the charger for 1500 will it then shut off once it puts 1500ma into the pack? I guess I would have to restart the charging process again?? Do you know if this is correct?
Also from my previous post #18, have you tried a NiCd discharge while in a Discharge to Charge cycle. Curious as to what other people have been reading.

mglavin
Regarding the instructions, for me the flow charts were the confusing items. The instructions aren't bad, they should have just left the charts out. Case in point the Li-Po/ LiLo chart. You have columns for charge, discharge and Lithium type. But no mention of the rather important setting of nominal voltage.
One other item that had me going for a while was the display for current values after a cycle mode. The sheet says to hold the BATTERY TYPE button in for longer than 3 seconds after a charge or discharge process. I tried doing this after the charge stopped and it didn't work. It took a minute to realize you have to exit the charge termination screen for it to work.
Also could you tell me if the Li-Po charging works as I mentioned in the above paragraph.


Jim

mglavin

My Feedback: (31)

Jim

Nominal voltage for what?

I've not aware of the need to form charge Lithium's... The Lithium charge parameter is controlled by the mAh capacity selected and is factory defaulted at 1C or 1 x battery capacity, if you want to charge at 0.7C simply input 700mAh capacity.

BCer-RCer

mglavin

The instructions for programming Li-Po state "" In this menu the nominal voltage of the battery to be connected for charging and discharging can be set using the INC and DEC buttons. Possible values are 3.7V, 7.4V, 11.1V, 14.8V and 18.5V."
If I were to have the setting at 11.1V, but only have a 2 cell Li-Po connected, would the charger auto detect the 2 cell pack, and not attempt to charge it as a 3 cell (11.1V) pack?

Regarding charging at 0.7C ( which for a TP 2100 ma pack would be 1470 ma I believe )
Lets say you have a 1000 ma capacity pack and want to charge it at 0.7C You're saying to input 700ma as its capacity. Does the charger not stop the charge at 700ma? This would mean having to restart the charger to get a full charge. Would this work OK?

1C is the maximum charge rate, so I'm thinking that charging at less than maximum might increase the life span of the packs. Don't think I'm alone on that thought. At home I'm in no rush, so why not charge at a lesser rate.

Jim

will

Setting the max charge rate, on Li-po has no bearing on when the charger will cut off. The charge rate is simply the max charge you want to feed the battery. The charger cut-off is controlled by the pack nominal voltage selected. For a 3-cell the nominal voltage to select is 11.1V. The voltage for cut-off is 12.6V and the charge current will be below 100mA. As the battery charge gets closer to the 12.6V cut-off the current will drop accordingly.

If you try to charge a battery that is very close to being charged, the charge current will not start at the value you selected on set-up. The charger detects battery voltage and will adjust the current as required, to top off the battery.

Pretty neat charger.

hilleyja

My Feedback: (3)

Well, I haven't really ventured too far into the charger for my NICADS and NIMHs but I did TRY to charge my field box gell-cell battery. ???????????

What's the secret here. I set the charger up for a 5amp charge. The battery charge leads are more than capable. As soon as I activate the charge the charge rate drops down to just above 2 amps then gradually drops just below 2 amps and remains at this level. Is this normal because at this rate it would take about 4 hours to charge that battery.