diff --git a/handbook/charging.html b/handbook/charging.html index 16c41a362..80f97dc97 100644 --- a/handbook/charging.html +++ b/handbook/charging.html @@ -12,13 +12,23 @@

Instructions for charging

-0)
  • If the battery has insulation tape on it (red, green, or earth) it won't -charge on the Makita standard charger and the Balance/RC charger -should be used. All batteries will charge on the RC charger, but not -as fast as on the Makita charger. Go to RC charger.
    • + +0)
  • If a battery has green insulation tape on it it has been +modified by us and will not charge on a Makita standard charger. It +must be charged on the balance chargers (or RC chargers). Untaped +(standard) batteries will not charge on the balance chargers, so must +be charged on the Makita chargers (or RC charger). All batteries will +charge on the RC chargers, but not as fast as on the Makita +charger. Go to RC charger.
    • + +

    New for 2018 is varying battery capacity. We have 3Ah, 4Ah and 5Ah +packs. Bigger packs will take longer to charge from empty. The +capacity is on the cell label next to the yellow connector.

    Using Makita charger

    +

    This is blue charger with 3 LEDs, and diagrammatic charging info on RH side. CHarges at up to 100W.

    +
    1. Make sure charger is powered (flashing green LED).
      2. @@ -32,7 +42,30 @@ as fast as on the Makita charger. Go to RC charger. hour max). You are done.
    -

    Using Pro-Peak (or Accucell 6) RC charger

    +

    Using Balance charger

    + +

    This is the set of 3 (2 half-width) chargers made from old Makita chargers. They have a set of 4 LEDs. (The full-width one only has 1 LED in 2018). Charges at 40W.

    + +
      +
    1. Make sure charger is powered (flashing green LEDs).
      2. + +
    2. Plug batt into charger. After a few seconds it should start charging.
      3. + +
    3. Look at the LEDs for status - the legend is printed on the RH end charger. Steady red for bulk charging to 80%. Steady orange for last 20% charging. Steady green for finished. If it flashes red and beeps (repeated 5 times) something is wrong - see table. If you get an 'undervoltage' reading, use an RC charger instead to get the charging started.
      4. + +
    4. Eventually it should show '100%' (steady green LEDs). (1hr 50 max possible charge time). You are done.
      5. +
    + + +

    Using Accucell 6 RC charger

    + +

    This is black all-purpose charger with blue LCD display. CHarges at up to 50W

    + +

    The Yellow Propeak chargers do the same job, and insturcuctions are +similar, but have no fan, no backlit display, and if pack is low +voltage will charge at C/10 (10% of normal) until voltage rises +sufficiently. Ensure that charge rate is set to 4000mA otherwise +charging will be very slow. Charges at up to 50W (5W in C/10 gnetle start).

    1. Make sure charger is powered (display lit up)
      2. @@ -55,19 +88,21 @@ action. Find a battery expert - don't just use the charger anyway.
    2. Once it beeps and says 'FULL' (flashing) then you are done (should be less than 2 hours). Display shows number of mAh put in in bottom right. Should be a number like 250 for each hole drilled -(between 50 and 2900 depending how discharged it was).
      3. + (between 50 and 2900 depending how discharged it was). +

    Can I tell if a battery is already charged?

    Simplest it try to charge it again and find that it says it is done -in a couple of minutes. This may waste a 'life' on batteries that -still work on the Makita charger. Checking it on the RC charger will -not waste a life. It will quickly rise to 16.4V, and the current drop -to 0.1A or so. That indicates a full pack. It will tell you so after a -while (1-5 mins). -

    +in a couple of minutes (Up to 4 mins on the balance chargers). This +may 'waste a life' on batteries that still work on the Makita +charger. Checking it on the RC charger will not waste a life. It will +quickly rise to 16.4V, and the current drop to 0.1A or so. That +indicates a full pack. It will tell you so after a while (1-5 +mins).

    +

    What sort of batteries are they

    @@ -97,10 +132,11 @@ board can fix this (or new software if we knew how to nobble it).

    Such batteries are normally still fine and charge on a sensible (RC - Radio Control, because RC people are the main market for these chargers) charger, possible after a balance charge to get the cells in -the pack in sync again. Expo has a couple of these and will be getting -more. Unfortunataly Makita don't build the 14.4V packs with balance -connections to the cells, so the PCB has to be replaced to make this -work easily for expo, which is the plan for 2018.

    +the pack in sync again. Expo has a couple of these (Yellow Pro-power +Prodigy II). Unfortunataly Makita don't build the 14.4V packs with +balance connections to the cells, so the PCB has to be replaced to +make this work easily for expo. For 2018 this was done for 7 of our +packs, and 3 automatic balance chargers built.

    Note that the drills have no battery-voltage monitoring at all, and the monitoring circuit is bypassed when conected to the drill (the charger