HELP - Charging XMtr Battery
 

Situation:

I have 2 transmitter batteries and one transmitter.

Question:

Is it possible to either get an adapter or make one that will charge a transmitter battery OUTSIDE of the transmitter case? Could I cut the lead for the transmitter from the charger and solder a female Futaba J power connecter to the wire and hook it up directly to the battery, or is there some electrical hardware on the board of the XMtr that regulates voltage or something like that which requires that the transmitter be in the loop?

It would be nice to be able to to just plug the charger into the battery without having to have the transmitter box present.

Thanks for any info you can give!!!

--Rich

RE: HELP - Charging XMtr Battery
 

If you are reasonably adept at soldering, just put a Dean's connector (could be any brand but Dean's are very reliable gold platted connectors) on all your transmitter batteries in place of the one that is there. I then just make up a pigtail (short jumper cable) that has connector that mates to the transmitter chassis on one end and the mating Dean's connector on the other. Now you can plug any of your batteries into the transmitter and , by having a mating Dean's connector on your charger, charge your batteries external from the transmitter. The answer to your other question, is there anything special in the transmitter necessary for charging--NO--but there is a diode in most transmitters that will not permit you to discharge the battery through the charging jack. This is a safety device to keep you from destroying your transmitter or transmitter battery should you hook up the charger connection backwards or accidently short out the charge jack. It has no effect on the charging cycle.

RE: HELP - Charging XMtr Battery
 

I think he just wants to use the circular jack from the wall-wart charger with a loose battery.

Nope. The transmitter only prevents an accidental discharge from the charging circuit with a diode. Chop and splice away.

To discharge/charge my Tx battery around the diode with out removing it I made a short "Y" connector that tucks in beside the battery from two plain old J servo extension/conectors.

A place like Radio Shack might even have a female connector that would fit the Tx charger jack so you wouldn't have to loose the wall charger's original leads. We have an electronics supply house nearby that has about 50x more such things than Radio Shack currently carries. Who builds radios anymore?

RE: HELP - Charging XMtr Battery
 

Yeah, basically all I want to do is charge my transmitter battery with my existing wall charger, but not have to put the battery into the transmitter to do it.

OK, now for the $64,000 question: Which lead is positive on the round transmitter plug and which is negative (or are they labelled....I don't have one in front of me)?

This will save me a lot of headache! THANKS!

RE: HELP - Charging XMtr Battery
 

The center of the sleeve is always positive. The outer tube surface is the ground.

RE: HELP - Charging XMtr Battery
 

OK, I have one wire that's black and white and the other is solid black.

I'll take the Xmtr connection apart and see which one connects to which, but I have a feeling that the black and white one is the positive and the solid black one is negative.

--Rich

RE: HELP - Charging XMtr Battery
 

Futaba, Airtronics and Hitec have the center conductor positive, JR is the opposite (outside conductor positive).

RE: HELP - Charging XMtr Battery
 

That's definitly not true Charlie, wallwarts have no standard, otherwise the 'multipurpose' one that I picked up from rat shack wouldn't let you reverse the polarity of the socket / outer casing. ALWAYS check first.

RE: HELP - Charging XMtr Battery
 

Hi Rich

If you would like to do it the easy way--FMA Direct, order the VERSATILE ADAPTER (#501MC--$9.95) you can just plug your charger into it and charge your extra battery anytime you want.

Bill