help with duratrax ice charger
05-01-2010 | 08:15 PM
#1
help with duratrax ice charger
Hello, i was wondering if anyone that has an ice charger could help me out. I am trying to charge and discharge my receiver pack. It is a pro-tek 1600 mah nimh battery. I am used to plugging in my dynamite charger a pushing the red button, but i'd like to use this charger and have no idea what to set everything at (discharge rate cutoff voltages peak detection etc) just don't want to not charge it completly and crash from dead battery. Thanks in advance for any help.......
05-02-2010 | 02:42 AM
#2
Tech Rookie
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 18
From: Reno Nevada
Here is a link to the users manual. I usually just set it to automatic when cycling and charging.
http://manuals.hobbico.com/dtx/dtxp4170-manual.pdf
http://manuals.hobbico.com/dtx/dtxp4170-manual.pdf
05-02-2010 | 10:29 AM
#3
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 11,530
From: Houston, TX
Rcvr batts are a little diff in that they shouldn't be charged at a C equivalent type rate (where C = capacity (mah)/1000). The usual charge rate for these is 1amp as a fast charge and 0,5 as a slow charge. You'll get better life from the pac charging at the slow charge rate than at the fast rate all the time. I slow charge unless I just don't have the time, then I will fast charge.
Other settings - peak sensitivity 3 - 5mv/cell, discharge to 0.9v/cell, set peak delay for 5 min and if you have any false peaking, increase this setting. Pac should get hot (125-130F) when it peaks, a false peak the charger think it sees a peak voltage assoicaited with the pac being full and shuts off - the pac will get hot and will not be chjarged. This tells charger to ignore anything apparent peaks for the time period selected . I'm using 5 min, but my pacs are older and its newer pacs that seem to false peak.
When I don't get to run, I cycel mine at 0.5a/0.5a for 3 cycles, starting with a discharge (d/c cycling). By experience I know a pac in good shape will take only 3 cycles before the discharge mah stabilizes. No more really needed, just wasting pac life. Even if I'm running pac a lot, every 3 or 4 charges, I will give it a slow (0.2 or 0.3a) discharge to help bring cells to same voltage (as much as possible) and I don't discharge below 0.9v/cell (4.5v for a 5 cell hump pac). Otherwise I don't discharge routinely.
Read the manual - it has a lot of good info. If you have specific setting questions, let me know.
Other settings - peak sensitivity 3 - 5mv/cell, discharge to 0.9v/cell, set peak delay for 5 min and if you have any false peaking, increase this setting. Pac should get hot (125-130F) when it peaks, a false peak the charger think it sees a peak voltage assoicaited with the pac being full and shuts off - the pac will get hot and will not be chjarged. This tells charger to ignore anything apparent peaks for the time period selected . I'm using 5 min, but my pacs are older and its newer pacs that seem to false peak.
When I don't get to run, I cycel mine at 0.5a/0.5a for 3 cycles, starting with a discharge (d/c cycling). By experience I know a pac in good shape will take only 3 cycles before the discharge mah stabilizes. No more really needed, just wasting pac life. Even if I'm running pac a lot, every 3 or 4 charges, I will give it a slow (0.2 or 0.3a) discharge to help bring cells to same voltage (as much as possible) and I don't discharge below 0.9v/cell (4.5v for a 5 cell hump pac). Otherwise I don't discharge routinely.
Read the manual - it has a lot of good info. If you have specific setting questions, let me know.
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