Aircraft switch on while charging Rx Battery  
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Tower Hobbies
Enter up to 4 keywords or Tower stock numbers
Logged in as Guest



Users viewing this topic: none
    Search This Thread  
 
Printable Version

All Forums >> Radios, Batteries, Clubhouse and more >> Batteries & Chargers >> Aircraft switch on while charging Rx Battery
Page: [1]

Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
Aircraft switch on while charging Rx Battery - 7/3/2009 4:50 AM   
Mainspar


 

Posts: 58
Score: 100
Joined: 11/7/2002
Last Login: 11/8/2009
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Status: offline 		Long day and/or lost my mind...have not made it to the flying field for a good while, but thought tomorrow morning looked good. I hooked up a Futaba charger to my aircraft and was about to plug in the transmitter, but then had doubts that I had the right transmitter for that aircraft. So, I turned the transmitter on (it still had a fairly good charge as both the aircraft and transmitter had been fully charged 10 days ago) and then reached over and turned on the aircraft switch in order to toggle the sticks to ensure that the controls were correct (forgetting momentarily to unplug the charger from the aircraft). I turned the aircraft switch back off, unplugged the charger, and then turned the aircraft switch back on to test the controls. The receiver battery went completely dead. Plugged in a volt meter and read nothing at all. Will turning on the aircraft switch while the charger is plugged in instantly kill a NiCad battery pack?

I then plugged the Rx battery into my field charger and the charger immediately began to blink. That is the indication that a battery has completed charging. Pulled the battery off the charger and plugged in the voltmeter...no charge at all.

< Message edited by Mainspar -- 7/3/2009 5:18 AM >

Hide Signatures
       Post #: 1

RE: Aircraft switch on while charging Rx Battery - 7/3/2009 7:03 AM   
freeair


 

Posts: 890
Score: 101
Joined: 5/10/2008
Last Login: 10/31/2009
From: queensland, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		no the nicad pack should not have been effected by this . what you should be looking into is ; are the battery wires making contact with the plug end ? are you testing this power through the rx switch ? check the nicad cells at there solder contacts individually 1.2 volts per cell test, then test from the battery wires to the plug end for continuety, check with the meter to make sure the rx switch also has continuety from one end to the other [ black to black / red to red etc ] i bet you have a broken wire somewhere.

Hide Signatures

(in reply to Mainspar)
       Post #: 2

RE: Aircraft switch on while charging Rx Battery - 7/3/2009 1:31 PM   
safeTwire


 

Posts: 388
Score: 100
Joined: 3/3/2003
Last Login: 11/8/2009
From: Rye Brook, NY, USA
Status: offline 		The answer to your question is NO.

Depending on the airborne switch position ( on or off ), connection is made to EITHER:

Battery to Receiver
or
Battery to Charge/Test port.

so...

With the switch thrown one way...the receiver should function and all controls operate normally as intended, AND, the circuit to charge/test port is disabled.

Throw the switch the other way...The charge/test port is activated AND circuit to the receiver is now disabled. (With the switch in this position is when you test/charge.)

If the switch fails to crisply yield both of the above actions...it would be best not to fly until repaired.



Hide Signatures

(in reply to freeair)
       Post #: 3

RE: Aircraft switch on while charging Rx Battery - 7/3/2009 10:17 PM   
Mainspar


 

Posts: 58
Score: 100
Joined: 11/7/2002
Last Login: 11/8/2009
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Status: offline 		My sincere thanks to you both for your guidance and suggestions (and reassurance that flipping the switch will not blow the Rx pack). I pulled the Rx pack out of the aircraft last night, put it on the slow charger, and went to bed. This morning the pack produced 2.7V. I just unwrapped the pack; two cells looking great at 1.4V, the other two cells dead. I'm glad now that I was not able to go flying 10 days ago and fortunate that the pack died on the bench and not in the air.

Hide Signatures

(in reply to safeTwire)
       Post #: 4

RE: Aircraft switch on while charging Rx Battery - 7/3/2009 10:24 PM   
safeTwire


 

Posts: 388
Score: 100
Joined: 3/3/2003
Last Login: 11/8/2009
From: Rye Brook, NY, USA
Status: offline 		You're welcome
Glad to hear you caught that on the ground!

Hide Signatures

(in reply to Mainspar)
       Post #: 5

RE: Aircraft switch on while charging Rx Battery - 7/4/2009 6:16 AM   
freeair


 

Posts: 890
Score: 101
Joined: 5/10/2008
Last Login: 10/31/2009
From: queensland, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		if you nav,nt got a battery load tester, get one now. check your rx battery power before every flight and you should be safe.

Hide Signatures

(in reply to safeTwire)
       Post #: 6

RE: Aircraft switch on while charging Rx Battery - 7/4/2009 2:20 PM   
Capt Lou


 

Posts: 418
Score: 100
Joined: 1/3/2007
Last Login: 11/3/2009
From: Manahawkin, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		Mainspar:

If you are having trouble with a switch that also has a charging port, replace it. It is a cheap fix rather than damage your plane. I went out yesterday with a new 30% YAK 54 that had only 3 flights on it. It is powered by a DA 50 that has a separate 2300 mah A123 battery pack for the ignition and its own switch with a charging jack. On its fourth flight since I assembled the plane, the engine died and while I was able to recover the plane, it had substantial damage that needs to be repaired. In investigating the cause of the dead stick, I discovered that ignition battery charging jack had a substanial reduction in battery voltage when I tested the line thru the jack plug. When I removed the battery pack and tested it directly without going thru the jack plug, the battery was fine. I then tested the battery pack on a different switch/charge jack, and it again it was fine. So it appears that I have bad switch that somehow shut down my igition.

Capt Lou

Hide Signatures

(in reply to Mainspar)
       Post #: 7

Page:   [1]
All Forums >> Radios, Batteries, Clubhouse and more >> Batteries & Chargers >> Aircraft switch on while charging Rx Battery
Page: [1]





Jump to:


 
Google 



Search | Marketplace | Event Calendar | Local Clubs | Magazine | Product Ratings | New Products | Discussion Forums

Photo Gallery | Instructor Search | Field|Track|Marina Search

Advertisers | Hobby Vendor Resources | Rate Manufacturers | Sign In/Sign Up

SITE MAP!   : :   FORUM RULES

© 2001 - 2007 24-7 RC, LLC, all rights reserved.

Charities we support that also need your help
Yorkie Rescue | Humane Society | ASPCA | Crohn's-Colitis America

Kaango.com Classifieds

0.594RCU1