Great Planes Triton Charger - GPMM3150 - Manual (Page 12)

Battery “cycling” is the function of subjecting a battery to full charge and full
discharge processes in succession. Cycling is available for NiCd and NiMH batteries
only, and NOT recommended for Pb or Li-Ion/Li-Po batteries. Cell manufacturers
note three main benefits of battery cycling:
A. Battery maintenance: NiCd batteries benefit the most from regular cycling
(recommended once monthly) to help reduce the threat of the so-called memory effect.
NiMH batteries benefit little from regular cycling as they typically do not suffer from
symptoms of memory effect.
B. Determining battery condition: Rechargeable batteries are rated by how much
charge “capacity” they can store. A function of how much current a battery can
deliver over a given amount of time, capacity is rated in “mAh”or milli-amp hours
(large batteries might be rated in “Ah,” or amp-hours). If a battery can only supply a
small fraction of its rated capacity, it’s likely reaching the end of its useful life.
C. Breaking-in a new or unused battery: New batteries often require a short
break-in period before they will perform to their rated capacity. Older batteries which
have been unused for an extended length of time might require the same treatment
to regain their usefulness. Repeated cycling is the best way to revive such batteries.
During charge, Triton will monitor and calculate the amount of capacity or charge
energy that is delivered to the battery. During discharge, Triton will monitor capacity
that was delivered from the battery. Discharge capacity measurements can then be
compared to the capacity rating specified on the battery itself to determine its overall
condition. If a battery provides less than 70% of its rated capacity it may not be safe
to use. Additional charge-to-discharge cycles can be attempted to try and revive the
battery, but if repeated attempts fail to improve performance the batteries should be
replaced.
The “chg-to-dsch” feature charges NiCd or NiMH batteries to peak, then automatically
changes to a brief cool-off period, then to discharge mode. This process is often used
for evaluating a battery’s ability to hold capacity.
The “dsch-to-chg” feature will discharge batteries first, followed by a cool-off period,
then by a full peak charge. This method can be used just prior to using the battery
in application to ensure the battery is fully charged.
For NiCd and NiMH “Chg to Dsch” and “Dsch to Chg” screens, briefly press then
rotate the dial to select the proper charge and discharge currents. Note: During cycle
mode, the discharge cutoff voltage for either battery type is FIXED at 0.8V per cell.
This is not adjustable.
Triton offers the options to set a cool-off time delay between charge and discharge
functions, and to cycle a battery up to 10 times in a row. See “Delay Between Charge
/ Discharge” and “Number of Cycles” in the SETUP MENU (on page 14).
CHARGE TO DISCHARGE &
DISCHARGE-TO-CHARGE CYCLING
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