Captain351

Red

I just read you review of the Triton in R/C Report and Gordon's remarks about service menus that follows. (Great Review).

My question is about these service menu's and the Triton's conservative Li-Ion charging. Can these menu settings be used to solve this problem.

Great Planes Probably doesn't want anybody messing with these menus even if it is possible to fix the units shortcomings by using them. I would imagine that this could be a warranty nightmare for them.

I am thinking of getting some Li-Pol batteries and would like to know if the Triton that I already own can charge them Properly or if I need to get a charger just for Li-ion and Li-Pol.

Just the knowledge that the problem can be solved through the service menus would be a help even if you can't say how to enter these menus.

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

The service manuals only allow you to calibrate the voltages and currents. It has nothing to do with the preset parameters for lithium charging. With further work I have not found the Triton to be that much of a problem in charging lithium packs. As with other lithium chargers I have tested if you back off the charge rate you get a higher state of charge. You will probably get better service life out of lithium packs with a softer charge regime as presented by the Triton. In all cases pick the higher voltage choice.

tdriver

Is this easy to do for an average user with some knowledge in electronics,or is this only possible for Great Planes service? (don't have one yet,to look at this)

it would be nice if you could calibrate the volts and currents "just like that",checking with a digital meter and getting the display numbers right again,when the charger for some reason needs calibration.especially when the closest GP service is 1000 miles away...but then again,this kind of devices maybe don't need re-calibration after the first time in the factory.....do they???

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

You don't need to mess with the calibration. I is dead on as it comes from the factory. Just compare the current/voltage readings with your digital volt/ammeter in the circuit. You will find no significant differences.

catboater

My Feedback: (51)

Red, When you say "in all cases pick the higher voltage" are you say to charge 7.2 volt packs with the 10.8 volt setting?
I've noticed that my Triton will drop the selected charge rate down to .1-.2 mAh after only a few minutes and it takes forever for the pack to peak. More often than not the time limit will expire and it'll stop charging. Am I doing something wrong?

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

No, No! Pick the highest voltage for the NUMBER OF CELLS you are charging, in the case of two cells this would be 7.4 rather than 7.2. Lithium cells do not peak, the charger clamps the voltage and sets the current to whatever it takes to sustain that voltage until they are fully charged. Set the charge current for C/2 and the voltage to 7.4 (for the two cell pack) and see if the current doesn't stay at the setting for much longer. Once it drops from the setting note the voltage displayed. It will probably be 90% charged in a little over a couple of hours. If you want faster charge set rate to 1C. I would not recommend going beyond this however for best battery service life.

ElectriFan-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

I got my Triton last weekend and have been playing with it some. I have set it up for my LiIon packs yet.

So just to be clear, it needs to be set to 7.4V for 2x LiPo packs and 7.2V for 2x LiIon packs?

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

Try 7.2 first for 2 X LiIon, if they are not fully charged move up to 7.4.

ElectriFan-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

Sounds good Red. How do I tell if it's not fully charged? Do I need to cycle a pack or check peak voltage?

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

You should be getting rated capacity out of it when you discharge it. Open circuit voltage should read 8.4 or better.

ElectriFan-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks for the tips Red. I'll try that this evening.

Reeb

Hi Red,

I'm getting the same problem as the other guys in this old thread with a triton and 2x1200 Kokam HD lipo's. When I set the triton to charge at 1.2A or 0.6A or whatever it is overridden by the charger which stays at 0.4A for an hour and then at 0.2A for a long time after that. I would really like to pump up the current to 1C during at least the initial stages of the charge but the triton just doesn't seem to want that. Any idea why not?

Thanks

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

The Triton starts to limit the charge current as soon as the 4.2 volt setting is approached, even earlier. The designers bent over backward to make sure we don't have a lithium "incident" consequently there were some compromises in the charge algorithm that leaves the lithium cells a bit undercharged.

Reeb

Thanks for the reply.

Well I emptied the cells today after flying 55 minutes with a pico stick. I put them on charge at 1.2A and still it doesn't go over 0.4A. Is there no way to override the settings? The triton manual says that you can fast charge them at 0.7C and even some cells at 1C but that seems a moot point if the charger won't use what you enter anyway.

Mr Happy Crash

I would have assumed you know it, but if a 2s pack reads over 8.4V, it is overcharged.