Triton, odd result, Whats going on here???  
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Triton, odd result, Whats going on here??? - 1/17/2003 6:09:47 PM   
Capt Jim


 

Posts: 1116
Joined: 4/14/2002
From: Boca Raton, FL, USA
Status: offline 		From the office of peculiar results...
I set up the Triton to charge a partially charged 4.8 volt, 600 Mah, standard Sanyo Rx 4 cell pack. The pack had last been charged on the standard wall-wart charger for an overnight charge, but then it was left sitting idle for a week or more. The Triton was set for "charge" at 1.0 A. The charge cycle ended in 6 minutes 54 seconds and indicated 104 Mah into the pack. Then, to discover just how much was actually in the pack, I set up for a "discharge" also at 1.0 A. The Triton ended in 37 minutes 58 seconds and indicated 639 Mah from the pack. Pretty good I thought. Then, I charged the pack again, at the same 1.0 A. setting, expecting to see a similar number of Mah into the pack. The Triton ended in 18 minutes 54 seconds, but indicated only 285 Mah into the pack. Now I am confused, and worried that the pack is not getting a full charge, and that maybe I need to modify the Triton programming....but in what way? Am I doing something wrong? Also, since doing this last charge yesterday, I have left the pack connected to the Triton, so it can get a constant trickle charge. Since yesterday, the Triton is indicating a voltage rise from 5.55 v, when the charge ended, to 5.86 v. now, and showing no further increase over the last few hours. So, where do I go from here? Thanks in advance for advise.

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Triton, odd result, Whats going on here??? - 1/17/2003 7:15:27 PM   
EdMan-RCU


 

Posts: 249
Joined: 3/5/2002
From: tallahassee, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Jim,
You might want to try cycling the pack a few time at .6 mah C/1 and compare the cycles to see the overall average.

Hope this helps,
EdMan

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Triton, odd result, Whats going on here??? - 1/17/2003 8:54:04 PM   
Red Scholefield



Posts: 5024
Joined: 12/8/2001
From: Newberry, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Take a look at the peak delay setting and/or the peak sensitivity. You may be right on the edge, and be getting a false peak on occasion.

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Red S.
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Disclaimer: What I have written here are my thoughts and in no manner shape or form reflect the views of RCU

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OK, Triton says.... - 1/17/2003 9:30:26 PM   
Capt Jim


 

Posts: 1116
Joined: 4/14/2002
From: Boca Raton, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Hi Red,...Upon interogating the Triton, It tells me that peak delay, at start, is 15 min., and peak sensitivity is 5 mv/cell. Whats your opinion of those settings for my standard Rx and Tx 600 Mah packs? Am I on the edge?
Good to hear from you again, and thanks for all your help.
It was great of you to share that GP manual update with us, but I'm still in for one of your manuals, whenever it becomes available.

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Captain Jim

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Re: OK, Triton says.... - 1/17/2003 11:15:54 PM   
Red Scholefield



Posts: 5024
Joined: 12/8/2001
From: Newberry, FL, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by Capt Jim
Hi Red,...Upon interogating the Triton, It tells me that peak delay, at start, is 15 min., and peak sensitivity is 5 mv/cell. Whats your opinion of those settings for my standard Rx and Tx 600 Mah packs? Am I on the edge?

[/QUOTE]

Yes, that is too tight for Ni-Cd. Open it to 10 mv/cell and make sure you have the memory you are working from set for 4 cells.

You can back off on the peak delay to about 5 minutes, it rarely takes more than that to get by early peaks.

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Red S.
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Disclaimer: What I have written here are my thoughts and in no manner shape or form reflect the views of RCU

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Triton now operating under new parameters... - 1/18/2003 6:17:49 PM   
Capt Jim


 

Posts: 1116
Joined: 4/14/2002
From: Boca Raton, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Hi Red...I am cycling a few 4.8v, 600mah Rx packs with your suggested settings. I'll pass along the results when the tests are complete. Thanks again for your recomendations.

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Triton charge current excessive, beyond programmed.. - 1/19/2003 7:50:38 AM   
jelaird



Posts: 461
Joined: 1/12/2002
From: Gilbert, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		Red, my Triton has worked ok on 4 cell NiCAD and NiMH packs but I have a problem with charging a single 1900mah C size cell used in an onboard glow driver. When I program it to 1 cell, 2000mah and a 1.0A current the thing starts off with 4.4V, 5.5A. The units gets hot, fan comes on, the wires in my plane's charge jack are cooking by the smell and feel. Adjusting the current back to 1.0A with the wheel during the charge does nothing ...it jumps back to 5.5A in a few seconds. My 4 cells packs are not exact on the current either, display shows 1.1A - 1.2A during charge when I had programed a 1A rate. Their rates will not adjust either during charge. I have been using an Astro flight 110D for the single cell without a hitch. Is there a problem with regulating the current on my Triton?

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Jack
Chaos, panic, & disorder - my work here is done.

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Re: Triton charge current excessive, beyond programmed.. - 1/20/2003 8:17:17 PM   
Red Scholefield



Posts: 5024
Joined: 12/8/2001
From: Newberry, FL, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by jelaird
Red, my Triton has worked ok on 4 cell NiCAD and NiMH packs but I have a problem with charging a single 1900mah C size cell used in an onboard glow driver. When I program it to 1 cell, 2000mah and a 1.0A current the thing starts off with 4.4V, 5.5A. The units gets hot, fan comes on, the wires in my plane's charge jack are cooking by the smell and feel. Adjusting the current back to 1.0A with the wheel during the charge does nothing ...it jumps back to 5.5A in a few seconds. My 4 cells packs are not exact on the current either, display shows 1.1A - 1.2A during charge when I had programed a 1A rate. Their rates will not adjust either during charge. I have been using an Astro flight 110D for the single cell without a hitch. Is there a problem with regulating the current on my Triton? [/QUOTE]

Something wrong here somewhere. I just ran the same set up on mine with No problem. Sounds like you might have a bad unit.

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Disclaimer: What I have written here are my thoughts and in no manner shape or form reflect the views of RCU

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       Post #: 8

Results - 1/21/2003 8:49:40 AM   
ravin


 

Posts: 5
Joined: 2/20/2002
From: Baltimore, MD, USA
Status: offline 		Wow, That's some serious discharge and charge setting your using. The book says never to dicharge NiCd at more the 200-300 mA for those size batteries ( A-AA-AAA). As for the charge rate. A fast chage would be as follow. 600mA pack divided by 10 = 60mA. Take that value by 3 (hrs) which would = 180mA. Triton rounds off so I would charge at 200mA.

The Auto setting does all the work for you from 600-2400mA packs. Just takes some time. I'm finding I have some packs that were realing needed some maintenance. Give them some time to get readjusted.

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Triton, odd result, Whats going on here??? - 1/21/2003 5:39:51 PM   
jelaird



Posts: 461
Joined: 1/12/2002
From: Gilbert, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		My packs mentioned were larger at 1400mah and 1650mah, the NiCADs are Sanyo KR's. They have been seeing more than 1A for over a year with my upgraded Sirius charge that gets the job done in less than an hour. It doesn't do a single cell however so I use the old dependable Astroflight 110D. When I turn the knob to an amperage, thats what I get. When I saw this Triton choose it's own amperage after seriously programming it for much lower, I realized how dangerous it could be. Had I set it for discharge/charge and left the shop, I'm sure my plane would have suffered more damage than it did. By the way, after doing the simple "discharge" setup, when completed, it beeped, flashed "end" for a few minutes and suddenly started the corresponding charge cycle in that memory location. Sending back today.....but you folks owe it to yourself to check these units out in the charge cycle for each type pack before you turn your back on it. I could of had a fire.

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Jack
Chaos, panic, & disorder - my work here is done.

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Hi Red, The Triton thing just goes on, and on, and on... - 1/21/2003 5:53:49 PM   
Capt Jim


 

Posts: 1116
Joined: 4/14/2002
From: Boca Raton, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Using your settings for sensitivity and delay, the results seem to be improving in a few of my old battery packs. I guess I must get a new pack to use as a reference and establish some sort of benchmark. Various instructions seem to indicate that a slow, low amperage charge is the best way to go for accuracy and maximum input, etc I had been using a 1.0A charge rate, but when I tried a .2A rate, after some time I got a message "Error, Time Limit Over". Now I dont know what to make of that. Also, If I give up trying to educate myself about proper charging/discharging, (dont worry, I wont), and simply set up for "Auto", what is the compromise I am making? So that I may make a better evaluation of my packs, what charge rate and discharge current/voltage rate should I use for my standard NiCd 600Mah packs. Some are showing me about 400Mah. Is that time to trash it? Thanks again Red for all your help, and hows the manual coming along?

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Re: Hi Red, The Triton thing just goes on, and on, and... - 1/21/2003 7:37:13 PM   
Red Scholefield



Posts: 5024
Joined: 12/8/2001
From: Newberry, FL, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by Capt Jim
I had been using a 1.0A charge rate, but when I tried a .2A rate, after some time I got a message "Error, Time Limit Over". Now I dont know what to make of that. Also, If I give up trying to educate myself about proper charging/discharging, (dont worry, I wont), and simply set up for "Auto", what is the compromise I am making? So that I may make a better evaluation of my packs, what charge rate and discharge current/voltage rate should I use for my standard NiCd 600Mah packs. Some are showing me about 400Mah. Is that time to trash it? [/QUOTE]

Have you looked in the set up menu to see what the Safety timer was set at? You will probably find that it ran out of time at the .2A rate. For a 600 mAh pack it will take a minimum of 216 minutes before it reaches peak and terminates.

Auto is a very conservative mode. I can take some time to complete a charge.

If you are working with 600 mAh packs just charge it for 16 hours on with the charger that came with your radio system. Then discharge on the Triton to compare the capacity you get vs. what you get when you charge it on the Triton. This will give you a pretty good base line as to how well your Triton is doing its job.

Throw away time is when you get less than 80% of rated capacity. If you are truly getting only 400 mAh then these packs are ready to be replaced.

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Red S.
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Disclaimer: What I have written here are my thoughts and in no manner shape or form reflect the views of RCU

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Thanks Red... - 1/21/2003 8:08:48 PM   
Capt Jim


 

Posts: 1116
Joined: 4/14/2002
From: Boca Raton, FL, USA
Status: offline 		The Tritons "safety timer" had been set for only 120 minutes. That would surely have timed out before reaching a peak at that low charge rate. I'll try your suggestion re charging for 16 hours with the wall wart....but when setting the Triton for a "discharge only" cycle, it offers you the opportunity to select a current and voltage. How do I determine the best settings for a given pack, so as to give me the most accurate evaluation of the packs useable capacity?
On a totally unrelated topic....In your new avitar...what is the object that is being stared upon so intently?

What good is high-definition TV, when you have look at it with these low definition eyes? heh heh.
It's warming up a bit down here in Boca...I may be thawed out enough to fly this afternoon.

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Re: Thanks Red... - 1/21/2003 8:39:42 PM   
Red Scholefield



Posts: 5024
Joined: 12/8/2001
From: Newberry, FL, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by Capt Jim
The Tritons "safety timer" had been set for only 120 minutes. That would surely have timed out before reaching a peak at that low charge rate. I'll try your suggestion re charging for 16 hours with the wall wart....but when setting the Triton for a "discharge only" cycle, it offers you the opportunity to select a current and voltage. How do I determine the best settings for a given pack, so as to give me the most accurate evaluation of the packs useable capacity?

To check the capacity the manufacturer uses to rate the battery use C/5 or as close as you can get to it.

On a totally unrelated topic....In your new avitar...what is the object that is being stared upon so intently?

Another charger to review.

It's warming up a bit down here in Boca...I may be thawed out enough to fly this afternoon. [/QUOTE]

Answers interspaced above. We should make it into the high 60's today also - but from what I see we are going to catch it again this weekend.

Hope this cold crap doesn't carry through to the IMAA Winter Festival in Deland on Jan30-Feb 2.

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Red S.
AMA 951 Leader Member
Disclaimer: What I have written here are my thoughts and in no manner shape or form reflect the views of RCU

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Triton, odd result, Whats going on here??? - 1/22/2003 6:16:58 PM