Great Planes Triton EQ Charger - GPMM3155 - Manual (Page 11)

11
NON-BALANCED packs are wired so the charger can only detect the voltage of the entire pack (not individual cells),
so there is only one charge lead. It’s highly recommended to ONLY use such types of LiPo packs if they have a built-in
charge safety circuit which prevents any single cell in the pack from being overcharged. Simply connect the battery’s
main power lead to the charger’s banana jacks (note proper polarity).
CHARGING LiPo, Li-Ion, or LiFe BATTERIES
WARNING! Always follow the instructions below when charging LiPo/Ion batteries! LiPo/Ion batteries
should NEVER get warm or change shape anytime during charge! Disconnect batteries IMMEDIATELY
if they become excessively warm or hot or change shape at any time, and refer to the Troubleshooting
Guide in the rear of this manual for details. LiPo/Ion cells are much more dangerous than NiCd or
NiMH batteries, and pose a signifi cant FIRE HAZARD which can result in causing bodily harm and/
or permanent damage to the cells and the surrounding environment.
1. Find the “LiPo CHARGE” screen (or “Li-Ion CHARGE” or “LiFe CHARGE” screen if you selected either of those
lithium types). IMPORTANT: Two values MUST be set properly in this screen.
2. Press ENTER to cause the battery capacity value to fl ash. Then press INC or DEC to fi nd the capacity value that most
closely matches the capacity rating marked on your lithium battery (noted in “mAh”). TritonEQ will automatically set
the proper charge current based on the capacity value entered (see notes section for details).
3. Press ENTER to now cause the voltage value to fl ash. Press INC or DEC to set this voltage to the EXACT nominal
voltage rating shown on your pack. Press ENTER to confi rm the setting.
WARNING!! NEVER enter a capacity or voltage number that is higher than the value specifi ed for
your battery! Failure to follow this warning can cause permanent damage to your battery, charger
and surroundings as a result of FIRE!
4. To START CHARGE, press and hold ENTER for 2 seconds. “BATTERY CHECK, PLEASE WAIT…” will show briefl y,
and TritonEQ will start charging if the battery is in suitable condition.
5. When fi nished charging, the screen will show “END” and tones will sound for 10 seconds. The battery should now be
ready for use. TritonEQ will display details about the charge data for your battery, including charge capacity, elapsed
charge time, etc. A more complete set of data measured during charge can be viewed in the DATA VIEW screens
shown on page 14.
Note: If cells within a pack had been badly out of balance, the charger’s backup safety timer might expire before all cells
become properly balanced again. If the battery does not seem to have become fully charged after the fi rst charge is
complete, attempt to re-charge the pack again.
Notes about charging LiPo, Li-Ion, and LiFe batteries:
•
TritonEQ automatically sets the charge current based on the battery’s 1C rating. For example, if a capacity of 600mAh is entered
TritonEQ will set the charge current at 0.6A (600mA). For a capacity setting of 2500mAh, the charge current will be set to 2.5A
(2500mA), etc.
• Lithium based batteries are charged using the “constant current / constant voltage” process (cc/cv). Constant current is delivered
during the fi rst part of fast charge. When the battery reaches a pre-set voltage, constant current is no longer delivered, and a
constant voltage is applied to the battery. As the battery’s voltage becomes equalized to the voltage on the charger’s output,
charge current will steadily begin to drop. This is normal. When current reaches an approximate value of 1/10C, the charge
process will end completely.
• LiPo/Ion batteries do not need trickle charge, and therefore no such function exists.
• For lithium based batteries rated at 11.1V or greater, the actual amount of current delivered to the battery might be reduced due
to the charger’s maximum power limitation rating. Various circumstances such as battery condition, low input power, etc. can
contribute to such a condition. This is normal.
• For safety reasons, fast charge of lithium based batteries will automatically stop if the actual amount of capacity delivered to the
battery reaches 110% of the capacity setting entered in point 2.
• A backup safety timer will also automatically stop fast charge if not completed after 3 hours.