Update charging info for 2018, adding balance charger info.

handbook/charging.html

@@ -12,13 +12,23 @@
 
 
 <h2>Instructions for charging</h3>
-0) <li>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
+0) <li>If a battery has green insulation tape on it it has been
-should be used. All batteries will charge on the RC charger, but not
+modified by us and will not charge on a Makita standard charger. It
-as fast as on the Makita charger. Go to <a href="#RCcharge">RC charger</a>.</li>
+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 <a href="#RCcharge">RC charger</a>.</li>
+
+<p>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.</p>
 
 <h3>Using Makita charger</h3>
 
+<p>This is blue charger with 3 LEDs, and diagrammatic charging info on RH side. CHarges at up to 100W.</p>
+
 <ol>
   <li>Make sure charger is powered (flashing green LED).</li>
 
@@ -32,7 +42,30 @@ as fast as on the Makita charger. Go to <a href="#RCcharge">RC charger</a>.</li>
   hour max). You are done.</li>
 </ol>
 
-<h3 id="RCcharge">Using Pro-Peak (or Accucell 6) RC charger</h3>
+<h3>Using Balance charger</h3>
+
+<p>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.</p>
+
+<ol>
+  <li>Make sure charger is powered (flashing green LEDs).</li>
+
+  <li>Plug batt into charger. After a few seconds it should start charging.</li>
+
+  <li>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.</li>
+
+  <li>Eventually it should show '100%' (steady green LEDs). (1hr 50 max possible charge time). You are done.</li>
+</ol>
+
+
+<h3 id="RCcharge">Using Accucell 6 RC charger</h3>
+
+<p>This is black all-purpose charger with blue LCD display. CHarges at up to 50W</p>
+
+<p>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).</p>
 
 <ol>
   <li>Make sure charger is powered (display lit up)</li>
@@ -55,19 +88,21 @@ action. Find a battery expert - don't just use the charger anyway.</li>
   <li>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).</li>
+    (between 50 and 2900 depending how discharged it was).</li>
+
 </ol>
 
 
 <h3>Can I tell if a battery is already charged?</h3>
 
 <p>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
+in a couple of minutes (Up to 4 mins on the balance chargers). This
-still work on the Makita charger. Checking it on the RC charger will
+may 'waste a life' on batteries that still work on the Makita
-not waste a life. It will quickly rise to 16.4V, and the current drop
+charger. Checking it on the RC charger will not waste a life. It will
-to 0.1A or so. That indicates a full pack. It will tell you so after a
+quickly rise to 16.4V, and the current drop to 0.1A or so. That
-while (1-5 mins).
+indicates a full pack. It will tell you so after a while (1-5
-</p>
+mins).</p>
+
 
 <h3>What sort of batteries are they</h3>
 
@@ -97,10 +132,11 @@ board can fix this (or new software if we knew how to nobble it).</p>
 <p>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
+the pack in sync again. Expo has a couple of these (Yellow Pro-power
-more. Unfortunataly Makita don't build the 14.4V packs with balance
+Prodigy II). Unfortunataly Makita don't build the 14.4V packs with
-connections to the cells, so the PCB has to be replaced to make this
+balance connections to the cells, so the PCB has to be replaced to
-work easily for expo, which is the plan for 2018.</p>
+make this work easily for expo. For 2018 this was done for 7 of our
+packs, and 3 automatic balance chargers built.</p>
 
 <p>Note that the drills have no battery-voltage monitoring at all, and the
 monitoring circuit is bypassed when conected to the drill (the charger