On Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:49:51 -0700, Darryl Ramm wrote:

On Aug 24, 7:03Â*am, Grider Pirate wrote:
VSLA? A123? Cycling chargers?? Â*I think this subject should have it's
own thread. Â*Unlike transponders, we almost all need them.


Some comments below, in general and picking up a few things in other
posts/threads and reposting some things I've said elsewhere recently.

An excellent summary, especially of the low-tech ways of testing SLAs.

I would, however, take issue over there being many RC chargers without a
float mode. I've not yet seen a multi-chemistry charger that didn't have
some sort of float mode for all chemistries: its essential for Li-poly
and for high-rate charging of NiCd/NiMH and anyway these charger/cyclers
are all microprocessor based, so leaving it off is inexcusably cheap
design. Did you mean that some just omit peak detection for lead-acid
batteries?

The only place I've been happy to use untimed chargers is with low
capacity NiCds. My favoured approach there is to use a "1% charge rate",
i.e. charge at 0.01C, and leave the battery permanently on charge unless
I'm flying the model its installed in. NiCds are frequently used as low-
maintenance emergency batteries and these are invariably left on charge
at the 1% rate for years at a time so they like this treatment. Its
really convenient: put the model box back on its rack after a contest or
trimming session, open the lid, connect the charger and forget about it
until next time you go flying.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |