Novak Ionic AC/DC Charger - Manual (Page 2)

RECOMMENDED SETTINGS
BATTERY MAINTENANCE
TROUBLE-SHOOTING GUIDE
The Ionic charger has built-in fault detection circuitry that can detect any problems with
the charger, the battery, or the connections. Any problems detected are then displayed in
the form of fault codes by illuminating certain combinations of the LEDs in the keypad.
The LED fault codes are described here:
ALL KEYPAD LEDs ARE ILLUMINATED
• If all of the LEDs are illuminated on the charger’s keypad, the charger has entered a cool-
down mode because an overheat condition has occurred. You MUST acknowledge/clear
the fault by pressing the ENTER button. After acknowledgment, the CHGR ON LED will
turn off. The rest of the LEDs will remain illuminated until the charger has cooled down.
All LEDs Charger
illuminated overheated
MODE LEDs FLASHING & CELL# LED IS ILLUMINATED
• If both of the MODE LEDs are flashing and any CELL# LED is illuminated, the charger has
detected a problem with either the connections or the battery. The CELL# LED that is
illuminated indicates one of the fault codes listed below. If this occurs, check the connections
and the battery to resolve the problem, then press the ENTER button to clear the fault. If
you are unable to solve the problem, check with our Customer Service Department.
MODE LEDs CELL# LED
flashing illuminated
CELL# LED ILLUMINATED FAULT CODE
4 Battery pack not connected
5 Output leads shorted while charging
6 Power supply not connected
7
Damaged battery pack, or charge
attempted with output leads shorted
8 Insufficient voltage to charge 8 cell pack
MODE LEDs FLASHING & AMP LED IS ILLUMINATED
• If both of the MODE LEDs are flashing and any AMP LED is illuminated, the charger has
detected an internal problem with itself. If this occurs, the charger must be returned for
service. Refer to the CUSTOMER SERVICE & REPAIRS section for service procedures.
MODE LEDs AMP LED
flashing illuminated
AMP LED ILLUMINATED FAULT CODE
0.5, 1.0, or 4.0 Internal damage (Return for service)
Ni-MH BATTERY PACK FALSE-PEAKS
Ni-MH batteries that have been stored for extended periods (or brand new, sitting on the shelf)
have an increased chance of false-peaking. These cells perform much better when used
regularly. Watch stored Ni-MH packs during their initial charges––Charged packs will be warm.
If any other problems occur, or if the charger will not power up and you have checked all
connections and power sources, contact our customer service department as listed below.
CUSTOMER SERVICE & REPAIRS
NOVAK ELECTRONICS, INC. (949) 833-8873
18910 Teller Avenue FAX (949) 833-1631
Irvine, CA 92612 www.teamnovak.com
Monday-Thursday: 8:00am-5:00pm (PST) • Friday: 8:00am-4:00pm (closed every other Friday)
Before sending your Ionic charger in for service, thoroughly review the Trouble-Shooting
Guide and the instructions. After reviewing the instructions, if you feel your Ionic charger
requires service, please obtain the most current product service options and pricing by
one of the following methods:
WEBSITE: We have an abundance of information available on our website for all of the
Novak products. Print a copy of the PRODUCT SERVICE FORM from the SERVICE section of
the website. Fill out the required information on this form and return it with the Novak
product that requires servicing.
PHONE/FAX/E-MAIL: Contact our customer service department by phone, fax, or e-mail
as listed above, and we will supply you with the most current service options.
WARRANTY SERVICE: For warranty service work, you MUST CLAIM WARRANTY on the
PRODUCT SERVICE FORM and include a valid cash register receipt or purchase invoice with
the purchase date printed on it, or a previous service invoice from Novak. If warranty
provisions have been voided there will be service charges.
• Hobby dealers/distributors are not authorized to replace products thought to be defective.
• If a hobby dealer returns your product for service, submit a completed PRODUCT SERVICE
FORM to the dealer and make sure it is enclosed with the product.
• Novak Electronics, Inc. does not make any electronic components (transistor, resistors,
capacitors, etc.) available for sale.
PRODUCT WARRANTY
Novak electronics, Inc. guarantees the Ionic charger to be free from defects in materials and workmanship
for a period of 120 days from original date of purchase (verified by dated, itemized sales receipt). Warranty
does not cover incorrect installation, components worn by use or excessive force, exceeding the recom-
mended input voltage, damage resulting from charging fewer or more than the recommended number of
cells, or from improper connection or charging of receiver battery packs or enhanced-voltage batteries, any
splices to the output wires or built-in power supplies input/output wires, damage from disassembling the
case, tampering with the internal electronics, or allowing water, moisture, or any foreign materials to enter
charger or get onto the PC board, or any damage caused by flooding or other act of God.
In no case shall our liability exceed the product’s original cost or cover the cost of batteries damaged while
charging. We reserve the right to modify the provisions stated in this warranty without notice.
Because Novak Electronics, Inc. has no control over connection and use of this product, no liability may be
assumed nor will be accepted for damage resulting from the use of this product. Every Ionic charger is
thoroughly tested before leaving our facility, and is therefore considered operational. By the act of connecting/
operating this product, the user accepts all resulting liability.
IM-4475-1 12-2001
Getting the most run time and the longest life from your batteries requires more than just
selecting the proper charge current. It is important that you take care of your battery
packs. The following are some simple maintenance tips to get the most out of your cells.
RE-PEAKING
In R/C racing, it is sometimes common practice to re-peak the battery just before a race to
get the most capacity out of the pack. There are some things that are important to know
if you are considering doing this, our recommendations are as follows:
Ni-Cd Batteries
Ni-Cd cells can be re-peaked if desired. Wait a short amount of time (10-20 minutes) after
the completion of the initial charge to allow the cells that peaked before others in the pack
to discharge down to the same level as the remaining cells. Once the individual cells have
equalized, re-start the charger to bring all the cells up together until they peak.
Ni-MH Batteries
We DO NOT recommend re-peaking Ni-MH cells. Use these batteries immediately after the
initial charge is complete for the best performance. If batteries are not used right away, do
not re-charge until battery pack has cooled to room temperature.
DISCHARGING
Another common maintenance procedure for batteries is discharging the cells between
each charge cycle. With the new technology in batteries, it is important to treat each type
of cell correctly to avoid damage. These are our recommendations for discharging:
Ni-Cd Batteries
Ni-Cd cells should be discharged between every charge. Storing and then recharging a
partially charged Ni-Cd battery will result in decreased capacity and performance, and will
reduce the number of effective charge cycles you will get from your packs (shorter battery life).
The easiest method to discharge your Ni-Cd batteries is to put a 30 ohm/10 watt resistor
across the battery terminals as shown here.
Leave the resistor attached to the pack until the resistor cools to room temperature. This
may take several hours. Remove the resistor from the battery at this time. Battery damage
can also occur if the resistor remains attached to the pack for longer than 24 hours.
Ni-MH Batteries
We DO NOT recommend deep discharging Ni-MH cells. If you are going to store these
batteries for extended periods (2 weeks or more), it is good to partially charge them before
storage (2-4 minutes), then charge them completely (normal charge) before usage.
Ni-MH batteries that have been stored for extended periods (two weeks or more) have an
increased chance of false-peaking. These type of cells perform much better when used on a
regular basis. If your Ni-MH packs have not used for a while (or are new), watch them
closely during their initial charges. Be sure that they are warm when the charger has stopped.
For the best charge performance and battery life, use the following settings for your Ionic
charger depending on the given battery type and size. Note that in order to charge 8 cells
you must use an external power supply that is at least 14.5 volts DC. If the external power
supply does not have enough voltage, the charger will not let you select 8 cells.
BATTERY TYPE CELL SIZE MODE AMPS # OF CELLS
Nickel-Cadmium A & larger (A, sub-C, D, & F) Ni-Cd 4.0 4-8
Nickel-Cadmium AA & smaller (above 600mAh cells) Ni-Cd 1.0 4-8
Nickel-Cadmium AA & smaller (below 600mAh cells) Ni-Cd 0.5 4-8
Nickel-Metal Hydride A & larger (A, sub-C, D, & F) Ni-MH2 4.0 4-8
Nickel-Metal Hydride AA & smaller (above 600mAh cells) Ni-MH2 1.0 4-8
Nickel-Metal Hydride AA & smaller (below 600mAh cells) Ni-MH2 0.5 4-8
In the Ni-Cd mode the Ionic uses a constant current linear charge and looks for a delta-peak (voltage
threshold) of 12mV/cell to determine when the battery is completely charged.
The Ionic’s Ni-MH2 mode is an exclusive charge algorithm (developed by Novak Electronics for the
Millennium Pro charger) that uses an innovative method to determine the end of charge so precisely,
that overheated battery packs are a thing of the past.
COOLING FAN
The Ionic charger has a built-in cooling fan that runs whenever it is charging. When the
Ionic is the conditioning mode, the fan will not run unless the charger is very hot. The
cooling fan may also run when the charger is not charging, because the Ionic’s circuitry
monitors the ambient temperature and runs the fan when it requires cooling.
It is very important that you do not block the ventilation grills in the top of the charger.
Doing so may cause the charger to overheat and thermally shut down.
30 Ω /10W
resistor
MODE AMPS #OF CELLS CHGR
Ni-Cd Ni-MH2 0.5 1.0 4.0 4 5 6 7 8 ON
MODE AMPS #OF CELLS CHGR
Ni-Cd Ni-MH2 0.5 1.0 4.0 4 5 6 7 8 ON
MODE AMPS #OF CELLS CHGR
Ni-Cd Ni-MH2 0.5 1.0 4.0 4 5 6 7 8 ON
DO NOT BLOCK
VENTILATION
GRILLS