Operating Instructions Multifunctional charger “V-Charge Field 60” Item No.
Table of contents Page 1. Introduction...........................................................................................................................................................4 2. Explanation of symbols.........................................................................................................................................4 3. Intended use.....................................................................................................................................
Page 12. NiMH and NiCd batteries....................................................................................................................................24 a) General information .....................................................................................................................................24 b) Charging a battery ("CHARGE")...................................................................................................................
1. Introduction Dear customer, Thank you for making the excellent decision to purchase a Voltcraft® product. Voltcraft® - This name stands for above-average quality products in the areas of measuring, charging and grid technology, characterised by technical competence, extraordinary performance and permanent innovation.
3. Intended use The charger features a charging/discharging channel with an XT60 connection. It also comes with a built-in balancer for multi-cell lithium batteries. It can be controlled via a two-line backlit display and four control buttons. The charger is designed to charge and discharge NiMH/NiCd batteries (1 - 15 cells), LiPo/LiIon/LiFe/LiHV batteries (2 - 6 cells) and lead-acid batteries (1 - 10 cells, 2 - 20 V). The charging current can be adjusted from 0.1 A to 6.
5. Safety information Read the operating instructions and safety information carefully. If you do not follow the safety instructions and information on proper handling in this manual, we will assume no liability for any resulting personal injury or damage to property. Such cases will invalidate the warranty/guarantee. a) General information • T he unauthorized conversion and/or modification of the product is prohibited for safety and approval reasons. Never dismantle the product.
• Always use suitable protection when placing the charger on valuable furniture, otherwise it may cause scratch/pressure marks or discolour the furniture. The same applies to connected batteries. • Do not use the charger inside vehicles. • The charger must be installed, used and stored in areas that are inaccessible to children. Children may accidentally short-circuit the rechargeable batteries, which can cause a fire or explosion.
• Never use the product immediately after it has been brought from a cold room into a warm one. This may generate condensation, which can cause the charger to malfunction or damage the interior components. Allow the product to reach room temperature before using it. This may take several hours. • Do not use the charger in the immediate vicinity of strong magnetic or electromagnetic fields, transmitter aerials or HF generators. These may affect the electronic control system.
6. Battery information There are numerous hazards associated with the use of rechargeable batteries. Compared with conventional NiCd or NiMH rechargeable batteries, LiPo/Li-ion-/LiFe-/LiHV rechargeable batteries have a high energy content. For this reason, it is essential to comply with safety regulations to prevent the risk of a fire or explosion. Always observe the following safety information when handling rechargeable batteries.
• If you do not plan to use the charger for an extended period, disconnect any connected batteries from the charger, and then disconnect the charger from the power supply. • Do not charge a battery when it is still hot (e.g. due to a high discharge current in your model). Allow the battery to cool down to room temperature before charging or discharging it. • Never damage the casing of a rechargeable battery.
• A lways use a compatible charger to charge lithium batteries and ensure that the charging specifications are correct. Do not use NiCd, NiMH or lead-acid battery chargers, as these may cause a fire or explosion. Always select the correct charging specifications for your rechargeable battery. • A lways use a balancer when charging a lithium battery with more than one cell (the charger comes with a built-in balancer).
7. Compatible battery types Battery type LiPo Li-ion LiFe LiHV NiCd NiMH Pb Rated voltage (V/cell) 3.7 3.6 3.3 3.7 1.2 1.2 2.0 Max. charging voltage (V/cell) 4.2 4.1 3.6 4.35 1.5 1.5 2.46 Voltage for storage (V/cell) 3.8 3.7 3.3 3.85 - - - Charging current for fast charging <= 1C <= 1C <= 4C <= 1C 1C - 2C 1C - 2C <= 0.4C Min. voltage after discharge (V/cell) 3.0...3.3 2.9...3.2 2.6...2.9 3.1...3.4 >= 1.0 >= 1.0 >= 1.
8.
9. Operation a) Connecting the charger to the power supply Important! Always connect the charger to the power supply before connecting a battery. The charger can be powered with a suitable mains adapter or a car lead-acid battery via the direct voltage input (11 - 18 V/DC). The charger has a maximum total charging power of 60 W. The power supply must be chosen accordingly.
b) Connecting a battery to the charger Please read the following section carefully before connecting or charging/discharging a battery: • If you have not already done so, read the information in sections 5, 6 and 7.
Connecting a battery pack to the charger: 1. Connect the charger to the power supply. 2. Connect the charging cable to the XT60 socket on the charger. Ensure that the cable is inserted in the correct polarity; this is indicated on the XT60 socket on the charger. Do not connect the charging cable to the battery at this stage. This may result in a short circuit in the charging cable, which can cause a fire or explosion! 3.
d) Charging and discharge power The charger has a maximum charging capacity of 60 W and a discharge capacity of max. 5 W. Important: The charging capacity limits the possible charging current (depending on the battery type) and number of cells. The same applies to the discharge capacity. Example for charging a battery: The charger provides a maximum charging current of 6.0 A.
10. Menu structure The menu structure and screenshots shown on the following pages may differ for newer firmware versions.
11. Lithium batteries (LiPo, Li-ion, LiFe, LiHV) a) General information The battery programs for LiPo, Li-ion, LiFe and LiHV batteries only differ in terms of the voltage and maximum charging current (see table in section 7). The charging process for LiPo batteries consists of two stages. During the first stage, the battery is charged with a constant current. When the maximum permitted cell voltage is reached (e.g. 4.
b) Charging a battery without a balancer connection ("CHARGE") In theory, you could also use the "CHARGE" program to charge multi-cell lithium batteries with a balancer connection. In this mode, however, the cell voltages are not balanced and the cells may overcharge, which could cause a fire or explosion! For this reason, always charge multi-cell lithium batteries with a balancer connection using the "BALANCE" program. Do not use the "CHARGE" program! • From the main menu, use the "INC.
• If the two numbers match, press the "ENTER/START" button to start the charging cycle. • The display shows a range of information about the charging status when the battery is charging. Example: LP3s 1.2A 12.59V CHG 022:43 00682 The battery type and number of cells are shown in the top-left of the display ("LP3s" - LiPo battery with 3 cells).
Example: A dual-cell LiPo battery pack charged without a balancer has a voltage of 8.4 V and thus appears to be fully charged. However, the two cells have a respective voltage of 4.5 V and 3.9 V (one cell is dangerously overcharged, the other is half-empty).
f) Discharging a battery ("DISCHARGE") It is not normally necessary to discharge a lithium battery before starting a charge cycle (in contrast to NiCd batteries). The battery can be charged at any time, regardless of the remaining charge. However, if you do wish to discharge the battery, you can configure the discharge current accordingly. The maximum possible discharge current depends on the battery type, battery capacity and number of cells. The charger has a maximum discharge capacity of 5 W.
12. NiMH and NiCd batteries a) General information The programs for NiMH and NiCd batteries have the same menu settings. The only difference is the internal charging specifications. The charger must display the main menu. Use the "INC." or "DEC." buttons to select the battery type (NiMH or NiCd, see right-hand screenshots). Press the "ENTER/START" button to confirm your selection. Use the "INC." and "DEC.
• To change the charging current, press the "ENTER/START" button. The charging current will start to flash. Press the "INC." and "DEC." buttons to change the current. Hold down the button to move through the values more quickly. • Press the "ENTER/START" button to confirm the charging current. The maximum possible charging current depends on the battery type, number of cells and the maximum charging capacity of the charger.
d) Recharging a battery ("RE-PEAK) When you charge a NiMh or NiCd battery, the charger stops charging automatically when the battery is fully charged. The charger uses Delta-V control to detect when the battery is fully charged. The "RE-PEAK" program detects the voltage of the battery several times to verify that the battery is fully charged and check how well the battery can handle quick charge mode. Ensure that the battery is fully charged (see sections 12. b) and 12.
e) Discharging a battery ("DISCHARGE") Use this mode to discharge partly-charged NiMH/NiCd batteries to a preset level. Special NiCd batteries should not be charged when they are partly-charged, as this can reduce their capacity (memory effect). This program can also be used to measure a battery's capacity. The maximum possible discharge current depends on the battery type, battery capacity and number of cells. The charger has a maximum discharge capacity of 5 W.
f) Cycle program ("CYCLE") The charger can automatically complete up to 5 cycles to test batteries, charge new batteries and refresh old batteries. You can choose between charge/discharge ("CHG>DCHG") and discharge/charge ("DCHG>CHG"). This mode uses the charging/discharge current that you configured in charge ("CHARGE") and discharge ("DISCHARGE") mode. Follow the steps below: • Select the battery type (NiMH or NiCd, see section 12. a), and then select the "CYCLE" program.
13. Lead-acid batteries (Pb) a) General information Lead acid batteries are completely different to lithium, NiMH or NiCd batteries. Despite their high capacity, they only deliver a low current. The charging specifications are also different. The charging current for modern lead-acid batteries must not exceed 0.4C. The optimal charging current is 1/10C. A higher charging current must not be used, as this can overload the battery and cause a fire or explosion.
• To change the charging current, press the "ENTER/START" button. The charging current will start to flash. Press the "INC." and "DEC." buttons to change the current. Hold down the button to move through the values more quickly. • Press the "ENTER/START" button to confirm the charging current. The maximum possible charging current depends on the number of cells and the maximum charging power. • Hold down the "ENTER/START" button for approximately 3 seconds to start the charging cycle.
• To change the discharge current, press the "ENTER/START" button. The discharge current will start to flash. Press the "INC." and "DEC." buttons to change the current. Hold down the button to move through the values more quickly. • Press the "ENTER/START" button to confirm the discharge current. • Hold down the "ENTER/START" button for approximately 3 seconds to start the discharge cycle.
15. Saving/loading battery data The charger has 10 memory slots that you can use to save frequently used settings. For example, you can save the charging specifications for different LiPo model aeroplane batteries (number of cells, charging settings, charging current) so that you do not need to reset them each time. a) Saving battery data • From the main menu, use the "INC." or "DEC." buttons to select "BATT MEMORY". • Press the "ENTER/START" button to confirm your selection.
The following settings are available: The available settings depend on the selected battery type (LiPo, Li-on, LiFe, LiHV, NiMH, NiCd, Pb). For example, you can only configure the end charging voltage per cell for lithium batteries. Select the battery type first, and then configure the other settings to ensure that the charger displays the correct settings options. Battery type BATT TYPE LiPo Select the battery type ("LiPo", "LiIo", "LiFe", "LiHV", "NiMH", "NiCd" or "Pb").
Discharge voltage per cell at the end of the discharge cycle DISCHG VOLTAGE 3.0V/CELL Use this setting to configure the voltage per cell at the end of the discharge cycle. Important! Never select a voltage that is too low. This can cause lithium batteries to overdischarge and result in permanent damage to the battery. Refer to the table in section 7 or the manufacturer's specifications. End-of-charge voltage per cell TVC=YOUR RISK! 4.
Delay time for delta-V detection (only for NiMH and NiCd batteries) PEAK DELAY 1Min The charger stops the charging cycle for NiMH and NiCd batteries using Delta-V control. Use this setting to configure how long the charger should continue charging after the Delta-V detection. Save the settings SAVE PROGRAM ENTER See the next section (section 15. b) for details.
c) Loading battery data • From the main menu, use the "INC." or "DEC." buttons to select "BATT MEMORY". • Press the "ENTER/START" button to confirm your selection. The memory slot will flash on the display. • Use the "INC." and "DEC." buttons to select one of the 10 memory slots. If the memory slot already contains battery data, the display will show the battery type and number of cells as well the charging and discharge current. BATT/PROGRAM BATT MEMORY [ BATT MEMORY 1] LiPo 7.
16. Displaying the voltage for lithium batteries The charger can display the voltages of cells in a lithium battery (LiPo, Li-ion, LiFe, LiHV). To display the cell voltages, the lithium battery must have a balancer connection that is connected to the corresponding socket on the charger. Follow the steps below: • From the main menu, use the "INC." or "DEC." buttons to select "BATT METER". • Press the "ENTER/START" button to confirm your selection. BATT/PROGRAM BATT METER The voltage will be displayed.
17. Measuring the internal resistance The charger can display the internal resistance of the connected battery. When a lithium battery is connected, the charger can also display the internal resistance of each cell, provided that the battery has a balancer terminal that is connected to the charger. Follow the steps below: • From the main menu, use the "INC." or "DEC." buttons to select "BATT RESISTANCE". • Press the "ENTER/START" button to confirm your selection.
19. System settings The system settings cover a range of basic settings for the charger. By default, these settings are set to the most frequently used values. You may need to change the settings depending on the batteries that you wish to charge/discharge. Follow the steps below: • From the main menu, use the "INC." or "DEC." buttons to select "SYSTEM SETTING ->". • Press the "ENTER/START" button to confirm your selection.
Safety timer Safety Timer ON 120Min The safety timer starts automatically when a charging cycle beings. If the charger cannot detect whether the battery is fully charged (e.g. with Delta-V control), the charging cycle is stopped automatically after the preset time has elapsed. This stops the battery from overcharging. The safety timer can be switched on or off. You can also change the preset time.
Setting the temperature unit Temperature Unit Celsius The temperatures measured by the internal and external sensor can be displayed in Celsius (°C, degrees Celsius) or Fahrenheit (°F, degrees Fahrenheit). Displaying the battery and charger temperature Ext.Temp: Int.Temp: ---28 C This feature displays the external battery temperature and the internal charger temperature.
Enabling/disabling button confirmation/notification tones Key Beep Buzzer ON ON Use the "Key Beep" function to enable ("ON") or disable ("OFF") button confirmation tones. Use the "Buzzer" function to enable ("ON") or disable ("OFF") notification/warning tones. Displaying the firmware version Version HW:1.00 FW:2.00 The hardware version is displayed in the bottom-left of the display (1.00 in this example). The current firmware version is displayed in the bottom-right corner (2.00 in this example).
20. Warning messages on the display REVERSE POLARITY The polarity of the battery connections is incorrect. CONNECTION BREAK The battery is not connected (e.g. the battery was disconnected during the charging cycle). CONNECT ERROR CHECK MAIN PORT The battery was connected in the reverse polarity. BALANCE CONNECT ERROR The balancer terminal on the battery was not connected properly or was connected in the reverse polarity.
21. Charger status information Press the "DEC." button repeatedly when the battery is charging/discharging to display a range of different information. The charger reverts to the home screen if no button is pressed for a few seconds. Battery voltage at the end of the charge/discharge cycle End Voltage 12.60V(3s) Input voltage IN Power Voltage 12.56V Temperature measured by the external and internal temperature sensor Ext.Temp: Int.
22. Care and cleaning This product does not require any maintenance. Never attempt to dismantle the charger. Maintenance and repair work must be completed by a technician or a specialist repair centre. If there is a battery connected, remove it before cleaning the charger. After removing the battery, disconnect the charger from the power supply. Never use aggressive detergents, rubbing alcohol or other chemical solutions, as these may damage the housing or cause the product to malfunction.
24. Technical data Operating voltage ��������������������������������������� 11 - 18 V/DC Charging/discharge channels ���������������������� 1 Charging current ������������������������������������������ 0.1 - 6.0 A (depending on the number of cells and the battery type) Charging power ������������������������������������������� Max. 60 W Discharge current ���������������������������������������� 0.1 - 2.
This is a publication by Conrad Electronic SE, Klaus-Conrad-Str. 1, D-92240 Hirschau (www.conrad.com). All rights including translation reserved. Reproduction by any method, e.g. photocopy, microfilming, or the capture in electronic data processing systems require the prior written approval by the editor. Reprinting, also in part, is prohibited. This publication represent the technical status at the time of printing. Copyright 2019 by Conrad Electronic SE.
