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Author Topic: am I charged?  (Read 2469 times)

sunnybob

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am I charged?
« on: February 24, 2008, 07:04:57 pm »

In what appears to be a never ending learning curve, I have reached another stage where I need some learned advice.
(becoming habit forming I think :embarrassed:) i'm sorry if this is a rant, cos it is. But of course its not directed at anyone here, just manufacturers in general.

I have a graupner X-408 transmitter, with an instruction book in 4 languages. Sadly, none of them tell me when the battery is charged >:( >:(

I connected it to the charger being very careful about socket polarity (the book is actually OK on that point). But now we come to part one of the tragic bits. The book says to make sure the switch on the Tx is OFF before charging. Anybody know which way is off? I dont.

There is a central slide switch with an arrow in the "up" direction. There is nothing that says "on" or "off" at either end of this switches travel. >>:-( >>:-(

Assuming the switch is "on" when it's slid in the direction of the arrow (logical, but not definite), the book says there is a little led which shows the state of charge of battery. Does it sing a little song? or whistle a tune? Exactly HOW does this led tell me the battery is charged? or discharged for that matter?

Now to part two...

I tried charging the battery. The led on the charger went orange, which I assume is good. The led on the Tx started to flash. is that also good? or very bad????

With the charger disconnected, the led does not light, wherever the switch is positioned.

Please put me out of my misery, seeing as its actually illegal for me to put the manufacturers out of theirs.

Bob, still stuck in the long tunnel.
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DickyD

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Re: am I charged?
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2008, 07:55:18 pm »

Bob if the transmitter is on you should have leds lit.   O0

(10) Battery indicator
Clear two-stage LED indicator system for monitoring
the battery voltage. If the LED glows green, the battery
voltage is satisfactory. If the battery indicator LED
changes to red, the battery is almost discharged. Cease
operations immediately if this happens, and recharge
the transmitter battery before using the system again.

http://www.graupner.de/fileadmin/downloadcenter/anleitungen/20060921103329_4728.pdf
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sunnybob

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Re: am I charged?
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2008, 08:17:01 pm »

Richard, thanks for that. I s'pose i should have checked the web site, my anger got the better of me >:(
But I'm not getting either of those colours. Only a flashing yellow when the charger is connected, and nothing at all when I disconnect it.
I've checked the polarity, and the connection, so I'll have to get my multimeter out and see if this battery has any voltage.

Sorry for the rant, a glass (LARGE) of red has cooled me a little.
Bob O0
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DickyD

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Re: am I charged?
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2008, 08:21:07 pm »

Like we say, just ask, loads of answers to every question on here Bob, not all the same though :-\
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malcolmfrary

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Re: am I charged?
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2008, 01:05:14 pm »

Normally, with transmitters, Up is On, so for charging, it should be down.  If nothing lights up with the switch down and the charger not plugged in, that sounds right.  A lit LED draws power, which will flatten the battery eventually, so you need the switched-off un-plugged in device to look dead.  In this condition, if plugging the charger in causes a light to flash, I would consider this a GOOD THING.  It is doing something, hopefully charging.  If the light eventually goes to a steady state, this should be an indication that charging has completed.  Unplugging the charger and switching on should then show a green indicator.
Personally I much prefer the 5-LED display on my ancient Acoms set to the later 2 and 3 LED displays on the newer stuff as giving a better warning of the battery state.
You are thinking along the right lines regarding instructions, though.  I was involved in TQM a while ago, and somebody found a poem by the great Ogden Nash that covered the ground very well in only a dozen words -

"When packets say,
As packets should,
Open here,
I wish they would"

I always think that that should be engraved on the head of every instruction writer.  Except me.
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sunnybob

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Re: am I charged?
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2008, 04:25:17 pm »

Malcolm.... Oh Yes  O0
I've now calmed down, got out the meter, and investigated further.
The battery in the TX is showing ONE volt!!. This after 4 hours charging!!
Do these Nimh batteries usually arrive stone dead? I have no way of knowing how long this Tx has been on the shelf, possibly years?

Anyway, I've rechecked all the polarity from the battery right back to the charger, and all is ok. Its on charge again now, the little green led is flashing, so we can only hope that in about a week it will be up to 9 volts ;) ;)
Hopefully I will be able to post some "good news" tomorrow ::) ::)
Bob
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Colin Bishop

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Re: am I charged?
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2008, 04:59:31 pm »

One volt doesn't sound right, there ought to be rather more than that when the set is purchased. May be a dud battery, you'll have to see.
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sunnybob

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Re: am I charged?
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2008, 05:22:45 pm »

one hour later.....
The TX green led was flashing for the first hour of charge, then went to a steady green.

I disconnected the battery, it now had 9.16 volts. I tried turning the Tx on, but the led did not light up.

I've now put the charger back on, and the charger light is orange (which I assume is charging) but the TX light is solid green?????

I'll give it 6 hours and retest. Ho Hum, still no good news :( :(
Bob
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Colin Bishop

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Re: am I charged?
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2008, 05:36:09 pm »

You did turn the TX off before reconnecting to the charger I assume?  ;)
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sunnybob

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Re: am I charged?
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2008, 06:08:48 pm »

Colin, I also assume I did. There is no "on" or "off" markings, just an arrow. The consensu is that the arrow direction is "on". there fore I set it to the opposite before reconnecting the charger.

update... after a half hour of steady green on the TX, the led started flashing again for about 10 minutes. Its back to steady green again.
I'll leave it the full 6 hours this time, then check the voltage and operation.
Its certainly more intersting than the tele.
Bob
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