Josey Wales

My Feedback: (61)

Had a question for Triton users....All my planes are Li-ion..My TX is on Nimh so I keep it on trickle 24/7 ..Im going to be getting a foamie and will need something to handle Li-po..If I get a Triton can I keep it plugged in 24/7 and keep my TX on trickle without harming it (Triton) or the power supply?

guver

My Feedback: (325)

I think the triton and power supply will not be harmed to keep it on 24 hrs. It may shorten its service life though, I am not a big fan of leaving stuff on, only my computer

Mad Wax

I wouldn't keep NIMH's on trickle..just put them on charge the night before fly day (say 8 hour charge) with delta peak so it'll do a full charge or it'll just top them up, depending on the discharge amount. Only leave lead acid batteries on 24/7 with chargers designed for slow trickle charge once it's detected the LA charge is complete.

JNorton

My Feedback: (2)

You can keep your MiMh cells at peak by using the wall wart charger that came with your transmitter. After charging for 14 to 16 hours as is normal just plug the wall wart into a appliance timer set for 1 hour out of 24. This will keep the pack fully charged.

John

Josey Wales

My Feedback: (61)

Yea I was trying to avoid the timer setup..I was trying to consolidate everything..I have an Alpha4 but since I have all Li-ion Im only using it for my TX

JNorton

My Feedback: (2)

But the timer setup is simple. It doesn't glitch if you have line transients and it was designed to be powered 24 hours a day. I've got mine plugged into a 120VAC strip outlet. Another 120VAC strip outlet that is powered continuously is next to it. When I finish charging for 14 to 16 hours I just plug the wall wart into the appliance timer strip. Really simple. The strips are on the wall where I store my aircraft. In your case where you store you transmitter.

Rodney

Most NiMh do not take kindly to trickle charges, a good way to decrease their life span. Take Mr. Norton's advice and use a timer.

iflynething

How exactly does the trickle charge function work on the Triton? I haven't figured that out quite yet. Do you charge the battery and then when the battery finishes charging it AUTOMATICALLY goes to trickle charge and you don't know it, or how does this work

Thanks

~Michael~

guver

My Feedback: (325)

Yep, that's the way I understand it.

DHG

My Feedback: (7)

iflyenything,

I believe Triton calls it the "top-off" charge rather than "trickle" charge. If you go into the Ni-MH menu, you can spin the dial until the top-off charge rate appears. Then press the dial until the top-off value begins flashing, then spin the dial until it reads "none".

(This is to the best of my recollection; I don't have the charger in front of me at the moment. But the Triton responds well to random prodding, which is why I like it. It's much easier than my digital watch!)

Duane Gall
RCPRO

guver

My Feedback: (325)

Triton has both, top-off is available in nimh only (just like you say), and the trickle is automatic on nimh and nicad.
Top-off is for 20 minutes and trickle is probably indefineltly.

iflynething

So, even after my batteries stop charging and I hear the buzzer that they are done, it keeps charging, just to keep the battery at the top.

So, if the buzzer went off, and I wasn't home to hear it, and I didn't come back for a couple days, then it would be in trickle. There wouldn't be anything on the screen, but it WOULD be on trickle, or whatever it calls it.

Thanks for the help

I'm still trying to figure this thing out!

~Michael~

guver

My Feedback: (325)

Yes, correct. (someone test with a ammeter to be sure) I will test , but not foer a few days. I understand the top-off to be in nimh mode only and to go for 20 minutes. The trickle is after the fast charge (in nicad) and after the top-off (in nimh) and should just keep going and goiong..... I will like to test to be sure and it may even be in the manuel too.

iflynething

I don't remember seeing anything about this in the manual, althought I didn't really look at it that well either.

~Michael~

JNorton

My Feedback: (2)

My thoughts are if you want to trickle charge at C/10 use a wall wart. Use an appliance timer for 1 hour charge out of 24 to keep your packs at peak. Red's site has plenty of information on converting warts that were meant for other uses. It's easy to find enough wall wart chargers to keep all my flight packs and transmitters charged.
www.rcbatteryclinic.com/

Or buy a Sirius Pro Former.
http://www.siriuselectronics.com/ind...40b1e6db7f4f7a

Or a Super Digi Pulse 6 port constant current charger
http://radicalrc.secure-mall.com/sho...58&cart=365468

It's just sometimes nice to use a specific tool for the job. My two cents.

John

guver

My Feedback: (325)

Please check pages 2,8,9,15 for trickle and top-off. I just did a top-off charge and I was wrong b-4.

I set the rate to 5 amps, top-off for 300 ma and after that it was zero current.

I am now doing a nimh w/out top-off and will see the trickle charge.

guver

My Feedback: (325)

I disabled the top-off current and left it on nimh setting, the trickle charge was engeged then. It seems that the top-off cancels the trickle charge. Also it uses the current for nicad setting when top-off is disabled. Weird?

iflynething

I'm not understanding those graphs

~Michael~

Looks interesting though!!

guver

My Feedback: (325)

The first graph shows a regular peak charge, then a break then a 300 ma "top-off" charge essentially disabling the trickle charge.

The second shows a disabled top-off and a trickle charge (same rate though)

I was basically trying to show the difference between the top-off and the trickle. It is that the top-off is for 20 minutes and user selectable and the trickle is imediately and is auto-matically calculated by triton and runs until disconnected of turned off.

acerola

From pages 8 and 9 of the Triton manual:

"Triton will supply trickle charge current to NiCd and NiMH batteries only after an
individual peak charge – not after discharge or cycle. Trickle charge rates vary from
0 – 250mA, and are automatically set by Triton (not user adjustable). The trickle
charge rate is based on the fast charge current setting and the condition of the
battery being charged, and should be as follows:"