Great Planes Triton2 EQ Charger - GPMM3156 - Manual (Page 12)

12
CHARGING LiPo, Li-Ion OR LiFe BATTERY TYPES
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. It is recommended to use this charger’s temperature
cutoff function when charging lithium batteries, to provide an additional layer of safety. See page 15 for details.
1. Press BATT TYPE to fi nd 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.
a. Press the dial to cause the battery capacity value to fl ash. Press, then turn the dial to fi nd the capacity value
that most closely matches the capacity rating marked on your battery. You will not set the actual charge current
value for lithium batteries. The charger will automatically set the charge current based on this capacity setting
(see notes section below for details).
b. Press the dial to cause battery’s nominal voltage value to fl ash. Press, then turn the dial to set this voltage to
EXACTLY MATCH the nominal voltage rating shown on your pack. Press the dial to confi rm this 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!
2. To START CHARGE, press and hold the dial for 2 seconds. The “BATTERY CHECK…” message will show briefl y,
and then charge will start automatically if the battery is in suitable condition.
3. When fi nished charging, the screen will show “END” and tones will sound for 10 seconds. The battery should now
be ready for use. The charger will display details about the charge data for your battery, including charge capacity,
elapsed charge time, etc. To see more measurement details see the DATA VIEW screens (see page 16).
Note: If cells within a pack had been badly out of balance, the charger might require extra time to balance all cells
properly. If the battery does not seem to have become fully charged after the fi rst charge is complete, lengthen the time
set for the Safety Timer (see page 14), or attempt to re-charge the pack again.
Notes about charging LiPo, Li-Ion, and LiFe batteries:
•
The actual level of charge current will be set automatically by the charger based on the battery’s 1C rating. It’s VERY IMPORTANT to enter the battery’s
exact rated capacity (in mAh) in the programming. If a capacity of 600mAh is entered the charger will set the charge current at 0.6A (600mA). For a
capacity setting of 2500mAh, the charge current will automatically be set at 2.5A (2500mA).
• Lithium based batteries are charged using the “constant current / constant voltage” method (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 LiPo/Ion batteries rated at 11.1V or greater, the actual amount of current delivered to the battery might be limited due to the charger’s max.
power rating. This is normal, due to various possible circumstances such as the condition of the battery, limitations of the input power source,
charge connector, etc.
• For safety reasons, fast charge of LiPo/Ion batteries will automatically stop if the actual amount of capacity delivered to the battery reaches
110% of the capacity setting entered in point 1.a. of this section.
• The backup safety timer function can also be set to provide an additional layer of safety (see page 14).
• Charge can be stopped manually by pressing MENU or disconnecting the pack.
DISCHARGING LiPo, Li-Ion OR LiFe BATTERY TYPES
1. At the “LiPo CHARGE” screen (or “Li-Ion CHARGE” or “LiFe CHARGE” screens respectively) turn the dial to fi nd the
“LiPo DISCHARGE” screen (or similar).
2. Two values can be adjusted in this discharge screen:
a. Press the dial to cause the discharge current value to fl ash, and turn the dial to fi nd the desired setting. To
determine if a lithium battery can deliver its rated capacity, set this current to the (C ÷ 5) value. So for a battery
rated at 2100mAh, set this current to “0.4A” (calculated as 2100 ÷ 5 = 420mA).