Great Planes Triton Charger - GPMM3150 - Manual (Page 9)

It’s a good idea to properly discharge NiCd batteries before charging. If a NiCd battery
is only partially discharged on a regular basis it can develop a so-called “memory
effect,” where it will only be capable of storing part of its maximum rated capacity. It
is difficult to reverse the memory effect and battery replacement is usually necessary.
NiMH batteries do not exhibit the memory effect and typically have a high self-
discharge rate, so discharging before charging is not necessary.
Sub-C NiCd and NiMH cells used for powering DC motors can withstand peak charge
currents up to 5.0 amps with little heat generation. “A” or “AA” cells typically used for
radios should not be subjected to such high currents. Many chargers are designed to
safely peak charge “A” and “AA” size radio batteries at currents of 2.0 amps or less.
Exceeding this rate is not typically recommended. “AAA” and smaller cells (such as
“N” size) should be charged at even lower rates to avoid permanent damage from
overheating. Consult your battery supplier for proper charge current information.
In either the “NiCd charge” or “NiMH charge” screens, press the dial to select the
current level, then rotate the dial to adjust this level from 0.1 – 5.0 amps. Re-press
the dial to confirm the selection. Low charge currents are more gentle on batteries
and tend to result in more accurate, full charges but take longer to fully charge
batteries. High charge currents result in much quicker charge times, but are more
stressful on batteries and can shorten their overall lifespan. Press and hold the dial
for 2 seconds to start peak charge. Note: When charging NiCd or NiMH packs
containing greater than 20 cells, or charging lead-acid batteries rated at 12V or
greater, the actual amount of current delivered to the battery might not exceed 3.5A.
This is normal, and can be attributed to a variety of different circumstances such as
the condition of the input power supply, battery being charged, charge
connector/connection, etc.
Auto-Mode: If pre-set charge currents are not entered in the menu before attempting
to charge a battery, Triton’s circuitry will automatically set the appropriate charge
current to match the battery. Once the battery is connected and the charge process
has been started, Triton will monitor and evaluate the condition of the battery and
automatically set a charge current. Because the effectiveness of the auto-mode is
dependent on many variables relative to the battery being charged (how much charge
currently exists, age and quality of the cells, quality of the charge leads, etc.), Triton
will likely produce better results when programmed manually. This, and learning how
to specifically care for your batteries will ultimately lead to better performance.
Because of their small size (which is directly proportional to their high internal
impedance and natural tendency to overheat easily), it is recommended NOT to use
the auto-mode for charging small park-flyer type batteries (cells smaller than “AA”).
Using the auto-mode for NiCds with a rated capacity of 600-2400mAh, or NiMHs with
a rated capacity of 1000-3000mAh is acceptable.
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