RCCrawler Forums

RallyRoach · 07-05-2005, 05:25 PM

I've got a bunch of old packs that I'm pulling out of storage after about 1.5 years of no use. Mostly 3000's (some reg and HV), and some 2200 NiCD. The NiMh were left with 80% charge, but are completely dead now, and I'm not getting any kind of charge out of them right now, most are peaking at 500mAh :(
Anyway, I've got a decent charger (Reedy Quasar Pro), and a multimeter, the question is, how do I sort out the bad cells from the good? Can I measure something with my multimeter to find the Deadies?

Any ideas welcome

RallyRoach
Project TLT.ns in the works...

Eclipse · 07-05-2005, 05:39 PM

well for nihms u HAVE TO drain them all the way before u store them.... how old were the batts b4 u stored them?

RallyRoach · 07-05-2005, 05:52 PM

Everyone I asked back when I stored them said to put between 60-80% charge in the NiMhs, and kill the NiCds before storing them for a while. The NiMhs were about a year old, used every month for racing. The NiCds were about 3 years old, but also used every month for 2 years racing.

fuzzhead · 07-05-2005, 06:20 PM

eclipse is wrong on this one.

i read in a magazine on storage and such. nimhs need to have some charge in them. and you should discharge nicds as much as possible. so you did everything right

Eclipse · 07-05-2005, 06:39 PM

i meant little to almost none charge in the nimhs.

EeePee · 07-05-2005, 06:58 PM

Read this:

http://www.teamnovak.com/products/ba...tery_care.html

nd4spdbh · 07-05-2005, 07:02 PM

tell this guy how to figure it out not quarrel over small details... i just use a multimeter to measure voltage off ever cell in the pac. the ones that are out of the norm voltage of the packs (usually the ones with little or no voltage are bad) but that what i do and i dont kno if its right...it has worked for me!

RallyRoach · 07-05-2005, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EeePee

Read this:

http://www.teamnovak.com/products/ba...tery_care.html

Excellent read

The bit on using a lower charge rate to start them back up seems to help alot

I checked and all my cells are giving me ~1.20V on the NiCds, and ~1.40V, so I guess none are dead, just underperforming. Oh well, 2 4-cells down, 6 to go... ugh...

EeePee · 07-05-2005, 07:21 PM

From this page http://loke.as.arizona.edu/~ckulesa/nicads.html I found:

"For most purposes, one should discharge the pack gently to 1.1 volts/cell and then charge at an overnight rate to balance the pack. This is generally sufficient for most use, even for large electric flight packs. However, I have found that a periodic individual cell deep discharge is beneficial to really balancing a pack and diagnosing its condition. To do this, discharge to 1.1 volts/cell as before and then wire up a tiny motor or flashlight light bulb to each cell individually. Discharge each cell completely. You may find some dispersion in the charge state of some of the cells. This discrepancy will probably be 'fixed' by the deep discharge (but if it doesn't, you should probably toss out the bad cell). When you are done, resume charging as before."

I B RACIN · 07-05-2005, 08:27 PM

One of the best ways to tell if you have any bad cells, Start your charge then check the voltage while its on charge, any cell that has really high voltage way out of the norm, needs to be checked, also bad cells tend to get hot fast.

So a temp gun can help check for that, or buy hand works too.

I B..

nd4spdbh · 07-05-2005, 09:10 PM

ya i have been there on the heat with bad cells i was runnin my rustler really hard one time and the battery got somewhat hot but one cell go so hot it further shrinked the shrink wrap around it LOL it was so shrunk it only went around half the cell!

lunardaisy · 07-07-2005, 12:37 PM

That artice said To Charge them a max rate or 4.5 to 5 amps at a time. I charge mine at like 1.5... What does everyone else char theirs at?

badger · 07-07-2005, 01:49 PM

RallyRoach, NIMH's do not like to be stored and no matter how you store them (charged or discharged) you will loose life in them if stored for a long time like you did.

If you plan on storing NIMH's for a long time then you need to cycle them once a month or if you can't do that I would just sell them and buy new ones when you get back into it. Otherwise you are just throwing away $$ IMO.

I charge my packs at 6 amps.

EeePee · 07-07-2005, 02:06 PM

I charge at 4, which is the highest setting on the Novak Ionic I use.

07-05-2005, 05:25 PM	#1
RallyRoach Newbie Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Land O' Lobsters, Canada Posts: 25	How to find dead cells? I've got a bunch of old packs that I'm pulling out of storage after about 1.5 years of no use. Mostly 3000's (some reg and HV), and some 2200 NiCD. The NiMh were left with 80% charge, but are completely dead now, and I'm not getting any kind of charge out of them right now, most are peaking at 500mAh :( Anyway, I've got a decent charger (Reedy Quasar Pro), and a multimeter, the question is, how do I sort out the bad cells from the good? Can I measure something with my multimeter to find the Deadies? Any ideas welcome RallyRoach Project TLT.ns in the works... Last edited by RallyRoach; 07-05-2005 at 05:27 PM.

07-05-2005, 05:39 PM	#2
Eclipse Quarry Creeper Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Grand Forks Posts: 221	well for nihms u HAVE TO drain them all the way before u store them.... how old were the batts b4 u stored them?

07-05-2005, 05:52 PM	#3
RallyRoach Newbie Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Land O' Lobsters, Canada Posts: 25	Everyone I asked back when I stored them said to put between 60-80% charge in the NiMhs, and kill the NiCds before storing them for a while. The NiMhs were about a year old, used every month for racing. The NiCds were about 3 years old, but also used every month for 2 years racing.

07-05-2005, 06:20 PM	#4
fuzzhead Rock Crawler Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Grand Forks, ND Posts: 620	eclipse is wrong on this one. i read in a magazine on storage and such. nimhs need to have some charge in them. and you should discharge nicds as much as possible. so you did everything right

07-05-2005, 06:39 PM	#5
Eclipse Quarry Creeper Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Grand Forks Posts: 221	i meant little to almost none charge in the nimhs.

07-05-2005, 06:58 PM	#6
EeePee MODERATOR™ Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 18,928	Read this: http://www.teamnovak.com/products/ba...tery_care.html

07-05-2005, 07:02 PM	#7
nd4spdbh Rock Crawler Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Dude on my dirt bike in SoCal!!! Posts: 949	tell this guy how to figure it out not quarrel over small details... i just use a multimeter to measure voltage off ever cell in the pac. the ones that are out of the norm voltage of the packs (usually the ones with little or no voltage are bad) but that what i do and i dont kno if its right...it has worked for me!

07-05-2005, 07:21 PM	#9
EeePee MODERATOR™ Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 18,928	From this page http://loke.as.arizona.edu/~ckulesa/nicads.html I found: "For most purposes, one should discharge the pack gently to 1.1 volts/cell and then charge at an overnight rate to balance the pack. This is generally sufficient for most use, even for large electric flight packs. However, I have found that a periodic individual cell deep discharge is beneficial to really balancing a pack and diagnosing its condition. To do this, discharge to 1.1 volts/cell as before and then wire up a tiny motor or flashlight light bulb to each cell individually. Discharge each cell completely. You may find some dispersion in the charge state of some of the cells. This discrepancy will probably be 'fixed' by the deep discharge (but if it doesn't, you should probably toss out the bad cell). When you are done, resume charging as before."

07-05-2005, 08:27 PM	#10
I B RACIN Quarry Creeper Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Lake Tapps, Washington Posts: 225	One of the best ways to tell if you have any bad cells, Start your charge then check the voltage while its on charge, any cell that has really high voltage way out of the norm, needs to be checked, also bad cells tend to get hot fast. So a temp gun can help check for that, or buy hand works too. I B..

07-05-2005, 09:10 PM	#11
nd4spdbh Rock Crawler Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Dude on my dirt bike in SoCal!!! Posts: 949	ya i have been there on the heat with bad cells i was runnin my rustler really hard one time and the battery got somewhat hot but one cell go so hot it further shrinked the shrink wrap around it LOL it was so shrunk it only went around half the cell!

07-07-2005, 12:37 PM	#12
lunardaisy Rock Stacker Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Indian's Cupboard Posts: 91	That artice said To Charge them a max rate or 4.5 to 5 amps at a time. I charge mine at like 1.5... What does everyone else char theirs at?

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07-07-2005, 01:49 PM	#13
badger Diggin' the new SCX10 II! Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Norcal Posts: 11,402	RallyRoach, NIMH's do not like to be stored and no matter how you store them (charged or discharged) you will loose life in them if stored for a long time like you did. If you plan on storing NIMH's for a long time then you need to cycle them once a month or if you can't do that I would just sell them and buy new ones when you get back into it. Otherwise you are just throwing away $$ IMO. I charge my packs at 6 amps.

07-07-2005, 02:06 PM	#14
EeePee MODERATOR™ Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 18,928	I charge at 4, which is the highest setting on the Novak Ionic I use.

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