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Charging Questions

I am a total newbie and I have several questions about batteries and charging. I use both NIMH and LIPO packs. I am currently using a Triton Jr. DC charger run off a 7 amp gel cell. However, I have to re-charge the gel cell between charging 3000 mah battery packs and there isn't enough current in the gel cell to cycle a these packs. I can think of several possibilities:

  1. Charge the gel cell while it is being used to charge the NIMH battery pack. I use a Harbor Freight automotive Charger at 2 amps. Can I do this without harm to the batteries or Triton charger?

  1. I could get an automotive battery, with more amps available, to run the Triton charger. Any risks here?

  2. I could buy an AC charger to cycle the NIMH battery packs. Any suggestions as to make and model ?

  1. I could buy a DC power supply to run the Triton Charger.

Cost, balanced by utility, is a factor for me. I would appreciate any suggestions.

Reply to
BCRandy
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Ted shuffled out of his cave and grunted these great (and sometimes not so great) words of knowledge:

Your SAFEST bet is the DC power supply.

Reply to
Ted Campanelli

Adding a new twist to the question, is there a way to regulate the output of a DC power supply to make an adjustable source for a hot wire foam cutter? What I'm using now works, but I'm not happy with it

Reply to
BCRandy

Solve both of your problems with a riding lawnmower battery from the auto parts store and a float charger from Harbor Freight. That's is what I use. It's affordable and quite effective for foam cutting. The other advantage is that you can take the battery with you to the flying field to run your starter and field charger.

Reply to
Robert Reynolds

Randy,

A.#1 All you're doing is bi-passing the gel-cel to the pack. No harm except your gel-cel will not be fully charged.

A.#2 No risk as long as it isn't over 12V. A medium size lawn tractor battery is what a lot of the guys use at our field. Make sure it's much more than 7amps or you'll be back where you started.

A.#3 If cost is no factor, Hobbico (Tower Hobbies) has an excellent charger/discharger called, 'Accu-Cycle' for $135. It has a memory bank for 20 different packs. This is what I use for ALL my packs (NiCd, NiMH, LiPo). It's powered by an AC transformer which means, you can take the

12v charger portion to the field for quick charges from your automobile or truck. My Dad always told me, "Buy good tools and take care of them and they'll last a lifetime".

A.#4 I can't answer this one. I believe the power supply (transformer) should be matched to the charger.

NOTE! Do NOT charge your 7amp gel-cel with a regular automotive charger or you'll ruin the battery. Use nothing more than a 1.5 to 2 amp charger. I use a 'floating' charger called, 'Schumaker Battery Companion' (1.5 amp to full charge floating)

Good Luck!

EarlOfTroy

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BCRandy wrote:

Reply to
Earl Scherzinger

I have a power supply made from a computer power supply. I've put atuo plugs, terminal posts and a socket for a ciggy lighter on it. If your intrested I'll look up the link I used to make it. Cost about me $8, could be less if you have a dead computer. mk

Reply to
MJKolodziej

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There's a couple of links to two different mods to convert a pc power supply to use with your chargers on this page. Plus lots of other good info.

Reply to
Vance Howard

A/C powered DC supply is the best way to go ... 15 Amp jobbers work just fine.

Bruce

Reply to
aa2dd

ESC and a servo tester.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

I got a used ex CB 13.8v 10A PSU off ebay. More than the computer supply, but its neater and its all in a box..

I don't field charge any more: when I run out of Lipos its dark..

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

What is your problem with it? Too hot, temp. changes during the cut, not hot enough...?

Reply to
Morgans

| 2. I could get an automotive battery, with more amps | available, to run the Triton charger. Any risks here?

Don't get an automotive battery. Get a deep cycle battery -- car batteries are not designed to be left at all discharged for any period of time, and so they probably won't last six months. Most marine batteries will be just fine, but make sure they say deep cycle.

For comparison, the big deep cycle battery I use came out of a very large UPS and has 100 Ah of power -- compare that to your 7 Ah hobby battery. So I can go weeks without charging it. And since it came out of a UPS where it was replaced as part of regular maintenance, just in case, I only paid like $20 for it (and the person who sold it to me almost certainly got it for less, if not for free.)

| 4. I could buy a DC power supply to run the Triton Charger.

Certainly the easiest.

Reply to
Doug McLaren

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