ECU / Battery Question
 

I have a RAM ECU and the original battery. My question is, can I splice into the battery wires in order to make another plug & connection for charging purposes? Can the battery be charged while still connected to the ECU (switch off of course)?

Right now, I have to remove the canopy to gain access to the battery for charging after each flight. Which is a pain because I have 6 screws to remove. I have an access hatch that I use for starting and brake air refilling, it would be nice to charge the battery from that location too if possible.

TIA,

JR Gautreaux

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

JR, as long as you are using a shulze, triton, or the astro flight, you'll be fine. Others can chime in on other chargers, but I know those three will work fine with the splicing.

Sean

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

Sean,

I have a Graupner Ultra Duo Plus II charger. My main concern was if being connected to the ECU at the same time would be a problem. I have been disconnecting the battery from the ECU and then charging directly to the battery.

thanks,

JR

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

The issue is some type of feedback system the charger uses. I don't remember specifically about the graupner. I think (not sure) that the graupner is the same as the shulze (is that true?) if it is then you are ok.

There is some sort of charger that has a feedback issue. (Bob Wilcox knows and told me about it, but the name escapes me becuase I didn't care when I found out my chargers would work no issue) but it's a feedback thing.

Anyway, I believe you are in no danger of blowing anything up if the graupner is that high end charger that is the same as the shulze.

Somone else or you can verify that point.

Sean

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

Jetflyer,
Your best solution is to contact Bob Price at [email protected] He is the one who designed and makes the ECU for the remote start RAMS. If this is the older style ECU contact Andy Lowe at electrodynamics because I do believe he was the person who designed and built the first ram ECU's.


Not saying Sean is giving you incorrect information, but it is best to ask the guys who desinged them than to take a chance on being given a wrong answer and frying your ECU.


Patrick.

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

I have the older ECU and just tried calling Andy. What I might end up doing is lenghting the battery wires where I can at least position the connectors closer to my access hatch. Then maybe I would be able to reach them without having to remove the canopy.

JR

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

Goto:

http://www.aircraftinternational.com/powerbox_index.htm

Best way to charge your ECU battery! I see alot of guys strugle with trying to charge the ECU battery pack. No more with this! I have used it in the Kangaroo and very easy to charge etc.

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

This is for radio system.... This unit does not connect to ECU what-so-ever..... ? :eek: How could this possibly solve an ECU charging issue? [sm=confused.gif]

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

It doesn't? Can't understand then why its installed in my Kangaroo with a Jetcat P80? Plugs directly into the ECU and battery pack and allows me to charge the ECU battery pack with my Futaba lead and quick charger. I have 45 flights on it and charge after every two flights. Look again!

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

Ummm..... Dont think so! This unit is designed with dual battery redundancy for RX system.... Has NOTHING to do with your ECU or ECU battery. This is the same unit produced for Duralite which I am quit educated in.
Show me where, in any of the specs or lit for this product it even mentions ECU ???

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

How about I just stop trying to help? Why beat me up when I was just trying to help? Geezzz!

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

Sorry if I seemed to come of harsh but you claim to be using this device for your Kangaroo ECU charging when it is physically impossible to do so (except with maybe a Wren?).

Todd

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

To luv2flyrc, you have no clue as to what you are talking about. I use the same switch as Byronman with great success. I also have installed them in many customers jets. You should check things out before you tell someone they can't use it. To the new guy that asked the question in the first place, the switches work great. I have seen people pull out the wiring harness from the ECU when they pull the plug to charge it. This switch also disconnects the ecu from the charge circuit so that you can use any charger that you want with out fear of burning out the ECU. And yes they plug right into the Jetcat battery pack and the ECU jack.

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

Jet,
I have the Andy Low ECU and I am running Dualities so charging is different but I would disconnect it anyway any time you’re not flying the plane. I have found with mine that it seems to draw a small amount of power from the battery even when the system is off.
I found that if I charged all the batteries in the plane and then left it set for a week or so when I went to top off the batteries the ECU battery would be almost dead and the RX's were fine. So I started disconnecting it from the ECU and it was fine from then on.

Also just an FYI if you use LIPO's you will have to regulate to 6V at the ECU or you will get a very cool after burner. Andy's ECU's use the volts to regulate the pump and the extra volts of the LIPO's caused a little (well a lot) of extra fuel to flow. I tested it on the stand and got about a 2 foot + flame out the back for a few seconds till I shut it down.

Dave

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

Hi Todd,

They are talking of the battery switch, not the powerbox.

http://www.aircraftinternational.com...ches/index.htm


Gaspar

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

[X(][X(] My bad..... there was nothing is his post indicating this switch. The page he posted was full of powerboxes....

Open mouth, enter foot...... [:o]

RE: ECU / Battery Question
 

Jetfllyer,

I just had Andy Lowe repair my ECU because of damage caused by the very thing your asking about.........charging the ECU battery with it still connected. Apparently a problem arrises when you charge both the ECU and receiver at the same time, which is what I was doing. When I sent in the ECU for repair I attached a note telling him what I'd been doing and asked him to let my know if it caused the problem. Here's a cut and paste of the reply he sent me......hope it clears things up.

John


You ECU has been repaired and will be shipped out today.

Found an intermittent malfunctioning computer board in the ECU - possibly blown out by out-of-spec voltages? I replaced it with a new board, and tested and calibrated it, it's all working now.

You mention in your letter that you have been charging the battery with the ECU in-place. It should not cause a problem, except if you are charging the Rx battery at the same time, the version of the ECU hardware you have has a common ground between the ECU and the Rx. With a common ground, chargers can have unpredictable behavior. To avoid problems, we recommend you charge the ECU battery disconnected from the ECU.

To help with your situation, I have made up and sent you a 12" Sermos Extension, so you can unplug the battery and charge it the recommended way. Please do be careful to mark the wire harness so you know which end goes to the battery, so you do not accidentally "charge" the ECU instead of the battery (this is easy to do with the battery buried in the airplane).! Connecting the ECU to the charger is a sure-fire way to blow it out!