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Old 02-08-2004 | 10:21 PM
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Default Field Charger

I posted this in the battery and charger section, but im also going to post here....

I have a JR Quattro that came with receiver, battery, servos. My wall charger that came with it has stopped working. It is a JR NEC-221 Ni-Cd charger ... input 120v 60Hz 3w, output TX 11.6V 50mA RX 5.8 50mA. I would like to use a field charger that possibly doubles as a slow charger to. I need to charge the TX and RX. The problem is im new to this and I have no clue what to get or what to look for. I want to keep it in a cheap to mid range charger. Any help would be great.
Old 02-08-2004 | 10:33 PM
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jsn
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Default RE: Field Charger

Hobbico MKII field charger is a good value bout $50. dual outputs, variable charge rate and can do Ni-cad,Nimh, lipoly/l-ion. It's simple to use and can be used at home if you have a 12v power supply,obviously a 12v battery would work also I have a supernova and find my self using the hobbico more often due to the dual outputs and simplicity.

John
Old 02-08-2004 | 10:53 PM
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Default RE: Field Charger

So this is capable of charging my JR Q, and reciever. Do I have to purchase leads that connect to my radio and receiver of is this charger equiped allready?

Thanks for you help.
Old 02-08-2004 | 11:03 PM
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jsn
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Default RE: Field Charger

So this is capable of charging my JR Q, and reciever

Yes it is and you can do both at the same time, fast charge or trickel.

Do I have to purchase leads that connect to my radio and receiver of is this charger equiped allready?

yes you need to buy leads...well maybe, do you have a voltage checker and leads? if so you can use them with the charger. The charger uses standard banana plugs to plug in, the outputs would need to be set up for JR. you can buy the leads for less than ten bucks.

BTW if you don't already have a volt checker and leads you NEEDED them anyway

John
Old 02-08-2004 | 11:07 PM
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Default RE: Field Charger

Thanks alot JSN, this is the info that I needed to go to the LHS with.

Keith
Old 02-08-2004 | 11:09 PM
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Default RE: Field Charger

You would need to buy or make the leads to connect the charger to the TX and RX.

Peak deteting chargers occasionally have a probem with the diode in the transmitter's charging circuit. (false indication of full charge, or failure to detect the peak at all) Some people say to bridge the diode (which can void the radio warrantee.) Better is to just pull the battery out of the radio when fast charging. With the battery out of the case it will stay cooler anyway. Since overheating a NiCd can make it explode... the last place you want to get it hot is inside the transmitter.
Old 02-08-2004 | 11:39 PM
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jsn
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Default RE: Field Charger

flyingmonkey, FHHuber brings up some valid points. I have yet to have any problems with my 9C,hitec 7x or my skysport trainer box when fast charging. The diode can be a problem though. When I fast charge I never go above 1C, at home I use a reworked computer power supply with the fan blowing across the charger and radio(back plate removed).At the field if I need to fast charge I still keep it at 1C and just remove the back plate on the trans (no fan) NEVER take it up to 2amps and try a fast charge, if you batts are 600/700mah then use the .6amp setting...going a little beyond 1C can be done but it's risky and shortens battery life

John
Old 02-09-2004 | 12:17 AM
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Default RE: Field Charger

The lowest setting for the MKII is 200ma. I thought that wasn't low enough to slow charge a 600ma battery. Isn't a slow charge C/10? The lowest setting that you can get a trickle charge on this model is 600ma. You said you wanted one that doubled as a slow charger which is why I posted this. If I'm wrong, someone correct me because I have this model and was told that 200ma was too much to slow charge even a 1400ma battery.
Old 02-09-2004 | 12:55 AM
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Default RE: Field Charger

zetor yes and no...the lowest fast charge setting is 200mah or .2amps. when it drops into trickle from fast charge it goes down to 50mah if the knob is set between 500mah/.5amp and 1amp, above 1amp and below 1.5amp it goes to .85mah trickle, 1.5 to 2amp takes the trickle to 100mah, below 500mah it offers no trickle. now I'm assuming(I know I shouldn't) that if no charge cycle is started it uses the same values for trickle, I have not put an amp meter on the charger after just plugging in a battery and NOT starting a charge cycle, I have checked the output and it is putting voltage to the battery even though the led is not glowing and no charge cycle has been started...so I assume it is charging at the trickle values... I use wall warts for first slow charging.

John

well I did some testing..flyingmonkey don't buy this charger,it WILL not slow charge like I assumed(I know better dammit) what I measured was feed back from the battery, not out put dumb.. dumb.. dumb.. sorry for leading you in the wrong direction. If you already went out a bought one I'll buy it from you. it is a good charger BUT it will only drop into trickle after a fast charge and 200Mah is to much for a good slow charge. I never slow charge my batteries except the first charge after that I always do a 1C or less fast charge. I've never had a pack that failed before I would throw it out.... when I buy a new battery I cycle it several times verify capacity and put a expiration date on it 2 years from the date of purchase ....batteries are cheap planes,motors and radio equipment are not. hell tell ya what I have 2 JR wall warts I hardly ever use, PM me your address I send ya one.


Again sorry for misleading you

John
Old 02-09-2004 | 04:19 AM
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Default RE: Field Charger

I use the FMA Supernova, about $100.00, works well
Old 02-09-2004 | 04:21 AM
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Default RE: Field Charger

Triton
Old 02-09-2004 | 02:02 PM
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Default RE: Field Charger

Hanger 9 Double Vision..had mine for a year and it is super..just hold start button down and it by passes transmitter diode automatically. I know it charges NiCad,Nimh batteries and I think it says it does Lithium Polymer also..
Old 02-09-2004 | 02:46 PM
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Default RE: Field Charger

ORIGINAL: FlyingMonkey

I posted this in the battery and charger section, but im also going to post here....
Oh no you're not.

It is against RCU policy to post the same question in more that one forum. Being that this has gotten several replies, I will leave it up, but I will lock it. Sorry for the inconvenience.

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