RC Sumo

Does anyone have one of these? It's the HobbyZone wall charger for their batteries. I can't find any documentation on it's use. It seems it charges @ .4 AMP rate. But I dont know...and there's just sinlge LED on it that doesn't flash or anything like DC Car charger does. If anyone has any info on it or how to tell when the batteries are fully charged that would be great. I love this dang orange plane. Tons o fun to fly.

slgilley

Don't have an answer to your question, but you might go to Radio Shack and grab their 1.75 Amp DC power supply. It has a cigarette lighter socket, and you could use it and your current Aerobird charger to charge your batteries from an AC outlet. Currently on clearance for $20.

Sean.

RC Sumo

Thanks! Great Idea..the DC Charger is a peak charger...so yeah tat might work better!

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

The charger that comes with the Aerobird is a DC charger, not an AC wall charger. The Aerobird charger is also a peak charger and goes up to a 1.2 amp rate.

You have something else there.

BobbyGee

My Feedback: (3)

Go with the 12v adapter suggestion.

I bought the lcharger and it's as you say - you don't know when it's done other than to leave it like overnight, then you know the battery has been in there long enough.

I should have bought the cig lighter adapter and stuck with the peak charger.

Cheers!!!

BobbyG

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

This is the DC charger that comes with the Aerobird. Works great and under $20, even at the hobby stores.
http://horizon.hobbyshopnow.com/prod...p?prod=HBZ1026

This page has a whole list of hobbyzone chargers. Maybe the one you have is one of these.

http://horizon.hobbyshopnow.com/serv...tResultCount=7

If you going to go for a better battery charger, this GWS might be a good choice. I believe it includes the proper plug for the Aerobird batteries.
http://horizon.hobbyshopnow.com/prod...p?prod=GWS3000 About $49
More specs on the GWS charger
http://www.gws.com.tw/english/produc...it/charger.htm


I have two of the Aerobird Chargers, but I also have this Hitec Charger:
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXARP1&P=7 $40

If you get a charger that does not come with the right connector, you can buy this and make a connector for it. $1 My local hobby store sells these.
http://horizon.hobbyshopnow.com/prod...p?prod=HBZ1081

Hope this helps.

With three chargers and 5 battery packs, my Aerobird is in the air most of the time.

dribbe

http://horizon.hobbyshopnow.com/serv...=ALL&tag=qsrch

If you want a cheap wall charger for a HBZ 900mAh x 7.2v (6-cell) battery, this is the one....
hbz2519

Regards

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

BTW. the Aerobid chargers fully charge the battery in 30-40 minutes. The others may be a little faster. They work from the car's battery.

Why would you want an AC charger that takes 2-3 hours to charge one battery?

LTSharpe

Well personally I had a bad experience with those fast dc chargers. I have the fast field charger for my fb2 and I plugged it into a dc power supply with a cigarette lighter outlet. Instead of charging the battery for 45 minutes it apparetnly charged it in around 20 or so and then proceeded to overheat it and the charger. I think it was due to the fact that the charger expected to see 12.6 volts from turned off car electical system instead of 13.8 from an 'on system' or an AC power supply supplying 13.8 I may try it again and just watch it closer. The battery seems to have recovered although that particular charge didn't charge it.

RC Sumo

Thanks fellas. aeajr(can't wait for your next article!)...I do have both. I might have to do more research as I went into Radio Shaq (will the bad commercials never end?) and the only adapter they seemed to have was a full blown AC-DC power converter that started @ $44. I could get a decent Peak charger for those bucks. $44 for a ac-dc power converter....seems a rip off as a basic ac-dc power converter is just a voltage drop coil and a couple of diodes to cut the AC signal in half and keep it from alternating current. Wow....had to go back a ways to even try that analysis. Still probably got it wrong.

Do you think I would be fine using my RC Car peak charger that would accept the ABC cells(6) and the amps? A battery is a battery right? As long as the charger is able to handle the cell draw(# of cells) and amp level you need?
Those other chargers looked OK. I would probably try to grab my brother's Duratrax Intellipeak. IT does both AC and DC connections and is a pretty good peak charger.

LTSharpe......I try to keep a close eye on my DC charger, just seems like a little cheap quality to just charge and walk away....I even have a cheap $1 battery powered fan (Dollar store cheapo) I have blow on it when charging....like to keep em cool!

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Thanks! New articles will hit RCezine on April 2

I would not buy a DC to AC converter to run the ac adapter at the field. Too expensive, too slow and too inefficent.

If your car charger, I presume you model car charger, not "drive on the street" charger, will handle the aerobird/firebird batteries which are NIMH, then there is no reason why you can't use it. A battery is a battery. Just make sure it is not a NICD charger only. Also make sure it can be set for the right number of cells.

Is it a peak charger or a timed charger? I only recommend peak chargers. Timed chargers can definately over charge and damage batteries, or under charge and give you poor performance.

Now, if you need DC power at the field, you can check out something like this:
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/igadgets/tm-461.html
or this
http://www.overstock.com/se/Coleman_...ith_Light.html

I have one that looks like the second one.

If you want info on batteries, here is more than you ever wanted to know:
http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/foru...threadid=79133

RC Sumo

lol....I think we got a little crossed Ed!.... what I was wanting to do is run my DC Peak charger off an AC supply @ my house. I wanted to use it instead of the funky wall charger HobbyZone sells. i wouldn't recommend that thing to anyone. Anyway...it appears I might be able to use my model car charger....agreeing with you that a battery is a battery. It's a peak charger, as all timer chargers seem to be good @ is frying batteries or getting a nice memory ingrained into them. So unless someone has an inexpensive alternative....good ole trusty car charger to the rescue.

LTSharpe

The wall charger for my fbII works fine, it just takes 2 hours to charge the battery. I have tried my fast charger again using an ac supply with a 13.8 volt cigarette lighter plug and it charges the battery fine in around 20 minutes but the large resistor in the center casing in the middle of the cord gets way too hot it seems. The power resistor itself does not show signs of heat stress though and it's a 10watt rated unit at 5.6 ohms. I'd like to see a schematic for whats actually in the mainconnector portion with the timer etc

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Yep, we got crossed. Too many threads, trying to help too many people on too many subjects. Aerobirds, sailplanes, stuff.

I have one like this in my workshop. http://www.overstock.com/se/Coleman_...ith_Light.html

This is what powers my DC chargers, three of them. It also is great for jump starting cars. Sometimes I bring it to the field just because it is more convenient to have this by the back of my van than going to the front to get to the charger. I run one charger out of the plub and one clips on to the jumper cables. Works great!

dribbe

The FBII feild (12v DC) charger was not a PEAK charger... The HBZ1026 (AB, ABC, etc) is. It should not overheat when charging a partially charged battery. As before, the AC wall charger (2-1/2 hour) is HBZ2519.

Regards,
David