NiTrO BoOsTeR

iTrader: (7)

Gday Guys got a bit of trouble with some of my batteries

i got a Swallow Advance Charger, it charges my Rx pack fine but when i go to charge a ladder pack (interlect 4800mAh NIMH 6 cell) it comes up on the screen Input Voltage ERROR, this is charging at 5Amps. but when i charge the other pack, exactly the same, it charges perfectly can any1 tell me what i need to do or if i have done anything wrong.

Mitchell

JeromeK99

iTrader: (3)

What is your power supply rated at in volts and amps?


Jerome

Duster_360

iTrader: (21)

I'm not that familar with your charge, so I'm doing a little guessing here. Charger may be looking for a certain minimum voltage and its not seeing that when that particular batt is connected. Chargers use the number of cells and the input voltage of the batt to try and avoid user errors - like trying to charge a 4 cell pack on 6 cell setting. That would trigger a voltage error.

Measure the voltage of that pac, it should be 5.4-5.5v or better. If its lower than that, you've prob got a cell thats going bad and is below what the other cells discharge to.

Could be something as simple a wire issue - wires and connector are in good shape?

NiTrO BoOsTeR

iTrader: (7)

um its 12v but i dunno what amperage is, i have herd of people charging them on the NiCd Function because you can set the amperage, i dunno, it just seams weird that i can charge one of them on 5amps and the other on like 2amps

Mitchell

NiTrO BoOsTeR

iTrader: (7)

yea they are all good, with the setting of the charger all it is is select the battery type then select what setting u wont eg, Charging, Discharging and Cycling, then u set the charge amperage. i dont know much about the elec side of it becasue im a nitro racer, dad has just started in elec and i do the maintenance for him.

Duster_360

iTrader: (21)

Next time both batts are run, compare the voltage. There is something about the batt you can't charge at 5amps that the charger see as a problem. If you don't specify # of cell, just rate, I'm not sure what charger is looking at t origger than voltage error. Maybe batt internal resistance? It still may be looking at connected pac voltage, I don't know. Charger definitely sees these two pacs differently though, so its either voltage or resistance.

When this pac charges, is there a cell that seems to get hotter than the others?

NiTrO BoOsTeR

iTrader: (7)

um no i havent noticed that, the cells are about the same. um with the voltage it goes to about 8.8235v or something like that and changes. um i have heard that some people charge these on the NiCd function becasue you can set the voltage ill have to have a look 2morrow when im at home. ill let u know what the deal is when i have another go. Thanks For ur help by the way it is very helpful.

Cheers,
Mitchell

NiTrO BoOsTeR

iTrader: (7)

well i just tried to charge the batteries today and they all charged on 5 amps, when u said loose wiring might be the cause, it got me thinking. so u change the different types of connectors they have banana plugs on the end and the one i got for the Deans Plugs is a bit loose would this have anything to do with it, when i charged it i made sure it was actually making contact and it worked.
So i dunno Thanks for ur help by the way i may need to ask you a couple more questions in the future if something else goes wrong

Thanks again

Mitchell

Duster_360

iTrader: (21)

Glad you seem to have figured it out. Loose connections can and do cause a lot of probs for electrics. If it charged at 5amps after you made sure there was a good connection, that was the problem - it just wasn't getting a good connection. If it happens again, you now know what to do to fix it.

NiTrO BoOsTeR

iTrader: (7)

cheers man thanks for ur help, do u know much about lipos becasue we might be heading that way soon

Mitchell

Duster_360

iTrader: (21)

Yea, a little. I started running them a few years ago in 18th scales and have moved them into my bigger rcs as my NiMH pacs died.