Rod Bender

Flying a Funtana 90, YS110, Futaba 3010's everywhere except the throttle. 2 6V 1100mAh Nicads on seperate switches. I can fly all day with those batteries, or 8-10 flights @10 min a flight with plenty to spare.

The question that I hope someone can answer for me here is: Now that I have my first 2 pack system, charging has brought in another equasion. I have Hobbico chargers, and with the single pole's for each RX and TX on it, I wanted to know if I could put a Y or splitter for the bannana plugs to run two leads for each battery out of one charge port?

RED you there? Come back.....?

Greg

alan0899

G'day Mate,
I am an electrician, and you can't charge two nicad packs from the same charger output at the same time, you MUST use two different outputs, to charge two separate battery packs.
The packs will have different charge characteristics, & different discharge characteristics, one will have more charge in it than the other, they will NEVER be exactly the same.

exeter_acres

My Feedback: (2)

what he said...

couple things

Why two packs on a Funtana? it just isn't needed...

and if both packs go into the same RX, they share the same ground... so many (not all...there are exceptions) chargers get confused if you try to charge both at the same time..
so you either just charge one at a time, or unplug one of the batteries from the RX when you charge

Rod Bender

Well, one could argue that viewpoint. Why have a plane that has over $600 into it and run the risk of loosing it due to a bad switch? I ALMOST lost a plane late last year on its first flight of the day. Five minutes into the flight the plane was going crazy. I informed everyone that I had lost it, and keep a heads up, fighting it I got it pointed back towards the runway, and I cut the engine, landed it dead stick. Brought it back to the pit area, and the battery was dead, no life at all, meter had nothing when hooked up to the charge port. Brand new battery. Everyone there said it was a bad battery, I explained that it was a brand new battery, and had only been cycled 3x, they said it could still happen. I set it aside and flew another plane.

When I got home I cut the shrink wrap off the connection, and plugged the battery directly into the meter, fully charged, maxed out!!! Pluged the battery directly into the rx and everything worked fine. The switch had failed in flight.

So, why have a plane worth hundreds of dollars and run the chance of loosing it over a $5.00 switch?
All my planes now run dual batteries with seperate switches, its a safety net, and when your planes are 70+" the extra 3.7oz is not going to hurt.

The plane that this happened too I would not have been that upset about, but the planes I'm flying now..... If I were to have 1 switch die midflight, the other one is there to cover my ars...... Greg

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

Greg,
You cannot charge two packs with one charger that has a single output.
Now with that said, if your charger can charge a 10 cell pack, you can put the two packs in series and charge them with one charger port. You need to know what you are doing, but it is possible.

What I would recommend is to just charge each pack individually. One at a time.

Rod Bender

Thanks for that, was hoping I could streamline it somehow, nothings ever as easy as it could be.... Greg

alan0899

G'day Rod,
I have had switches fail, but not anymore, I use these as switches now, they are 6.5mm or 1/4" stereo jack sockets, it has 3x 5 amp at 48 volt contacts, & if it fails on me, then I'm giving up, no problem so far.
http://au.farnell.com/jsp/endecaSear...jsp?SKU=148268
They also come in 3.5mm. & I use them too, in my smaller 60 size planes.
I have mounted the switch inside my Giles 202, see pic, the red rope is the rip cord for the switch, pull it out & it's on.

Rod Bender

G'Day Alan,

Interesting switch, and heavy duty. How long have you been using them? We have a club member that is moving to Melborne in a few months, great guy, always a lot of laughs with him, he came from S Africa, so he's already got the heavy accent. He should fit right in!!!!!

Greg

alan0899

G'day Greg,
Have been using this switch type for about 6 months, I believe it has to be the safest type of switch I have seen so far, & one contact can fail & you still have 2, & then the third, if they all fail, I give up.
I'm trying to draw the connection diagram, but Bloody fred won't cooperate.