POWER PRO
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
WARNING
It is dangerous to work in
the vicinity of a lead-acid battery since they generate explosive gases during
charging. When charging and using a
lead-acid battery, make sure you have good ventilation. To prevent an explosion, never charge a
lead-acid battery while using the lead-acid battery as a power source for the
Power Pro.
To reduce the risk of injury,
use only high rate nickel cadmium batteries with the Power Pro. Any other type of battery may burst and cause
personal injury.
Do not leave the Power Pro unattended. The remote possibility of an electronic
failure could cause an extreme overcharge.
This could cause the battery to burst and cause a fire hazard.
The Power Pro is designed to charge
high rate rechargeable nickel cadmium batteries used in R/C car racing. In order to provide a quick charge, the Power
Pro is designed to charge at high currents.
While the charge rates used in the Power Pro are common, excessive cell
heat generated during the process may cause damage to the cells or cause them
to vent battery acid. To reduce the risk
of injury, always wear safety glasses when operating the Power Pro.
Always make sure the
batteries in the pack are in the dame state of discharge before charging a
pack. Otherwise, the cells that are
partially charged before charging will get extremely got and may be damaged or
vent battery acid.
Check your battery pack
occasionally for overheating. If the
cells are too hot to touch, there is something wrong and the pack must be
disconnected from the charger.
Competition Electronics, Inc.
shall not be liable for any property damage or personal injury which may result
from the failure to follow these instructions or other improper use of this
product.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Power Pro is a
microprocessor based charger system for high-rate rechargeable batteries for
use in R/C. It is a linear type using a
high frequency buck switcher and can fully charge 1 to 12 cells at a presttable amperage up to a maximum of 10.0 amps using the
peak detection method. By using the buck
converter, the power dissipation is greatly reduced. Even single cells can be charged without
excessive heat dissipation. The Power
Pro employs our own version of reflex charging called Turbo Flex. Turbo Flex charging can recondition cells by
lowering the internal resistance thru breaking up of the crystalline structure
formed by aging cells. It can also
reduce heat buildup during charging by reducing gas build up in the cells.
SUPPLY VOLTS
The Power Pro will operate
from a 12 volt automobile battery (see above warning notes) or any DC supply
within the voltage range of 10 to 24 volts and 10 amp
or more capacity. It will operate with
less amperage, but the charge current will be limited to the maximum capacity
of the supply. Allow about two volts per
cell for a supply voltage with a minimum of 10 volts. For example, to charge a 7 cell pack would
require 14 volts. (7 cells times 2 volts)
CONNECTIONS
You must connect to the 4
foot supply first, then the battery pack. Otherwise the Power Pro will not work. The red alligator clip on the 4 foot lead
connects to the positive (+) on your DC supply.
The black lead connects to the negative (-). The leads supplied for the battery pack
hookup are the alligator type. Be sure
you observe polarity when connecting to your battery pack, positive (+) to red
and negative (-) to black. Damage may
result if polarity is not observed.
TURBO FLEX TYPE SELECTION
Before charging you may select
one of two modes of Turbo Flex by pushing the Turbo Flex push button. The first mode is used for SCR type batteries
(1400’s). The second mode is for SCRC
type batteries or any 1700mah battery. (SCRC,SCE,P-170). If neither on of the LED’s are
on, the charge is a standard linear type without Turbo Flex.
CHARGE MODES
The three types of charge
modes are … a standard charge, a long lockout type or a repeak type. Any one of the types may be selected with the
charge push button (right hand button).
Just keep pushing the charge button within 2 seconds of the last push,
until the desired charge type is selected.
After the 2 seconds have expired, the selected charge mode will begin.
Standard charge mode
The standard peak detect
lockout time is 60 seconds. This means
the charge will run 60 seconds even if the battery voltage is dropping.
Long lockout charge mode
A long peak detect lockout of
5 minutes can be selected. This means
the charge will run 5 minutes even if the battery voltage is dropping. It therefore can be used only on fully
discharged packs. It can overheat and
vent a fully charged pack. The long peak
detect lockout is meant to be used with packs that have a bad tendency to false
peak, or a pack that is completely discharged.
Repeak charge mode
The repeak charge will
provide a peak detection of twice that of a standard charge. It is used to heat up the pack just before
racing. The peak detect lockout time is
60 seconds.
GENERAL CHARGE RATES
Most racers use a charge rate
of 3 to 5 amps on the RED SCR (1400mah) Sanyo cells, the BLACK SCRC(1700mah) Sanyo cells or the PURPLE P-170 cells. Generally the higher the milliamp hour rating
(mah) the more delicate the cell.
Therefore, a lower charge rate is easier on the cell.
DICHARGING FOR PERFORMANCE
To get maximum performance
from your batteries, discharge them fully after every use. We recommend using a .1ohm 10 watt or a 1ohm
5 watt resistor across each cell until the pack is cool. Any longer than that is not necessary and may
cause them to false peak at the beginning of a charge.
False peaks can be caused by
several things. Batteries that have been
fully discharged can false peak for several minutes. Use the long lockout to alleviate this
problem. Another cause is using
alligator clips on solid leads. This can
produce a poor connection that can’t handle the charge current. It is best to clip onto braided wire or
multi-strand wire where more area is contacted by the alligator clips. Using connectors that are worn or dirty can
also produce false peaks because of poor connections. Turbo flexing can also
cause batteries that haven’t been flex charged before to false peak. Either continue to restart the Power Pro
until the batteries continue to charge or use the long lockout so the batteries
will charge 5 minutes before the peak detecting occurs.
TRICKLE CHARGE
To trickle charge your
battery, set the amp adjustment to .15 amps and push the start button. The amp set pot is factory calibrated for .15
amps when completely turned counter clockwise.
FUSES
Sooner or later you will blow
a fuse by hooking up the supply backwards.
It is best to go out and buy extra 15 amp fuses at the automotive store
now so you will have them on hand. To change
the fuses, remove and replace with needle nose pliers.
IF IT DOESN’T WORK
Make sure that you have
connected the supply leads first and then the battery leads.
Check the fuses to make sure
that they are not blown.
Please call us before you
send the unit back. We may be able to
tell you if the unit is malfunctioning or if there is some operating
consideration that needs further explanation. (815) 874-8001
Competition Electronics
3469 Precision Dr.