piranha charging examples please

[muddeprived]

I new to this kind of charger. I've always had the plug and wait chargers and recently aquired the piranha charger along with two batteries:

3700 1.2v nimh
3600 1.2v nimh

Both with dean connectors.

Could you guys give me examples of how you set the piranha charger for batteries similar to these? I don't fully understand what options i should select on the charger and after reading a godzillion threads on it, i'm still a little confused.

The charger doesn't come with dean connectors apparently so could i chop off a tamiya connector and solder on a dean connector and just use that?

Until then, i'm gonna keep searching and hopefully un-baffle my mind.

edit: ok i realized that the charger has tones to notify you but i am hearing impaired and won't be able to hear those tones. Will teh charger say the battery is done on the screen?

 

[bubbaracing]

Did ya get any manuals with it? I'm new to my pirahna charger to, but it will tell you on the screen when it's done, and if ya don't see it for a bit it will go to trickle charge! I'm still learnin how to set up the charger for the battery types yet but so far so good! I'm sure you can get a manual online from duratrax I think, i'll check and let ya know! Oh yeah the plugs I have are just on short whips with the connector needed for whatever battery i'm charging!

Matt"thumbsup"

 

[muddeprived]

Did ya get any manuals with it? I'm new to my pirahna charger to, but it will tell you on the screen when it's done, and if ya don't see it for a bit it will go to trickle charge! I'm still learnin how to set up the charger for the battery types yet but so far so good! I'm sure you can get a manual online from duratrax I think, i'll check and let ya know! Oh yeah the plugs I have are just on short whips with the connector needed for whatever battery i'm charging!

Matt"thumbsup"

No manual, just the bubble diagram. I read the manual online but still a little confused. I practiced charging my 1200 mah 7.2v battery and it seemed to charge in about 25 minutes. I set it on auto.

Trying to find out what to set my 3600 and 3700 1.2 volt batteries for.

 

[RCCrawlerTT]

Duratrax Peak Charger User Manual

 

[DaViolentOne]

I use the same charger and it hasn't failed me yet...

I'll post the setup I use for my 3600 packs so's you can get an idea from there...

Bat. Type: NiMH
Capacity: 4200
Current: 3.0A on AC/5.0A on DC
Peak: 6mV/C

And that's it...

I ramped the capacity up that high 'cos my SMC packs will take more than what they're rated at... The Piranha will stop at the rating you input but I ramp it way above the pack #'s to ensure I get a full peack charge...

I use the same profile settings mostly for AC and DC... The only difference in the 2 profiles is the current charge...

And as for when it's done, it'll let ya know... It'll show a TrC or Tr in the upper left when it's done and will flash between the trickle and the final results of the charge...

 

[muddeprived]

I use the same charger and it hasn't failed me yet...

I'll post the setup I use for my 3600 packs so's you can get an idea from there...

Bat. Type: NiMH
Capacity: 4200
Current: 3.0A on AC/5.0A on DC
Peak: 6mV/C

And that's it...

I ramped the capacity up that high 'cos my SMC packs will take more than what they're rated at... The Piranha will stop at the rating you input but I ramp it way above the pack #'s to ensure I get a full peack charge...

I use the same profile settings mostly for AC and DC... The only difference in the 2 profiles is the current charge...

And as for when it's done, it'll let ya know... It'll show a TrC or Tr in the upper left when it's done and will flash between the trickle and the final results of the charge...

thank you.

 

[Mnster]

I have the same charger I charge as follows. 2/3 A need to be charged at a lower amperage to keep them cool. SMC's website recommends a high mv/c value for all their batterys like the 3300Gp's and the 3600-3800 intellect cells they want like 26 or so, 20 is as high as the charger goes. 3.0 amps is the max you can charge a battery from a wall outlet. The charger will not allow you to go higher till you use a dc source like a car battery. If you charge at higher amps you will get a fast charge with alot of punch and a short runtime. If you charge the battery slower at lower amps you will get a longer runtime with a little less punch. But, battery life will be longer. The screen will flash when the charge is over. In the upper right corner of that flashing screen you will see how much capacity was injected into the pack.

1500mah
1.5amps
20mv/c

1400mah
1.5amps
20mv/c

3300
3.0amps
20mv/c

3600
3.0amps
20mv/c

 

[K_Willis]

20 mv per cell is waaaaaay too high. There won't be enough of a voltage drop in the cells for the charger to ever stop the charge.

The pack will keep charging until it reaches it's cut off capacity that you programmed. This would be OK if the pack was completely discharged, but not if you were charging a pack that still had half it's capacity left. It would get very hot and possibly even explode.

I went and checked SMC's website.
http://www.smc-racing.com/
under "SMC charging"
They recommend 5mV per cell, 20mV total for a 4 cell pack, or 30mV total for a 6 cell.

 

[ridgewalker]

I have a piranha and I'm happy with it .I have charged my new Epic 3000 mah (nimh)bat.35 times in the past month and a half at 3.0 amp and mv/c 4, and have a consistant vp 9.003 to 9.463.I keep a written record of all the values of each battery I charge so I can see the battery's performance. If you are charging nimh battery's use a lower mv/c value so that the bat. peaks at the same time it gets prety warm and for nicad use a higher mv/c value because nicad bats are a higher voltage as far as peaking.nimh batterys start to drop voltage at a lower peak than nicad does.If you set the charge rate to auto past 5.0 the charger will take care of everything and you can set the mah to the highest value and it will put in the battery as much as it will take and it will not over charge or under charge in the auto setting I have tested it both ways.

 

[Scattman]

I use the same charger and it hasn't failed me yet...

I'll post the setup I use for my 3600 packs so's you can get an idea from there...

Bat. Type: NiMH
Capacity: 4200
Current: 3.0A on AC/5.0A on DC
Peak: 6mV/C

And that's it...

I ramped the capacity up that high 'cos my SMC packs will take more than what they're rated at... The Piranha will stop at the rating you input but I ramp it way above the pack #'s to ensure I get a full peack charge...

I use the same profile settings mostly for AC and DC... The only difference in the 2 profiles is the current charge...

And as for when it's done, it'll let ya know... It'll show a TrC or Tr in the upper left when it's done and will flash between the trickle and the final results of the charge...

This guy knows what he is talking about. I have 3 of these chargers and they work awesome for the money. I usually run my mv cutoff between 6 and 8 depending on the sub c pack. I have a couple of identical sub c packs and I have to set one at 6mv and the other at 8mv.

Never do as Mnster said and set it at 20.:shock:

I have never had to go any higher than 8mv to get a complete charge. I would maybe start at 5 or 6 and see how warm the pack is at finish.

Also, as Daviolentone said, if you are charging, say, a 4200, set it at 4300 as sometimes they will take a little more mah than they are rated. Basically when you set the mah number, that is a cutofff point incase the pack never peaks. Keeps it from toasting the pack. If you have any q's, just pm me. I charge AAA's, AA's, receiver packs, sub c packs, my glow ignitors, and even the rechargable 9 volt for my paintball gun. Great little charger for the money."thumbsup"

 

[TLTCrawlin]

I always did mine at 3mv!!! LOl cuz I didnt know what it was!

 

[Scattman]

I always did mine at 3mv!!! LOl cuz I didnt know what it was!

Set at 3mv you were not getting a full charge. Bump that up to 6 or 7 and you will see a difference."thumbsup"

 

[MrNatural420]

Ez

Plug it in.Screen will show START<1> (number may be 1-9).If the <#> is flashing push "E",number should stop flashing.Push +.BAT. TYPE should come up with flashing NiMH or NiCD.+ or - to choose.Hit "E".CAPACITY screen.+ or- to 3600 or 3700mAh. Hit "E". CURRENT screen.+ or - to 2.0 amps. Hit "E".PEAK 6mV/C. Push "E" and hold ,screen will read Charge start.. The charger will stop by itself and show charge time in minutes and secs. and how many mAh it took. Hope this helps.

 

[BLT2RCKTRD]

What settings should I be using to charge my intellect 3600 stick battery pack from the crawler store.

 

[muddeprived]

What settings should I be using to charge my intellect 3600 stick battery pack from the crawler store.

Check out Mnster's post above.

 

[Scattman]

Check out Mnster's post above.

Yeah, if you wanna toast it."thumbsup"

 

[Scattman]

What settings should I be using to charge my intellect 3600 stick battery pack from the crawler store.

5 amps, start with 6mv cutoff. Set the mah to 3700 as they sometimes take a little more than advertised. If the batt. is not warm when the charge is over, bump the mv to 7 and try it. You want the batt just a little warm at the end of the charge.

Never, and I repeat, NEVER set the mv to 20. Mnster doesn't have a clue. I have never had to go over 8mv to get a complete charge.

 

[muddeprived]

5 amps, start with 6mv cutoff. Set the mah to 3700 as they sometimes take a little more than advertised. If the batt. is not warm when the charge is over, bump the mv to 7 and try it. You want the batt just a little warm at the end of the charge.

Never, and I repeat, NEVER set the mv to 20. Mnster doesn't have a clue. I have never had to go over 8mv to get a complete charge.

My apologies. I overlooked the 20 mv. I take that back, don't follow that ;-)