auto5man

Hi All,

Can this charger be used to charge the Aerobird batteries? (6cell 900 mAh) And if so what amp setting should I use to discharge and charge. (I would assume no more than 1.2a since thats the max on the charger that comes with the ABC)

I'm a little confused because I was told at the LHS that it could be used with the proper connector, but the Duratrax website states that it should not be used to charge parkflier battery packs....


"Can any of the Intellipeak chargers be used for charging and discharging Park Flier batteries?

None of the IntelliPeak chargers should be used with any Park Flyer batteries."

Is the ABC not in the "parkflyer" class? One last question...what exactly is meant by the term "subC" in regard to batteries.

auto5man

Matt Kirsch

My Feedback: (21)

Actually, the Aerobird is a bit large for a "parkflyer."

Now's a good time to learn about C. C is the Capacity of the battery pack, converted to Amps. For example, a 900mAh battery pack would have a C of .9 Amps. C is also the one-hour Charge rate for the battery pack, and the safe charge rate for ALL battery types.

Your intellipeak needs to meet these three criteria in order for it to be suitable:
1. It must be able to charge the battery pack at the C rate.
2. It must be able to charge the number of cells in the battery pack.
3. It must be able to detect the peak of a NiMH battery.

Here are the relevant specifications from the item description at Tower Hobbies:
1. Adjustable fast charge current of 0.5-4.0 amps AC, 0.5-6.5 amps DC.
2. Output: 4-7 cells on DC, 4-8 cells on AC.
3. Peak charges Nickel-Cadmium batteries using specialized peak charging technology as well as Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries.

Looks fine to me. They tell you to not use it on parkflyer batteries, which are generally much smaller, in the 110-400mA range. You can't adjust the current low enough to charge them at C.

Sub C is the size of the battery. You've definitely seen AA, AAA, C and D cells because you use them every day in your TV remotes and flashlights. Sub C is a little smaller than a C cell. Just FYI, the cells in your ABC are "2/3A" cells. This means they are the diameter of an A cell (a bit fatter than a AA) and 2/3 the length of an A cell, which is about the same length as a AA.

auto5man

Thank you Matt....that answered my question very well and helped me some other things as well.

The C then on my battery would be 0.9amp. Using the search feature I've read other posts where charging at 2-3 C is okay, you just have to be careful and monitor the packs so that they don't overheat...is this true?

Also, one other thing I don't understand on my charger. If I am controlling the amp with the adjustable dial at 0.9amp as standard, my charger also has a switch on the bottom that chooses either 2 amp or 10 amp discharge. Now if the adjustable rate says 0.9a how does the 2a or 10a relate to the 0.9a? I hope this question is making sense....I don't think I worded it very well. On the switch it says "over 1500mAh" for the 10amp and for "under 1500mAh" for the 2 amp. (Hard and fast rule or another one of those charging issues where people push the envelope?) I don't mind pushing the envelope but I want to be safe and not ruin any battery packs for the sake of impatience. (although its easy to be impatient when you're at the field waiting on a battery to charge!)

auto5man

auto5man

Here is the thread I mentioned....

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_25.../tm.htm#251450

Some of the posters say 2C is okay for NiMH, and others say ony 1C. I guess no one mentioned 3C for the NiMH.

auto5man