Great Planes Triton EQ Charger - GPMM3155 User Manual

Page 10

SELECTING LiPo, Li-Ion, or LiFe BATTERY TYPES

TritonEQ can handle lithium-polymer (LiPo), lithium-ion (Li-Ion), and lithium ferrite phosphate (LiFe, such as A123
brand) battery types. While similar in many ways, there are some slight differences amongst these battery types. Setting
TritonEQ for the proper lithium type is necessary for safety, and will result in better performance for your packs. Refer to
the Lithium Menu fl owchart included to set the specifi c type of lithium battery:

1. Press BATT TYPE until the LiPo CHARGE screen shows.

2. Press

twice to fi nd the “Lithium type” screen.

3. Press ENTER, then either INC or DEC to fi nd the desired lithium type.

Press ENTER, or wait 5 seconds and the new battery type will automatically be confi rmed. Once a change in lithium
type has been made, all screens and settings relating to lithium batteries will follow the nominal voltage ratings for
the battery type selected (as explained on page 5).

BALANCED VS. NON-BALANCED LITHIUM PACKS

Lithium batteries for R/C are commonly available in two different assembly/wiring confi gurations: wired for balancing,
and non-balanced. It’s important to know which confi guration you have before proceeding. Consult your battery supplier
if you are unsure if your battery is wired for balancing, if it’s not wired for balancing but has a built-in safety circuit, or
neither.

WARNING! It is NOT recommended to charge a LiPo battery which is not wired for balancing, or
which does not have a built-in protection circuit! Such types of LiPo batteries have NO means to
protect the equipment or the user from damage that could result from an overcharge condition of
any single cell in the pack.

Packs wired for BALANCING have a unique connector which has more than two wires
going to the pack itself. Each wire is connected to an individual cell inside the pack, by
which the charger/discharger monitors the condition of the individual cell and controls
whether it should be charged or discharged. Such packs SHOULD be charged with a
LiPo charger that is capable of balancing, or with a LiPo charger that is connected to a
separate LiPo cell balancer. TritonEQ has a built-in balancing circuit.

To balance a LiPo battery during charge or discharge, connect the appropriate adapter to match your battery to the
charger’s balancing jack. The red wire will always be on the left (see photo above left). Then connect the battery to the
balancing adapter. Lastly, connect the battery’s main power lead to the proper adapter which is already connected to the
charger’s banana jacks (note proper polarity, see photo above right).

Note: Anytime a lithium battery is connected to the balancing jack – but NO fast charge is in progress – the charger
will attempt to slowly balance the pack by discharging any cells of higher voltage. The LCD will briefl y show “SLOW
BALANCING” every fi ve seconds during this time. See pages 11 and 12 for details about fast charging and discharging
of lithium batteries.

Balancing
Connector