hi, i just got my alpha 40 trainer today and have a couple of questions about charging the batteries.
the plane came with a charger that has 2 cables for charging the rx and tx.
Can both be charged at the same time?
and

Does the power on both need to be turnedon or off during the charging process?

Gotta know,tomorrow is my first day flying this plane with my instructor and dont want to have to wait on my batteries to charge while I am there.

thank you in advance for your help.

yes they both can be charged at the same time , and the switches should be in the off position for charging.

charge at the same time is ok
radio and plane both turned off to charge
make sure you have at least 12 hours on the charger before flying
please be meeting someone that will instruct you using a trainer cord
good luck, let us know how it goes

Tony,

When you charge the batteries, you can hook both the TX and RX batteries up at the same time. Just make sure both are turned off. On this first charge you want to charge at least 12 and 15 hours to make sure it gets a good charge.

If you are not sure about the charge when you get to the field, talk to your instructor and see if somebody there has a field charger like a Triton or similar that can be used to top off the battery packs.

Have fun with your first flights. That first one is one you'll always remember.

Hogflyer

Leave the switches off and charge them simultaneously.


ALWAYS leave the switches off unless you have the frequency pin at the field and are ready to fly. PLEASE LEAVE THEM OFF, especially the TX when you go to the field. You could shoot someone down and be injured in the process....depending on the temperment of the individual who's plane you just destroyed.

The output should be listed on the charger. It generally takes about 15 hours to charge a dead pack. Buy an extended volt meter. The meter comes with great tips on maintaining and monitoring the condition of your batteries. NiCads are great batteries. But you need to understand how they discharge. And you need to know how your particular packs discharge. You can plot the graphs using the expanded voltmeter and take much better care of your batteries and therefore your investment.

Thanks guys for your very fast responses, and your help. Will let you know how it goes.

Good Luck on the first flight. I hope the Wind Gods cooperate today. Let us know how it goes.

While the TX and RX are normally charged at the same time they can also be charged separately by just plugging in the one you choose. Some wall-wart chargers have a single LED and some have dual to indicate a connection has been made.

All of this should have been in the radio manual. Did you read it?

yep,actually read it twice. Didnt specify one way or the other. Thats why I came here,knew I would get a definite answer .


Anyway I did get it charged fully and got to take it out today. All went well until some of the coating on the wing came off making it hard to control. Thank goodness for an instructor. If he was not there , I would have most likely needed a trashbag.