Lynn S

I was wondering if using a peak charger is ok with 250-500 mha batteries?
and what is the max charge rate to use?
I just charged my 250mha at .7amps I was thinking it was 70 mah, then I noticed it said .7A not mA. Needless to say it was a quick charge.
I'm charging my 500mha on .3A now.
I bought this peak charger for electric planes but thought I may as well use it for my radio batteries.

boberos

Very timely Lynn,

I got a Hobbico Mk 2 field charger last year. I have already "cooked" a rcvr pack & a Tx pack. Both were std 600 mah packs & I used a 1 amp charge rate.
Worst of all, My good Futaba 8U tx now has a very dstorted case rear. I had to remold the case to get the pack in & now I must hold the snap on battery cover with screws.

Oddly, the pack still cycles perfectly at 600 mah., although the plastic shrink wrap is all torn from heat. You could fry an egg with it.

Bob G

TNRabbit

If you have a battery that has distorted, you need to properly dispose of it ASAP.

For the BEST advice on batteries, go to:


www.rcbatteryclinic.com

rrragmanliam

My Feedback: (1)

Were they nicd packs? You shouldn't of cooked either of these pacs at a 1 amp rate. You can fast charge nicd's at C3 (1.8 amps for a 600ma pack) occasionaly and not hurt them. If you have a decent peek detect the packs should have been fine. Now if your talking nimah or lipo packs all bets off at this charge rate.

Rrragman

Lynn S

Gary: Thanks for the link!

TNRabbit

YW

boberos

My packs were ordinary Futaba (sanyo cell) Ni CD packs.
Bob G

Lynn S

The webside mentions about gas pressure building in the batteries, I would say get new ones.

A one hour charge rate sounds safe to me.

Bipe Flyer

I use peak chargers all the time. I was using the Hobbico field charger, but it was cooking my 250mAh packs. I now use a Supernova and a Hobbico field charger MKII with no problems. I both NiCads and NiMH charge at 1C, wich is well under what the packs can handle, with the charger set to the correct battery chemistry. So for a 250mAh pack I now charge at 250mA, on a 600mAh pack I charge at 600mA etc.

Japanman

Hey Bipe, where did you get your 250mah (nimh?) cells?

Boberos- My experience with Sanyo nicad cells is that they are extremely rubust- I have some aa`s that I got as when I was 8years old- they are still fine now, more than 20years of hard use (and many fast, overcharges) later. I bet there is NO coincidence that J.R and Futaba use them in their tx and rx packs.

BUT mine never got so hot as to damage the cell shink wrap- sounds like they were seriously overcharged to get that hot. I would say they`re o.k though.

J.M

blvdbuzzard

For the smaller packs I use a micro peak charger from Dymond model sports. It charges at.3, .5 and .7 ah. It charges both nimh and nicds. It goes for around $25.00. For the larger nicds I use an old beat up over used Hitec GS 335 charger. I charge the 8 cell 600 mah Tx packs at no more then 1C. I can charge them at a higher rate but that puts more stress on the cells and I like to get the longest life out of them I can. One of my RD6000 is on its fourth trip to 99 hours of "ON" time. It has the stock batteries and I still get long flight times with this radio.

Dru.

Bipe Flyer

Japanman,

The 250mAH packs were Hitec NiCads.

I have 120mAH and 280mAH packs from The Battery Station. http://www.batterystation.com/nicads.htm.

I've also bought several packs in different sizes from Radical RC. http://radicalrc.secure-mall.com/sho...17&cart=173713

Both have good prices and selection although, as their name implies, Radical RC is more oriented towards RC.

Japanman

Bipe,
There is a cell listing for a nimh 250mah that would be the same size as the cells in your pictured 120ma pack (1/3 AA)... but the cells are chinese... have you tried them before?

J.M

Bipe Flyer

I haven't tried them, but they are the same weight as the 2/3AAA cells anyways. The 120mAH cells are 1/3AAA, not 1/3AA.

matchlessaero

I use a Hitec CG340 on all of my stuff. Could not live without the doggone thing.

I make it a point to trickle charge all of my little packs if at all possible rather than quick charging them. The get a better charge that way, and the seem to last a lot longer......

On the Hitec, I charge my 120, 140 and 170mah NIMH cells pretty much at the lowest setting on the charger(at .2A, this is still probably too much). It takes a bit longer, but I would rather not fry a pack (been there done that).

Japanman

Thanks for pointing that out- I think the 2/3AAA`s are the way to go for me.

J.M

Lynn S

Jeremy,
Mine will charge at .1A, but 250mha is the smallest pack I have anyway, so I can use .2A
Glad to hear everybody uses them on the flight packs, it sure saves hours of waiting.
Let me know when we can get together again.- Lynn