Charge batts and remote at same time (P4P)

[AlanTheBeast]

I'm topping up a batt before I go out this afternoon and topping the RC too.

Some state that I shouldn't hit both at the same time, but the charger is lying on a porcelain tile floor with ambient of 20°C. Surely that is not too much for the charger?

 

[msinger]

It's okay to charge both at the same time.

 

[alokbhargava]

Short time charging for main battery and RC battery with a common charger at temperatures such as 20 deg C should not be a problem.

It's recommended not to charge both the batteries at 40deg C due to heat constraints ( internal temperature rise)

 

[Traveler]

Alan,
I believe msinger is correct, but If you are concerned like myself, cool the power supply with a small fan. I use an old CPU fan that I run off a small separate power source. Keeping heat down in electronics will always extend the life of any component.

 

[AWD]

I've got a meter on the charging circuit "external" when charging the batteries.

When any of the three are charging, it's 100 watts being used for the battery.

Adding the controller to the charging setup adds another 10 to 12 watts.

I was surprised at how little power the controller uses when charging. Maybe that's why it takes so long to top it off!!!

Looking at the meter right now and it's showing 107 watts for the battery charger and the controller.

AD

 

[AlanTheBeast]

Alan,
I believe msinger is correct, but If you are concerned like myself, cool the power supply with a small fan. I use an old CPU fan that I run off a small separate power source. Keeping heat down in electronics will always extend the life of any component.

Agree - my strategy was to lay it flat on the porcelain tile floor. Ambient 20°C. Move the supply every 15 minutes or so (tile was warm). When warmer weather comes I'll avoid charging both or get a separate supply for the RC.

 

[AlanTheBeast]

I've got a meter on the charging circuit "external" when charging the batteries.

When any of the three are charging, it's 100 watts being used for the battery.

Adding the controller to the charging setup adds another 10 to 12 watts.

I was surprised at how little power the controller uses when charging. Maybe that's why it takes so long to top it off!!!

Looking at the meter right now and it's showing 107 watts for the battery charger and the controller.

AD

My Kill-A-Watt is showing 105 - 106 W just charging the flight batts - no RC.

 

[Traveler]

Agree - my strategy was to lay it flat on the porcelain tile floor. Ambient 20°C. Move the supply every 15 minutes or so (tile was warm). When warmer weather comes I'll avoid charging both or get a separate supply for the RC.

I think a cool surface is always a good idea; that's what I did before I started using a fan. To show you how small of a fan I'm speaking, see attached. It is just a CPU cooling fan. Any air movement would get the job done.

 

[AlanTheBeast]

I think a cool surface is always a good idea; that's what I did before I started using a fan. To show you how small of a fan I'm speaking, see attached. It is just a CPU cooling fan. Any air movement would get the job done.

Great way to do it. As the summer comes I'll look into putting a fan at the end of a small box and drop the charger brick in the middle.