Charging Help
01-14-2006, 09:39 PM
#1
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Charging Help
Hi,
This is the charger I have - http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...=++&search3=Go
and I've attached a picture of my battery.
I'm having trouble charging it. I hook the battery up to the charger, set it to 2.0amps, and select "Peak Charge". It charges for like 5 minutes and then switches to slow charge and beeps as though it is finished charging.
This is a brand new battery I got today and Im trying to charge it for the first time.
I haven't had any problems using this charger and my other NiCd battery.
Thanks for the help!
This is the charger I have - http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...=++&search3=Go
and I've attached a picture of my battery.
I'm having trouble charging it. I hook the battery up to the charger, set it to 2.0amps, and select "Peak Charge". It charges for like 5 minutes and then switches to slow charge and beeps as though it is finished charging.
This is a brand new battery I got today and Im trying to charge it for the first time.
I haven't had any problems using this charger and my other NiCd battery.
Thanks for the help!
01-14-2006, 09:46 PM
#2
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RE: Charging Help
your charger is false peaking. that is normal since your pack is new and isn`t yet broken in. for the first time you charge your pack, charge it at 0.5amps [the minimum available with your charger]. the 2nd time charge at 1amp, the 3rd at 2amps, the 4th at 2.5 and so on until you get to charge it at 3-4amps. that is called scaled break-in. i recommend charging at 4amps [after the break-in] no matter what duratrax says about nimh charge rate-that is objective to the cell quality.since your pack s built of gp cells, you can charge it at 4amps without overheating problems, BUT YOU NEED TO BREAK-IN THE PACK FIRST AS STATED ABOVE!
-at 0.5amps charge rate it should take about 7hours [aproximately] to charge the pack. DO NOT RUSH! let the pack break in properly. if the charging stops earlier, disconnect the pack and reconect it 5 seconds later. restart the charging process until a period of minimum 6hours gets by. your pack should be warm when it peaks [reaches maximum charge]. discharge the pack as you like, then store the pack and let it cool [you should do that ALWAYS] for at least 1-2hours before recharging. do not recharge more than twice within 1 day. during the break-in process, it is recommended to charge the pack once per day. once you discharge your pack for the first time, recharge it the next day [at 1amp as stated above] and so on.
hope that helps.
-at 0.5amps charge rate it should take about 7hours [aproximately] to charge the pack. DO NOT RUSH! let the pack break in properly. if the charging stops earlier, disconnect the pack and reconect it 5 seconds later. restart the charging process until a period of minimum 6hours gets by. your pack should be warm when it peaks [reaches maximum charge]. discharge the pack as you like, then store the pack and let it cool [you should do that ALWAYS] for at least 1-2hours before recharging. do not recharge more than twice within 1 day. during the break-in process, it is recommended to charge the pack once per day. once you discharge your pack for the first time, recharge it the next day [at 1amp as stated above] and so on.
hope that helps.
01-14-2006, 10:09 PM
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RE: Charging Help
yes. for the average basher, the following discharge process is adequate: run your car until the punch really goes down and the car moves at walking speed [5-6mph or so]. then it is sufficiently discharged. WARNING: it is better to overcharge than overdischarge nimhs!!! [that saying is ment to tell that overdischarging is really BAD!]. so be cautious. do not run your car until it stops moving! stop running it when it gets really slow [5-6mph as stated above]. if you want to get the most out of your nimh packs, then periodically you should charge them fully and then discharge them until they reach a voltage of 0.90volts per cell => 5.40volts per 6cell pack. your charger supports discharging as a function, BUT the cutoff voltage is fixed at 2.60 which is very low. that means that if you leave your charger to discharge your nimh packs, it will overdischarge them. the only way to prevent this, is to connect a voltmeter [3-5$] in parallel with the pack [for example at the leads of the charger] and watch the voltage during discharging until it drops at 5.40-5.50volts or so. when it does, disconnect the pack. it sounds fuzzy, but its easy and the good part is that you only have to go through that process once per one or maybe two months to keep your pack in top shape. note that nicds also need discharging but in a more regular basis.
another tip: if you are going to store your nimh packs for a week or more, then always store them with some charge left in them [for example charge them at 50% then store them]. if you will be storing them for a couple of months or more, then charge them fully prior to storing. the exact oposite stands for nicds. always discharge nicds before storing for prolonged periods!
another tip: if you are going to store your nimh packs for a week or more, then always store them with some charge left in them [for example charge them at 50% then store them]. if you will be storing them for a couple of months or more, then charge them fully prior to storing. the exact oposite stands for nicds. always discharge nicds before storing for prolonged periods!
01-14-2006, 11:29 PM
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RE: Charging Help
it is normal during the break in process since the cells get stabilized and their chemistry is altered by a minor factor to match the current flow. however, that buzzing sound should be quite hard to hear. if its loud then something might not be as it should...
01-14-2006, 11:37 PM
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RE: Charging Help
@treedog, your claim is correct, but most nimhs make that sound during break-in. i have seen bad cells doing that sound, and many packs which have taken physical impact [eg during a crash or if one droped them to the ground], were wrecked and made that sound afterwards.
01-14-2006, 11:50 PM
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RE: Charging Help
ORIGINAL: kostaktinos_mt
yes. for the average basher, the following discharge process is adequate: run your car until the punch really goes down and the car moves at walking speed [5-6mph or so]. then it is sufficiently discharged. WARNING: it is better to overcharge than overdischarge nimhs!!! [that saying is ment to tell that overdischarging is really BAD!]. so be cautious. do not run your car until it stops moving! stop running it when it gets really slow [5-6mph as stated above]. if you want to get the most out of your nimh packs, then periodically you should charge them fully and then discharge them until they reach a voltage of 0.90volts per cell => 5.40volts per 6cell pack. your charger supports discharging as a function, BUT the cutoff voltage is fixed at 2.60 which is very low. that means that if you leave your charger to discharge your nimh packs, it will overdischarge them. the only way to prevent this, is to connect a voltmeter [3-5$] in parallel with the pack [for example at the leads of the charger] and watch the voltage during discharging until it drops at 5.40-5.50volts or so. when it does, disconnect the pack. it sounds fuzzy, but its easy and the good part is that you only have to go through that process once per one or maybe two months to keep your pack in top shape. note that nicds also need discharging but in a more regular basis.
another tip: if you are going to store your nimh packs for a week or more, then always store them with some charge left in them [for example charge them at 50% then store them]. if you will be storing them for a couple of months or more, then charge them fully prior to storing. the exact oposite stands for nicds. always discharge nicds before storing for prolonged periods!
yes. for the average basher, the following discharge process is adequate: run your car until the punch really goes down and the car moves at walking speed [5-6mph or so]. then it is sufficiently discharged. WARNING: it is better to overcharge than overdischarge nimhs!!! [that saying is ment to tell that overdischarging is really BAD!]. so be cautious. do not run your car until it stops moving! stop running it when it gets really slow [5-6mph as stated above]. if you want to get the most out of your nimh packs, then periodically you should charge them fully and then discharge them until they reach a voltage of 0.90volts per cell => 5.40volts per 6cell pack. your charger supports discharging as a function, BUT the cutoff voltage is fixed at 2.60 which is very low. that means that if you leave your charger to discharge your nimh packs, it will overdischarge them. the only way to prevent this, is to connect a voltmeter [3-5$] in parallel with the pack [for example at the leads of the charger] and watch the voltage during discharging until it drops at 5.40-5.50volts or so. when it does, disconnect the pack. it sounds fuzzy, but its easy and the good part is that you only have to go through that process once per one or maybe two months to keep your pack in top shape. note that nicds also need discharging but in a more regular basis.
another tip: if you are going to store your nimh packs for a week or more, then always store them with some charge left in them [for example charge them at 50% then store them]. if you will be storing them for a couple of months or more, then charge them fully prior to storing. the exact oposite stands for nicds. always discharge nicds before storing for prolonged periods!
01-14-2006, 11:59 PM
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RE: Charging Help
"memory" as a factor for nicds, mostly affects their capacity. "memory" as a factor for nimhs, rarely affects their capacity as you said. we agree on that. but it affects their punch. IMO. discharging a nimh pack once a month keeps them punchy.
01-15-2006, 02:42 AM
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RE: Charging Help
Here's another way to form and equalise the cells in one step (a long one) leave it on trickle charge for 6 days on that charger if you have time and then use normally.
