Impreza

I have mostly 2400 packs, some matched and others not. Over the past 3-4 months they have pretty much sat there as I have been too busy with my nitro car. I ran them a few weeks ago at a race for the first time since carpet season. I was only able to cycle them each about 2 times before using them. They seemed to be really lacking in punch but for stock they did have the runtime.

I am wanting to get them back into good shape for getting back into electric during the winter. What would be the best way to do this? I have a Duratrax Intellipeak charger and an Octane 2 discharger. I tried the deep cycling function today on a pack. The initial charge went well, but in the 2 more cycles after that it was only getting up to 1200-700 mah before peaking and then discharging them. Now they are probably just false peaking because they have been sitting for so long, would that be right?

Is there some other way I should be cycling the packs? I have heard before that the discharger that is built into the charger takes the pack down too low and can damage it, but I don't know if this is true or not... Would it be best to just charge them up and then discharge them on the discharge tray instead?

Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Cole Trickle

I wouldn't cycle them on your charger - not because of the relative low cut-off voltage, but because it aint got a pause between charge-discharge-charge.... Therefor you end up charging a very hot pack !

This is what I would do: Charge them at 5 or 6,5 amps (what you like). Control, that the the pack took a full charge. (=around 2400 +/- 200 mAh AND slightly warm)

Then after a short pause, discharge them at the Octane two. But not lower than 0,9 volt pr. cell. Then let them rest untill the next day and repeat the process.

Take not that the bulbs goes out simultanously.

However 3-5 cycles should be enough, and since you already have cycled them twice and then run them....

Is it just bad or really really bad? How did you store them? Discharged?

Impreza

They were all discharged when being stored...they did seem to be fairly bad.

How low will the Octane 2 discharge them to? 0.9 volts per cell? Should I leave it on until the bulbs are compeletely out or take it off right before the bulbs go out?

Thanks.

imataquito

impreza..... dont know if its actually helps but when my pack was dead after 1 year of storage no false peaking was soo bad that i only god 600 mah ...from my 1700 packs

so since i am gona change the pack i tried out something which then amazingly it was back to around 1700mah

heres what i did ... i charge it up to the time it starts to false peak
then discharge the whole pack on a halogen bulb (100W 12 v)
for 30-60 secs then charge again ... keep repeating this process but make sure its not too hot ...
and on the 5th time it was back charging to 1700

ijnek

hmmm,...
cycling ur packs should b ok,...but wat motor r u running?...stock or mod?...if stock,try discharging at 20amp,u r then discharging at the current tat a stock motor will normally take out from the batts.mod motor take in more current,30amp.so if u r running mod,discharge ur batts at 30amp...

Cole Trickle

Ooops, yet another suggestion: What about your motor, do it need comm cut + new brushes?

Your previous cycling, if you used the auto-cycle function, and the packs keep on false peaking, then they never took a full charge....

Impreza

I am running a stock motor. The motor was in decent shape, the comm had just been cut and the brushes were still fairly new and also in good shape.

I have cycled them a few more times and they seem to be getting better. No more false peaking, and they are taking a full charge. Their voltage also seems to be increasing a little bit...that is normal right?

Is there anything else I can do to help increase voltage? It is just for stock so runtime is not an issue...

ijnek

hmmm,....
increase the voltage?...
from my charger,i can see tat by increasing the current,the voltage should b increase as well,...

my personal views on the charging current...for 2400 ni-cd batts,nvr charge more than 7.2amp,...charging at a high amp will provide more punch,but will definitely hurt the life span of ur batts....i normally charge my 2400mah at 4.5amp to 6amp...

imataquito

hm....... something new .....increase voltage ...