this charger is a little confuzing

[darkslayor24]

ok, i am brand new to electric RC i bought a tower hobbies tower power 420 ac/dc charger. if anyone has the same charger please help me. i can't figureit out, hit the switch to charge turn the timer to 15 minuts and the needle goes to green, but then when it comes to 0 and teh trickle is suposed to come in the needle goes to -.5 and its the same way with the discharger. how do i know when my batery is fully sharged or when it is fully discharged???

edit: i just "discharged" my batery, pluged it into my truck and it still is charged..?

 

[slowngreen]

Got a link to the charger, or a pic of it?

 

[darkslayor24]

Got a link to the charger, or a pic of it?

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXJC34&P=ML

 

[slowngreen]

hmm, just try and ball park it off these times I guess?

7.2V 8.4V
Charge Times: 1200mAh 19 min. 29 min.
1500mAh 20 min. 37 min.
1700mAh 24 min. 41 min.

 

[RC Addict]

Please note this is a NiCd charger. It will not properly charge NiMH batteries. If you are using Nickel Metal Hydride batteries that is why you are having issues.

 

[darkslayor24]

i have nicds, i have an 1800 pack so wat should my charge time be?

 

[RC Addict]

At 7.2 volts your charge time SHOULD be around 25-26 minutes. That is for a six cell pack!

 

[darkslayor24]

so thats about 15 minuts of peak? or peak and trickl thats kinda were I'm confuzed

 

[JettaManDan]

trickle is for overnight slow charging....peak is what the times above are for at full amperage...

 

[darkslayor24]

cuz once it times out at 15 minuts t automaticaly goes trickle, but the amp meter drops to 0 thats kinda y I'm confuzed

 

[abadk9420]

Just turn the timer back on for another 15 minutes, the best way to get the most out of this charger if you want full compacity is to put a volt meter on your batery pack while it is charging, once the voltage on the battery stop climbing while it is charging and begens to drop the battery has reached its peak compacity and you should stop charging it. Thats how I used to do it back in the day old school style, LOL!!!