dead battery
09-13-2010, 12:02 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
dead battery
I know this is likely an easy resolution but I'm just curious about it.
I haven't flown my Nexstar since June and I was gonna head out yesterday and fly. Charged it all night, getting excited, etc. I woke that morning and turned everything on, no servo flinch whatsoever. Do these batteries go belly up like that from lack of use? I only have the one battery and no meter to test how it is so I don't have that info which would tell me a lot, I know. Just curious if they die like that. What a wasted Sunday that was!
I haven't flown my Nexstar since June and I was gonna head out yesterday and fly. Charged it all night, getting excited, etc. I woke that morning and turned everything on, no servo flinch whatsoever. Do these batteries go belly up like that from lack of use? I only have the one battery and no meter to test how it is so I don't have that info which would tell me a lot, I know. Just curious if they die like that. What a wasted Sunday that was!
09-13-2010, 12:16 PM
#2
RE: dead battery
they shouldn't, unless it was an old battery.... a volt meter and a spare battery are a must in this hobby........ these batteries work great http://www.all-battery.com/6v2000mah...ctor11106.aspx
09-13-2010, 12:19 PM
#3
My Feedback: (-1)
RE: dead battery
Sometimes, it can happen. It just doesn't happen a lot. My biggest killer is when I forget to turn the plane switch off, that has happened a couple of times. If the battery was really low when you put the plane away it could have gone down. A good charger/cycler may get it back up if it isn't too bad. Without a meter you really can't tell. I have left batteries in my shop for a year or more and they came back up after a cycle or three. Just a few months shouldn't have hurt it, sounds like you had a bad one, a short, or maybe it's your charger? Could be a lot of things. Borrow a meter and see what it is showing, if it isn't totally dead then borrow a good charger and give it a try.
09-13-2010, 12:42 PM
#4
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: dead battery
Yea, this was kind of a dumb question but I appreciate your input. Money is tight these days, hence why I haven't flown in so long. Maybe I'll run down to my LHO and have them look at it, see if it is in fact bad or what. <sigh>
09-13-2010, 12:48 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Mumbai, INDIA
Posts: 2,224
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: dead battery
If you have NiMh or NiCd, if you dont cycle them, they will wear down without use. I lost a good 6V set in the same way.
Two things are good to do: one, cycle the battery, two, keep a meter in the airplane. Use VoltWatch for these batteries. Once you put in the battery, deflect all your servos to the max possible extent. If the voltage drops, keep an eye on it for some time. If it goes into yellow, you need to recharge.
Note, voltwatch does not work relaibly with LiFe battries.
Ameyam
Two things are good to do: one, cycle the battery, two, keep a meter in the airplane. Use VoltWatch for these batteries. Once you put in the battery, deflect all your servos to the max possible extent. If the voltage drops, keep an eye on it for some time. If it goes into yellow, you need to recharge.
Note, voltwatch does not work relaibly with LiFe battries.
Ameyam
09-13-2010, 01:40 PM
#6
Moderator
RE: dead battery
It sounds like you left your switch on, which will kill your batteries. If your storage area gets really hot that will shorten their life too.
09-13-2010, 08:33 PM
#7
Senior Member
My Feedback: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Birmingham, AL
Posts: 644
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: dead battery
I broke down and bought a NIMH battery. Holds charges great.
Voltmeters are cheap. I would get one.
I am testing an old NiCad. Charged it all night and took a reading. Then I will read about every 12 hours and see how long it holds a charge.
Tom
Voltmeters are cheap. I would get one.
I am testing an old NiCad. Charged it all night and took a reading. Then I will read about every 12 hours and see how long it holds a charge.
Tom
09-14-2010, 05:47 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: middle of ,
MI
Posts: 445
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: dead battery
Are you SURE you charged it? Perhaps the switch was "ON" and therefore it did not charge...or perhaps the plug was not seated? Does your wall wart have a red light and was it on?
09-14-2010, 07:17 AM
#9
RE: dead battery
http://www.harborfreight.com/7-funct...ter-90899.html im sure you can afford this one..... in store they are about 3.99 then when you have a chance buy something like this http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXWW16&P=ML it puts a load on your battery pack
09-14-2010, 09:44 AM
#10
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: dead battery
ORIGINAL: chemie
Are you SURE you charged it? Perhaps the switch was "ON" and therefore it did not charge...or perhaps the plug was not seated? Does your wall wart have a red light and was it on?
Are you SURE you charged it? Perhaps the switch was "ON" and therefore it did not charge...or perhaps the plug was not seated? Does your wall wart have a red light and was it on?
09-14-2010, 03:55 PM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: middle of ,
MI
Posts: 445
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: dead battery
OK...on the other side, is the battery plugged in and fully seated in Rx?
I only asked because it is weird for entire battery to go out versus 1 cell.
I only asked because it is weird for entire battery to go out versus 1 cell.
09-14-2010, 03:58 PM
#12
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 4,865
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: dead battery
There are a couple of things that could have happened....
You could have a bad battery
you could have a bad switch in the airplane that either didn't let the battery charge or once charged let the battery drain...(shorted on)
You could have a bad charger....
Please don't buy a voltmeter that doesn't put a load on your batteries...all it will tell you is the voltage of the battery at that time...and will not give you any idea of the true state of the charge.....
But a non loaded voltmeter can tell you if you have a bad switch or charger.
I'd double check everything...make sure your battery is hooked up to the switch correctly....make sure the switch is off....make sure that you charge overnight 15 to 17 hrs, not the night before but overnight....make sure the leads are hooked up correctly...and with the transmitter on charge as well make sure you have 2 red lights
You could have a bad battery
you could have a bad switch in the airplane that either didn't let the battery charge or once charged let the battery drain...(shorted on)
You could have a bad charger....
Please don't buy a voltmeter that doesn't put a load on your batteries...all it will tell you is the voltage of the battery at that time...and will not give you any idea of the true state of the charge.....
But a non loaded voltmeter can tell you if you have a bad switch or charger.
I'd double check everything...make sure your battery is hooked up to the switch correctly....make sure the switch is off....make sure that you charge overnight 15 to 17 hrs, not the night before but overnight....make sure the leads are hooked up correctly...and with the transmitter on charge as well make sure you have 2 red lights
09-14-2010, 04:00 PM
#13
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: dead battery
ORIGINAL: chemie
OK...on the other side, is the battery plugged in and fully seated in Rx?
I only asked because it is weird for entire battery to go out versus 1 cell.
OK...on the other side, is the battery plugged in and fully seated in Rx?
I only asked because it is weird for entire battery to go out versus 1 cell.
09-14-2010, 04:01 PM
#14
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: dead battery
ORIGINAL: jetmech05
There are a couple of things that could have happened....
You could have a bad battery
you could have a bad switch in the airplane that either didn't let the battery charge or once charged let the battery drain...(shorted on)
You could have a bad charger....
Please don't buy a voltmeter that doesn't put a load on your batteries...all it will tell you is the voltage of the battery at that time...and will not give you any idea of the true state of the charge.....
But a non loaded voltmeter can tell you if you have a bad switch or charger.
I'd double check everything...make sure your battery is hooked up to the switch correctly....make sure the switch is off....make sure that you charge overnight 15 to 17 hrs, not the night before but overnight....make sure the leads are hooked up correctly...and with the transmitter on charge as well make sure you have 2 red lights
There are a couple of things that could have happened....
You could have a bad battery
you could have a bad switch in the airplane that either didn't let the battery charge or once charged let the battery drain...(shorted on)
You could have a bad charger....
Please don't buy a voltmeter that doesn't put a load on your batteries...all it will tell you is the voltage of the battery at that time...and will not give you any idea of the true state of the charge.....
But a non loaded voltmeter can tell you if you have a bad switch or charger.
I'd double check everything...make sure your battery is hooked up to the switch correctly....make sure the switch is off....make sure that you charge overnight 15 to 17 hrs, not the night before but overnight....make sure the leads are hooked up correctly...and with the transmitter on charge as well make sure you have 2 red lights
09-16-2010, 09:51 AM
#15
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: dead battery
So I have charged the battery a couple times now overnight and I put my volt meter on it yesterday etc and it is reading 2.5 at best, it is a 4.8 battery if my memory serves me correctly. No matter how long I charge it, still locked at 2.5. Must be the battery that failed I'm guessing.
09-16-2010, 10:18 AM
#17
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: dead battery
Out of curiosity, what type of reading should I be seeing off that charger? I have a regular volt meter that you buy at the store. I could hook it up later and stab at it and see what I get.
09-16-2010, 10:39 AM
#18
My Feedback: (6)
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Mountain Home,
AR
Posts: 2,684
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: dead battery
You should see from 5 to 6 volts on your meter even though you have a 4.8 volt battery pack. A freshly charged 4.8 pack will show something over 5 volts.
09-16-2010, 02:19 PM
#20
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: dead battery
My findings are: With my charger plugged in and no battery on it, 5.6 volts. I add the battery, back to 2.6 ish. Based on this my charger is good, battery bad. You concur?
09-16-2010, 06:03 PM
#24
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 2,101
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: dead battery
Yea you have some bad cells.
I offer some advice on charging batteries and in the past, some of the plane guys disagreed with me. But as a veteran of electric rc car racing with 18 years of experience on a high level including sponsorships from the likes of Ernie Provetti and Trinity, buy a peak charger!
I would NEVER trust my RX packs to a wallwart and some confounded DVM.
And cycle those packs. Often!
I offer some advice on charging batteries and in the past, some of the plane guys disagreed with me. But as a veteran of electric rc car racing with 18 years of experience on a high level including sponsorships from the likes of Ernie Provetti and Trinity, buy a peak charger!
I would NEVER trust my RX packs to a wallwart and some confounded DVM.
And cycle those packs. Often!
