djmp69

Hello!

First, let me be clear, this question applies to the charger in question charging NiMh batteries. In no way am I experiencing the problem with LiPos or LiFe, or any lithium chemistry batteries.

My setup is as follows:
I have two switches on each plane. Each switch is connected to separate batteries. The switch leads each go to separate channels on the receiver.
If you check out the vid, you'll see that the charger stops charging a battery prematurely when the charge on another battery is stopped manually or reaches full charge and stops automatically. I have sent it in to hitec, and they say they found no problem with the charger, and that the problem must be that I am charging my batteries through the switch. That seems odd to me, since that why the switch has a charge port. Everything in my planes is secured well so it wont move around. Their suggestion of disconnecting the battery and connecting it directly to the charger is not only counter intuitive, it is almost impossible, given the location of my batteries. Their head sales rep agreed that something was wrong, but the techs that supposedly checked it out disagree. Normally, Id tend to go with the techs, but my experience with other multi chargers and common sense tell me otherwise.
It seems that there is indeed something happening that they don't know about, because if this was a known issue, or something that can't be done anyway, it would have been in the manual or at least the answer I got from the tech would be more than a guess, "...No problem found. Problem maybe charging through switch harness". I'm sorry, "maybe?"
Has anyone else experienced a problem like this? Be it this charger, or any other multi charger?

djmp69

Well, in doing some research, it looks like my only solution is to find a way to retrofit my planes with some kind of way to isolate at least one battery from the receiver during charging. Perhaps on the "backup" battery switch put an extension that I can still secure but easily unplug and plug in the charger. That will let me still charge thru the switches and not have to dig out wires and/or batteries, or keep putting stress on my recevier pins by pulling out the leads and pushing them back in. I swear, always something in this hobby!

Steve Percifield

My Feedback: (14)

I discovered the same thing a couple years ago. The switches with the built in charge ports do not disconnect all the wires going from the battery to the receiver. It disconnects only the positive wire. All receivers have a common negative bus. All the negative polls are connected. When you try and charge both batteries, the 2 charge circuits are connected. The charger is fighting itself, cannot read a separate battery and will give false charging. You have to charge them one at a time or disconnect them from the switch to charge at the same time.

At least, this is how it was explained to me.

djmp69

Exactly. So I figure I'd just throw in a little 3 inch extension between one switch/battery junction, that way I can still do both. Just connect one battery directly without having to dig everything out.
I just have to remember to reconnect the battery before flight, lol!