Got my C Crane Quikcharger today...

PlayboyJoeShmoe

PlayboyJoeShmoe

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So far, so good.

I didn't have any batteries very dead. Lowest was 1.28V.

I take that back, but first offer this: I pulled two Nicads out of an emergency light and put one in to test it. It being Nicad, and CC says it will auto discharge them I closed the lid to see what would happen. It started 'soft start' charging it.

Then when I put in a 1.27v NimH, it started to discharge it. *** backwards from what I expected.

If I could make it discharge at will, it would be perfect!

Also as I type this, a couple of NimHs with right around 1.30v have been running my Madmax for about an hour and a half so far.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
To make it discharge at will check: "Discharge System Override Button" on page 6 of the manaul. Works on both NiCads & NiMhs. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
 
Playboy, I used my new C Crane Quickcharger for the first time last week and I experienced exactly what you did. The "automatic" discharge cycle supposedly for Nicads worked bass ackwards.

Otherwise I like the charger. The cells don't overheat and I like the flexibility of charging one-four cells (although each cell is not independently charged). I always test each cell when charging more than one at a time to ensure that their charge states are fairly equal since they are charged in parallel. I was happy with my Maha chargers but I am graduating to projects with bigger batteries i.e. D's that my Mahas can't handle.

At the very least it makes a great voltage checker.

BTW, can someone tell me how a "smart" charger knows a Nicad from a NiMH???? Does it ask? Is there an optical reader that scans the cell's label??? I think not, so how does that work???
 
I don't think the "intelligent discharge system" is ***-backwards. It analyzes the batteries before charging. If the charge is low, it discharges them to 1 volt before charging them. If the charge is high, it doesn't discharge them. This has advantages. For instance, if the batteries are fully charged, and are being trickle charged when the AC power is lost, it won't discharge them when the AC power is restored. If you put batteries in the charger that don't need much charging it won't discharge them. If you put batteries in the charger that need charging, it will discharge them first.

In any case you can change the way it is working by pressing and holding down the "discharge system override" button until it switches from "soft start" to "IDS" and vice versa.

For NIMH it would probably be better if it never discharged them automatically. It's not perfect but I haven't found a charger that is.
 
Last night while posting I had my Madmax running. When I noticed it dimming I shut it down. Before getting in bed, I tested and found .94V in those batts.

The CCrane has 'em sittin' there ready to go this morning.

I'm gonna poke around and see if I can come up with some Ds.
 
I know that Ni-Cd cells exhibit the well-known voltage depression effect when overcharged, and I believe "intelligent" chargers sense the peaking of the voltage during charging.

From what I understand, the voltage measuread across Ni-MH cells simply levels off when they reach a charged state, at which point the charger would stop charging them.

That's the only explanation I can think of!
 
The NiMH do have a small drop in voltage at full charge (negative delta-V), but it's very small and hard to detect. Looking for a small delta-V will work for NiMH and NiCd. Faster chargers should look for a zero 1st derivative of V (when V _just_ stops increasing). Maha's chargers also look for a period of no voltage change.

http://www.cadex.com (batteries in a portable world book)
http://www.rcbatteryclinic.com/
 
Ironically I have seen a charger that is strikingly similar to the C-Crane charger discussed here, only it was marketed under the Radio S#@ck brand. The overall design and especially the LCD were different, but the two appear to be functionally the same. Though it was sold by RS, the PCBs inside had the Saitek (!) logo on it. I could not find any information on it on the Saitek site, and all I could find on the RS page was a limited parts list. Perhaps some patent rights were sold /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Assuming its design is the same, it puts all four charging chambers in parallel. If you happen to leave one or more fully charged cells in when you install a depleted cell, it would seem bad things would happen. The bright side is this is the only charger I have seen that will charge *individual* cells, which is important in some applications...
 
JSWright-is that Rat Shack charger the catalog #23-410? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif ----------------------------------------------------------------------------I've got one here, use it every day, and yes, it's electronically identical to the CCrane (except for 9V capability).
 
(23-410) Yes, that is the one. The particular unit I discussed is at work, and it has performed flawlessly, assuming you don't do any no-no's. I wish I could get my hands on one, but since C-Crane makes an electrically identical (except for the 9V, you are very observant) I might get that one. Thanks for confirming that for me!
 
[ QUOTE ]
JSWrightOC said:(23-410) Yes, that is the one. The particular unit I discussed is at work, and it has performed flawlessly, assuming you don't do any no-no's. I wish I could get my hands on one, but since C-Crane makes an electrically identical (except for the 9V, you are very observant) I might get that one. Thanks for confirming that for me!

[/ QUOTE ]You might try checking those R.S. stores-if you have a few in your area.--------------------------------------------------------------------Out here on the West Coast, I have a half a dozen stores nearby, and saw one in stock about a month ago -still for sale @ $30.(!) -I paid $50. for mine 3 years ago. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif
 
I was always under the impression that the CCrane charger was made by Saitek. Saitek has a $80 charger for sale now, but I haven't been able to talk anyone into buying it and giving us a review.

I don't think the CCrane distinguishes between NiMH and NiCd cells. It quits the fast charge when the voltage drops by .03 volts. At least that is what I observe on the display. The NiMH can get fairly warm in the process. It all depends on what size cells and how many cells you are charging. In the end though, the darn thing works.

As others have mentioned, not much has been discussed about the Quest Q2 charger for AA cells. It's pretty nifty with bells and whistles, well at least it chirps. The only reason I don't use it more is that it seems to occasionally abort a charge prematurely. It monitors each cell and it apparently quits charging if the voltage drops just a little bit.

Maybe the secret of the CCrane reliability is that it measures the average voltage of all the cells, and requires a larger voltage drop before it switches from fast charge to "top off" mode. The "top off" mode is apparently somewhere between the fast charge mode and the trickle charge. I suppose the "top off" would further insure that all the cells got a full charge.

The CCrane also starts the charging process in "soft start" mode for a few minutes before switching to fast charge. This "soft start" is supposed to condition the cells to better accept a charge.
 
The charger instructions specifically state not to recharge batteries of very different charge states at the same time. You can charge such cells individually. It'll be fairly rapid. Come back in an hour or less for an AA or AAA cell and it'll probably be done.

I absolutely LOVE my CCrane charger - been using it for about a year now and it's great. Heck, I put a pair of AAA's in there, got busy with a few things, came back less than 2 hrs later and they were completely done. Highly recommended. Perhaps I should build a reviews page for it on my site...

http://www.ccrane.com/quick_charger.asp
 
[ QUOTE ]
JSWrightOC said:
If you happen to leave one or more fully charged cells in when you install a depleted cell, it would seem bad things would happen.

[/ QUOTE ]

As long as they are the same type of cell bad things wouldn't happen. In parellel, the charged one would charge the other. Eventually the two cells would level.
 
This is true. However it would generate additional heat and put more stress on the cells. But hey, at least it's not going to blow up or melt down (like some other chargers we know...😀)
 
I checked RS site for #23-410, with no luck. Is this something that is only available in the store, or is discontinued?
 
[ QUOTE ]
shankus said: I checked RS site for #23-410, with no luck. Is this something that is only available in the store, or is discontinued?

[/ QUOTE ]Unfortunately, Radio Shaft decided to discontinue selling that model about 2 years ago. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
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