Also included in this column:
• Tricks with Cellpro and Xtrema chargers
• Dodge/Chrysler Caravan fix for power outlets
• Triton 2 adds new features
• Online information sources for electric fliers
• Model Engineering Solderless Power Tube for
A123 cells
• Batteries need their own space
ANYONE WHO IS involved in building electric-powered models
is looking for light construction. Going back to how models used
to be constructed, we find that we are going to use a great deal of
1/8 and 3/16 square balsa. Having stocked up on 1/8 and 3/16 sheet for
our megamodels, we have a good source for stringers, but making
them can be a pain.
Along comes the McLeod Balsa Stripper. It’s not a new idea by
any means, but at $50 it is a must for the serious builder—or
semiserious builder.
The Balsa Stripper’s construction quality is a work of art. It is
so pretty that you can hang it over your mantle after you use it.
This tool is available from Dan McLeod at
[email protected]. If you are interested in owning one, you can
send him a request along with your mailing and E-mail address.
When your balsa stripper is ready to mail, he will contact you with
the payment information.
If you don’t use E-mail, send Dan a check at Box 897,
Littlerock CA 93543, and he will get a stripper to you as soon as
possible. He only works at one speed: that which will ensure that
you receive a quality tool.
Tricks With FMA Direct’s Cellpro Balancing Charger: A member
wrote:
“Here’s what I’d like to see. A way to power it up without
entering the charge mode so I could run up a motor on an airplane
and watch a connected pack to see if one particular cell is laying
down on the job.
“I’m surprised someone hasn’t come up with a unit for just this
function alone. It would basically be four digital voltmeter circuits
displayed on one screen and connected through the balance tap
itself. It should be dirt cheap to produce. I’m first in line for one.”
How about zero cost? You can do that now, according to FMA
Direct Design Engineer Nathan Gwozdecki. It comes under the
heading “Why didn’t I think of that?”
He wrote:
“They can already do that. The charger is ready for discharge
once the charge is complete. Here are the steps to log discharge.
“1) Install the charged pack in the aircraft.
“2) Set the Cellpro to .25 amp.
“3) Run the speed control to discharge the battery. Leave the
charger and 12-volt power supply connected.
“4) Watch the LCD or log it with the PC viewer. The PC
Viewer software will show a very nice graph of the discharge. If
they wait until the charge is complete, the LCD only updates every
60 seconds. When charging the LCD updates every second.”
Attention Dodge/Chrysler minivan owners! Is your cigarettelighter
socket on only when the ignition is on? My nice Dodge
dealer told me how to fix the problem.
On the driver side of the car under the hood is an electrical box.
Open this box and remove the 20-amp fuse at the top (from where
you are standing on the driver’s side of the minivan) and insert it
into the socket immediately to the right. If you look closely, you
can see the fuse slots marked “IGN” and “BAT.”
This will keep your cigarette lighter outlets powered all the
time for your charger. It works for 2001 through 2007 models as
far as I can tell. Just remember the warnings you have read about
charging Li-Poly batteries unattended!
The McLeod Balsa Stripper is a must-have for scratch builders.
A Dodge/Chrysler minivan electrical panel was changed to
provided constant on for the utility lighter outlet.
Great Planes ElectriFly Triton 2: Great Planes has updated its
popular Triton charger to the Triton 2. The first thing that struck me
was the banana plugs on the power cord. These were not just plain
banana plugs; they were the best ones I’ve seen.
Big alligator clips are supplied that you can plug the banana plugs
into for charging off of a car battery. It seems that with every other
charger I have gotten I have had to remove the alligator clips and add
banana plugs that would match with my shop power supplies.
98 MODEL AVIATION
2300 mAh pack for less than $40.
I found the MEC (Model Electronics
Corporation) Solderless Power Tube kit
($15.95) to be an excellent alternative for
those who are uncomfortable with assembly
packs in the conventional manner, and it
adds only .5 ounce. You can find this
product at www.modelelectronicscorp.com.
Oh, and if you try to remove the steel
tabs by peeling them off, you can leave
holes in the battery case. This makes the
cells unhappy. Getting the DeWALT pack
apart can be a challenge too. There is a
good tutorial on doing this at www.rc
groups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=587606. To make it much
easier, Harbor Freight Tools has a security bit set (item 93388) for
those tamper-proof screws.
FMA Direct now offers an updated version of the Cellpro that
will accommodate A123 packs and standard Li-Poly packs. If you
have purchased a Cellpro charger from FMA Direct and want to
upgrade to the A123 version, you can send the charger back for
upgrade for a fee of $12 including return shipping.
Xtrema Charger Trick for A123 Packs: Lucien Miller shared the
following tip via RCGroups.
“Right now the Xtrema software is limited to 10 cells,
regardless of type. It would take a complete rewrite of the software
to make a special subroutine to handle the A123 cells for 11 or 12
cells, so for now that is the limit.
“You can work a little creative math and charge 11 or 12 cell
batteries by upping the per-cell voltage and charging them as a 10-
cell pack. For example, if you have an 11-cell pack, the final
voltage is 3.6 x 11, or 39.6 volts. If you set the Xtrema to 3.95 volts
per cell and tell it that you have a 10-cell pack, it will charge up to
39.5 volts and get you 99.7% full charge.
“If you have a 12-cell pack, then you want the total voltage to
be 3.6 x 12, or 43.2 volts. In this case, you could set the Xtrema to
4.2 volts per cell and tell it you have a 10-cell pack and the charger
would charge up to 42.0 volts, which would get you 97.2% of a full
charge.”
The Vast RC Clinic Battery Lab: As promised (threatened), here it
is. In electric flight batteries need their own space where they can
be used or abused. In this case it is a small 4-foot section on one
side of my garage (the shop is on the other).
Important features include a glass-top bench, a smoke alarm,
Other than that the Triton 2 is almost
identical in appearance to the Triton, with
the exception of the raised programming
knob which makes it a bit easier to
manipulate. Features added to the Triton 2
include a blue backlit display, a charge
current raised from 5 to 7 amps, and
maximum power unchanged at 90 watts.
The number of Lithium cells that can be
charged was raised from four to five. An
adjustable peak delay at start is zero to 60
minutes and programmable peak sensitivity
(5-20 mV for Ni-Cd and 3-15 mV for
NiMH) was added. The instruction manual
(15 81/2 x 11-inch pages plus flow charts) is a major improvement;
it’s easy to read and full of useful battery information.
It is refreshing these days to see an improved version of a
product that is actually improved. The introduction price of
$124.95 is $5 less than the cost of the original Triton when it was
introduced.
Should you upgrade? You can download the Triton 2 manual at
www.electrifly.com/chargers/gpmm3153.html and get a good look
at it to help you make your decision.
Many Questions: How do I? Where do I? When do I? If you have
not signed onto any one or more of the online forums on which
electric flight and battery/charger systems are discussed daily, you
are missing out on a lot of good information.
Check out WattFlyer at www.wattflyer.com/forums/, the RC
Universe Batteries & Chargers forum at www.rcuniverse.com/
forum/forumid_84/tt.htm, or the RCGroups Batteries and Chargers
forum at www.rcgroups.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=129.
Drop in on the other electric-flight forums that are offered while
you are in the neighborhood. In addition, a number of battery
vendors present some useful information about their equipment and
battery care and feeding in general.
Another one of my favorites is Ken Myers’ “The Future is
Electric” at http://members.aol.com/KMyersEFO/. From there you
can read the informative monthly newsletter Ampeer, which
features articles and reviews by some electric-flight icons.
MEC’s Solderless Power Tube: The A123 M1 cells I am testing in
a 4S2P configuration are doing fine after 50 cycles. There is no
sign of significant capacity loss.
I ordered a DeWALT 36-volt pack (part DC9360) on eBay and
was able to get it for less than $100 including shipping. This equals
less than $10 per cell, which works out to a four-cell, 14.4-volt
A123 battery
pack Power
Tube assembled
with balancing
taps installed.
A 123 pack Power Tube completed with
oversleeve.
The author’s battery lab takes only 6 feet of wall space and is 18
inches deep.
Triton 2 input power option offers banana
plug or alligator clips.
and lots of outlets. It gives me something
to do with that old computer and a place to
keep a gazillion adapter cables and plugs
at hand. In a shallow drawer under the
bench is a place for various battery
manuals, a logbook, and more
adapters/cables/plugs.
There are currently seven devices
served by the old computer: an Orbit
Microlader charger/cycler, a West
Mountain Radio CBA II, a RadioShack
recording digital voltmeter, an Xtrema
charger, old and new versions of the
Cellpro charger/balancer, and a Vencon
Technologies UBA4 battery analyzer. The
computer also makes a convenient storage
medium for battery information,
instruction manuals, and general modeling
data I want to have convenient in the shop.
Under the bench are a 12-volt, 10-amp
supply that serves seven banana-jack pairs
above the bench; an ancient HP variable
current/voltage power supply (when all
else fails); and the computer CPU. There
are multidrawer storage boxes for battery
connectors, balance leads, and terminals,
etc., along with the obligatory pencil
holder my kid (who is now older than 50)
made for me in first grade.
It just so happens that my circuitbreaker
panel is in the middle of all this,
but it serves as a good magnetic bulletin
board for important scraps I should have
thrown away in the first place. The vintage
ACE R/C Dual Vericharger has a welldeserved
prominent space in this shrine to
battery/charger technology. The crucifix
hanging in the upper left seems prudent.
Until next time you can contact me at
12219 NW 9th Ln., Newberry FL 32669. I
can be reached much faster by E-mail. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 97,98,100
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 97,98,100
Also included in this column:
• Tricks with Cellpro and Xtrema chargers
• Dodge/Chrysler Caravan fix for power outlets
• Triton 2 adds new features
• Online information sources for electric fliers
• Model Engineering Solderless Power Tube for
A123 cells
• Batteries need their own space
ANYONE WHO IS involved in building electric-powered models
is looking for light construction. Going back to how models used
to be constructed, we find that we are going to use a great deal of
1/8 and 3/16 square balsa. Having stocked up on 1/8 and 3/16 sheet for
our megamodels, we have a good source for stringers, but making
them can be a pain.
Along comes the McLeod Balsa Stripper. It’s not a new idea by
any means, but at $50 it is a must for the serious builder—or
semiserious builder.
The Balsa Stripper’s construction quality is a work of art. It is
so pretty that you can hang it over your mantle after you use it.
This tool is available from Dan McLeod at
[email protected]. If you are interested in owning one, you can
send him a request along with your mailing and E-mail address.
When your balsa stripper is ready to mail, he will contact you with
the payment information.
If you don’t use E-mail, send Dan a check at Box 897,
Littlerock CA 93543, and he will get a stripper to you as soon as
possible. He only works at one speed: that which will ensure that
you receive a quality tool.
Tricks With FMA Direct’s Cellpro Balancing Charger: A member
wrote:
“Here’s what I’d like to see. A way to power it up without
entering the charge mode so I could run up a motor on an airplane
and watch a connected pack to see if one particular cell is laying
down on the job.
“I’m surprised someone hasn’t come up with a unit for just this
function alone. It would basically be four digital voltmeter circuits
displayed on one screen and connected through the balance tap
itself. It should be dirt cheap to produce. I’m first in line for one.”
How about zero cost? You can do that now, according to FMA
Direct Design Engineer Nathan Gwozdecki. It comes under the
heading “Why didn’t I think of that?”
He wrote:
“They can already do that. The charger is ready for discharge
once the charge is complete. Here are the steps to log discharge.
“1) Install the charged pack in the aircraft.
“2) Set the Cellpro to .25 amp.
“3) Run the speed control to discharge the battery. Leave the
charger and 12-volt power supply connected.
“4) Watch the LCD or log it with the PC viewer. The PC
Viewer software will show a very nice graph of the discharge. If
they wait until the charge is complete, the LCD only updates every
60 seconds. When charging the LCD updates every second.”
Attention Dodge/Chrysler minivan owners! Is your cigarettelighter
socket on only when the ignition is on? My nice Dodge
dealer told me how to fix the problem.
On the driver side of the car under the hood is an electrical box.
Open this box and remove the 20-amp fuse at the top (from where
you are standing on the driver’s side of the minivan) and insert it
into the socket immediately to the right. If you look closely, you
can see the fuse slots marked “IGN” and “BAT.”
This will keep your cigarette lighter outlets powered all the
time for your charger. It works for 2001 through 2007 models as
far as I can tell. Just remember the warnings you have read about
charging Li-Poly batteries unattended!
The McLeod Balsa Stripper is a must-have for scratch builders.
A Dodge/Chrysler minivan electrical panel was changed to
provided constant on for the utility lighter outlet.
Great Planes ElectriFly Triton 2: Great Planes has updated its
popular Triton charger to the Triton 2. The first thing that struck me
was the banana plugs on the power cord. These were not just plain
banana plugs; they were the best ones I’ve seen.
Big alligator clips are supplied that you can plug the banana plugs
into for charging off of a car battery. It seems that with every other
charger I have gotten I have had to remove the alligator clips and add
banana plugs that would match with my shop power supplies.
98 MODEL AVIATION
2300 mAh pack for less than $40.
I found the MEC (Model Electronics
Corporation) Solderless Power Tube kit
($15.95) to be an excellent alternative for
those who are uncomfortable with assembly
packs in the conventional manner, and it
adds only .5 ounce. You can find this
product at www.modelelectronicscorp.com.
Oh, and if you try to remove the steel
tabs by peeling them off, you can leave
holes in the battery case. This makes the
cells unhappy. Getting the DeWALT pack
apart can be a challenge too. There is a
good tutorial on doing this at www.rc
groups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=587606. To make it much
easier, Harbor Freight Tools has a security bit set (item 93388) for
those tamper-proof screws.
FMA Direct now offers an updated version of the Cellpro that
will accommodate A123 packs and standard Li-Poly packs. If you
have purchased a Cellpro charger from FMA Direct and want to
upgrade to the A123 version, you can send the charger back for
upgrade for a fee of $12 including return shipping.
Xtrema Charger Trick for A123 Packs: Lucien Miller shared the
following tip via RCGroups.
“Right now the Xtrema software is limited to 10 cells,
regardless of type. It would take a complete rewrite of the software
to make a special subroutine to handle the A123 cells for 11 or 12
cells, so for now that is the limit.
“You can work a little creative math and charge 11 or 12 cell
batteries by upping the per-cell voltage and charging them as a 10-
cell pack. For example, if you have an 11-cell pack, the final
voltage is 3.6 x 11, or 39.6 volts. If you set the Xtrema to 3.95 volts
per cell and tell it that you have a 10-cell pack, it will charge up to
39.5 volts and get you 99.7% full charge.
“If you have a 12-cell pack, then you want the total voltage to
be 3.6 x 12, or 43.2 volts. In this case, you could set the Xtrema to
4.2 volts per cell and tell it you have a 10-cell pack and the charger
would charge up to 42.0 volts, which would get you 97.2% of a full
charge.”
The Vast RC Clinic Battery Lab: As promised (threatened), here it
is. In electric flight batteries need their own space where they can
be used or abused. In this case it is a small 4-foot section on one
side of my garage (the shop is on the other).
Important features include a glass-top bench, a smoke alarm,
Other than that the Triton 2 is almost
identical in appearance to the Triton, with
the exception of the raised programming
knob which makes it a bit easier to
manipulate. Features added to the Triton 2
include a blue backlit display, a charge
current raised from 5 to 7 amps, and
maximum power unchanged at 90 watts.
The number of Lithium cells that can be
charged was raised from four to five. An
adjustable peak delay at start is zero to 60
minutes and programmable peak sensitivity
(5-20 mV for Ni-Cd and 3-15 mV for
NiMH) was added. The instruction manual
(15 81/2 x 11-inch pages plus flow charts) is a major improvement;
it’s easy to read and full of useful battery information.
It is refreshing these days to see an improved version of a
product that is actually improved. The introduction price of
$124.95 is $5 less than the cost of the original Triton when it was
introduced.
Should you upgrade? You can download the Triton 2 manual at
www.electrifly.com/chargers/gpmm3153.html and get a good look
at it to help you make your decision.
Many Questions: How do I? Where do I? When do I? If you have
not signed onto any one or more of the online forums on which
electric flight and battery/charger systems are discussed daily, you
are missing out on a lot of good information.
Check out WattFlyer at www.wattflyer.com/forums/, the RC
Universe Batteries & Chargers forum at www.rcuniverse.com/
forum/forumid_84/tt.htm, or the RCGroups Batteries and Chargers
forum at www.rcgroups.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=129.
Drop in on the other electric-flight forums that are offered while
you are in the neighborhood. In addition, a number of battery
vendors present some useful information about their equipment and
battery care and feeding in general.
Another one of my favorites is Ken Myers’ “The Future is
Electric” at http://members.aol.com/KMyersEFO/. From there you
can read the informative monthly newsletter Ampeer, which
features articles and reviews by some electric-flight icons.
MEC’s Solderless Power Tube: The A123 M1 cells I am testing in
a 4S2P configuration are doing fine after 50 cycles. There is no
sign of significant capacity loss.
I ordered a DeWALT 36-volt pack (part DC9360) on eBay and
was able to get it for less than $100 including shipping. This equals
less than $10 per cell, which works out to a four-cell, 14.4-volt
A123 battery
pack Power
Tube assembled
with balancing
taps installed.
A 123 pack Power Tube completed with
oversleeve.
The author’s battery lab takes only 6 feet of wall space and is 18
inches deep.
Triton 2 input power option offers banana
plug or alligator clips.
and lots of outlets. It gives me something
to do with that old computer and a place to
keep a gazillion adapter cables and plugs
at hand. In a shallow drawer under the
bench is a place for various battery
manuals, a logbook, and more
adapters/cables/plugs.
There are currently seven devices
served by the old computer: an Orbit
Microlader charger/cycler, a West
Mountain Radio CBA II, a RadioShack
recording digital voltmeter, an Xtrema
charger, old and new versions of the
Cellpro charger/balancer, and a Vencon
Technologies UBA4 battery analyzer. The
computer also makes a convenient storage
medium for battery information,
instruction manuals, and general modeling
data I want to have convenient in the shop.
Under the bench are a 12-volt, 10-amp
supply that serves seven banana-jack pairs
above the bench; an ancient HP variable
current/voltage power supply (when all
else fails); and the computer CPU. There
are multidrawer storage boxes for battery
connectors, balance leads, and terminals,
etc., along with the obligatory pencil
holder my kid (who is now older than 50)
made for me in first grade.
It just so happens that my circuitbreaker
panel is in the middle of all this,
but it serves as a good magnetic bulletin
board for important scraps I should have
thrown away in the first place. The vintage
ACE R/C Dual Vericharger has a welldeserved
prominent space in this shrine to
battery/charger technology. The crucifix
hanging in the upper left seems prudent.
Until next time you can contact me at
12219 NW 9th Ln., Newberry FL 32669. I
can be reached much faster by E-mail. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 97,98,100
Also included in this column:
• Tricks with Cellpro and Xtrema chargers
• Dodge/Chrysler Caravan fix for power outlets
• Triton 2 adds new features
• Online information sources for electric fliers
• Model Engineering Solderless Power Tube for
A123 cells
• Batteries need their own space
ANYONE WHO IS involved in building electric-powered models
is looking for light construction. Going back to how models used
to be constructed, we find that we are going to use a great deal of
1/8 and 3/16 square balsa. Having stocked up on 1/8 and 3/16 sheet for
our megamodels, we have a good source for stringers, but making
them can be a pain.
Along comes the McLeod Balsa Stripper. It’s not a new idea by
any means, but at $50 it is a must for the serious builder—or
semiserious builder.
The Balsa Stripper’s construction quality is a work of art. It is
so pretty that you can hang it over your mantle after you use it.
This tool is available from Dan McLeod at
[email protected]. If you are interested in owning one, you can
send him a request along with your mailing and E-mail address.
When your balsa stripper is ready to mail, he will contact you with
the payment information.
If you don’t use E-mail, send Dan a check at Box 897,
Littlerock CA 93543, and he will get a stripper to you as soon as
possible. He only works at one speed: that which will ensure that
you receive a quality tool.
Tricks With FMA Direct’s Cellpro Balancing Charger: A member
wrote:
“Here’s what I’d like to see. A way to power it up without
entering the charge mode so I could run up a motor on an airplane
and watch a connected pack to see if one particular cell is laying
down on the job.
“I’m surprised someone hasn’t come up with a unit for just this
function alone. It would basically be four digital voltmeter circuits
displayed on one screen and connected through the balance tap
itself. It should be dirt cheap to produce. I’m first in line for one.”
How about zero cost? You can do that now, according to FMA
Direct Design Engineer Nathan Gwozdecki. It comes under the
heading “Why didn’t I think of that?”
He wrote:
“They can already do that. The charger is ready for discharge
once the charge is complete. Here are the steps to log discharge.
“1) Install the charged pack in the aircraft.
“2) Set the Cellpro to .25 amp.
“3) Run the speed control to discharge the battery. Leave the
charger and 12-volt power supply connected.
“4) Watch the LCD or log it with the PC viewer. The PC
Viewer software will show a very nice graph of the discharge. If
they wait until the charge is complete, the LCD only updates every
60 seconds. When charging the LCD updates every second.”
Attention Dodge/Chrysler minivan owners! Is your cigarettelighter
socket on only when the ignition is on? My nice Dodge
dealer told me how to fix the problem.
On the driver side of the car under the hood is an electrical box.
Open this box and remove the 20-amp fuse at the top (from where
you are standing on the driver’s side of the minivan) and insert it
into the socket immediately to the right. If you look closely, you
can see the fuse slots marked “IGN” and “BAT.”
This will keep your cigarette lighter outlets powered all the
time for your charger. It works for 2001 through 2007 models as
far as I can tell. Just remember the warnings you have read about
charging Li-Poly batteries unattended!
The McLeod Balsa Stripper is a must-have for scratch builders.
A Dodge/Chrysler minivan electrical panel was changed to
provided constant on for the utility lighter outlet.
Great Planes ElectriFly Triton 2: Great Planes has updated its
popular Triton charger to the Triton 2. The first thing that struck me
was the banana plugs on the power cord. These were not just plain
banana plugs; they were the best ones I’ve seen.
Big alligator clips are supplied that you can plug the banana plugs
into for charging off of a car battery. It seems that with every other
charger I have gotten I have had to remove the alligator clips and add
banana plugs that would match with my shop power supplies.
98 MODEL AVIATION
2300 mAh pack for less than $40.
I found the MEC (Model Electronics
Corporation) Solderless Power Tube kit
($15.95) to be an excellent alternative for
those who are uncomfortable with assembly
packs in the conventional manner, and it
adds only .5 ounce. You can find this
product at www.modelelectronicscorp.com.
Oh, and if you try to remove the steel
tabs by peeling them off, you can leave
holes in the battery case. This makes the
cells unhappy. Getting the DeWALT pack
apart can be a challenge too. There is a
good tutorial on doing this at www.rc
groups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=587606. To make it much
easier, Harbor Freight Tools has a security bit set (item 93388) for
those tamper-proof screws.
FMA Direct now offers an updated version of the Cellpro that
will accommodate A123 packs and standard Li-Poly packs. If you
have purchased a Cellpro charger from FMA Direct and want to
upgrade to the A123 version, you can send the charger back for
upgrade for a fee of $12 including return shipping.
Xtrema Charger Trick for A123 Packs: Lucien Miller shared the
following tip via RCGroups.
“Right now the Xtrema software is limited to 10 cells,
regardless of type. It would take a complete rewrite of the software
to make a special subroutine to handle the A123 cells for 11 or 12
cells, so for now that is the limit.
“You can work a little creative math and charge 11 or 12 cell
batteries by upping the per-cell voltage and charging them as a 10-
cell pack. For example, if you have an 11-cell pack, the final
voltage is 3.6 x 11, or 39.6 volts. If you set the Xtrema to 3.95 volts
per cell and tell it that you have a 10-cell pack, it will charge up to
39.5 volts and get you 99.7% full charge.
“If you have a 12-cell pack, then you want the total voltage to
be 3.6 x 12, or 43.2 volts. In this case, you could set the Xtrema to
4.2 volts per cell and tell it you have a 10-cell pack and the charger
would charge up to 42.0 volts, which would get you 97.2% of a full
charge.”
The Vast RC Clinic Battery Lab: As promised (threatened), here it
is. In electric flight batteries need their own space where they can
be used or abused. In this case it is a small 4-foot section on one
side of my garage (the shop is on the other).
Important features include a glass-top bench, a smoke alarm,
Other than that the Triton 2 is almost
identical in appearance to the Triton, with
the exception of the raised programming
knob which makes it a bit easier to
manipulate. Features added to the Triton 2
include a blue backlit display, a charge
current raised from 5 to 7 amps, and
maximum power unchanged at 90 watts.
The number of Lithium cells that can be
charged was raised from four to five. An
adjustable peak delay at start is zero to 60
minutes and programmable peak sensitivity
(5-20 mV for Ni-Cd and 3-15 mV for
NiMH) was added. The instruction manual
(15 81/2 x 11-inch pages plus flow charts) is a major improvement;
it’s easy to read and full of useful battery information.
It is refreshing these days to see an improved version of a
product that is actually improved. The introduction price of
$124.95 is $5 less than the cost of the original Triton when it was
introduced.
Should you upgrade? You can download the Triton 2 manual at
www.electrifly.com/chargers/gpmm3153.html and get a good look
at it to help you make your decision.
Many Questions: How do I? Where do I? When do I? If you have
not signed onto any one or more of the online forums on which
electric flight and battery/charger systems are discussed daily, you
are missing out on a lot of good information.
Check out WattFlyer at www.wattflyer.com/forums/, the RC
Universe Batteries & Chargers forum at www.rcuniverse.com/
forum/forumid_84/tt.htm, or the RCGroups Batteries and Chargers
forum at www.rcgroups.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=129.
Drop in on the other electric-flight forums that are offered while
you are in the neighborhood. In addition, a number of battery
vendors present some useful information about their equipment and
battery care and feeding in general.
Another one of my favorites is Ken Myers’ “The Future is
Electric” at http://members.aol.com/KMyersEFO/. From there you
can read the informative monthly newsletter Ampeer, which
features articles and reviews by some electric-flight icons.
MEC’s Solderless Power Tube: The A123 M1 cells I am testing in
a 4S2P configuration are doing fine after 50 cycles. There is no
sign of significant capacity loss.
I ordered a DeWALT 36-volt pack (part DC9360) on eBay and
was able to get it for less than $100 including shipping. This equals
less than $10 per cell, which works out to a four-cell, 14.4-volt
A123 battery
pack Power
Tube assembled
with balancing
taps installed.
A 123 pack Power Tube completed with
oversleeve.
The author’s battery lab takes only 6 feet of wall space and is 18
inches deep.
Triton 2 input power option offers banana
plug or alligator clips.
and lots of outlets. It gives me something
to do with that old computer and a place to
keep a gazillion adapter cables and plugs
at hand. In a shallow drawer under the
bench is a place for various battery
manuals, a logbook, and more
adapters/cables/plugs.
There are currently seven devices
served by the old computer: an Orbit
Microlader charger/cycler, a West
Mountain Radio CBA II, a RadioShack
recording digital voltmeter, an Xtrema
charger, old and new versions of the
Cellpro charger/balancer, and a Vencon
Technologies UBA4 battery analyzer. The
computer also makes a convenient storage
medium for battery information,
instruction manuals, and general modeling
data I want to have convenient in the shop.
Under the bench are a 12-volt, 10-amp
supply that serves seven banana-jack pairs
above the bench; an ancient HP variable
current/voltage power supply (when all
else fails); and the computer CPU. There
are multidrawer storage boxes for battery
connectors, balance leads, and terminals,
etc., along with the obligatory pencil
holder my kid (who is now older than 50)
made for me in first grade.
It just so happens that my circuitbreaker
panel is in the middle of all this,
but it serves as a good magnetic bulletin
board for important scraps I should have
thrown away in the first place. The vintage
ACE R/C Dual Vericharger has a welldeserved
prominent space in this shrine to
battery/charger technology. The crucifix
hanging in the upper left seems prudent.
Until next time you can contact me at
12219 NW 9th Ln., Newberry FL 32669. I
can be reached much faster by E-mail. MA